All in Entrepreneurship
Structure, rules and constructs can be useful mechanisms and when we're growing up, they're usually unavoidable.
At the same time, they can be both good and bad and, as we grow older, it's worth questioning many of them. Both in terms of what they mean for us but also, as importantly, what they mean for others we live and work with.
Carl Jung said that the greatest tragedy for any child is the unlived life of his parents.
I don’t know if there are many of us who haven’t been impacted by those words, in one way or another. Whether it’s related to what we do for a living, to how we behave with others, to who we associate and spend time with.
In ancient times, when a Roman general achieved success and marched through the streets of Rome in triumph, an auriga (a slave) was appointed to walk behind him and every so often, whisper in his ear, “Memento Homo”.
Remember, you are only a man.
Getting older is something all of us have to deal with. And, especially in today's hyper-competitive, social media driven environment, it comes with its own challenges.
But, as I discuss in today's episode, the reality isn't quiet so black and white, which is heartening, because life is full of nuances. As are each of us.
When we let FOMO (Fear of Missing Out) drive our behavior, it’s almost always a path to disaster.
Whether it’s to do with investments (crypto, anyone?), social interactions or work activities, the minute we decide on a course of action because we’re concerned about what might happen if we don’t participate, we’re bound for trouble.
Smartphones are everywhere and the natural temptation is to use it to record all of our important experiences for posterity.
However, as I discuss in today's episode, there's something to be said to, perhaps, put them away and to simply be in the moment.
When I was a 14 year old learning to play the guitar, there was no internet. Which meant that, if you wanted to learn a song, there were only a few ways to do it.
You could try and learn it ‘by ear’; you could have a friend show you how (assuming you had a friend who played guitar and knew the song in question); you could buy a guitar magazine and check out the included sheet music (assuming they transcribed that specific song in that specific issue)…
The reality of markets is that they move up or down, driven by a wide range of variables, not all of them predictable.
When they’re up, we tend to think everything is rosy and those companies reaping the benefits can do no wrong (or at least very little wrong). Conversely, when they’re down, we think the world is going to hell in a handbasket, and there’s nothing that can be done right, so best to beware.
A common mistake of someone new to the sales process (whether you're selling a product to a prospect or an idea to your boss) is that the more detail you provide, the higher the chances of success.
Reality works quite differently, as I explain in today's episode. The fact is that the onus is on us to get our message across, which means we need to do the work, not the customer.
When we’re deciding what’s important, we need to be thoughtful about the voices we’re listening to - specifically that they’re worth listening to.
Twitter is probably the most prominent example today. While there are about 450 million users on the platform, about 10% of that user base contributes 80% of the tweets.
There’s an excitement when we’re running at full tilt that’s hard to replicate. It’s as if every fiber of our being is alive and tingling, as we work towards a specific goal.
Certainly there’s a sense of risk (you might even call it fear) but it’s one that pushes us to stay on our toes, alert and focused. We’re geared to execute carefully, we’re mindful of staying agile as we do so, and we’re entirely focused on results.
In today's episode, I tackle my own personal prejudice with the drum machine, specifically via a song from the artist, The Weeknd.
It's a reminder that how we assess value isn't always objective but perhaps colored by years of conditioning, that often turns out to be wrong.
Do you say “you” or do you say “we”?
I’m asking specifically from the context of starting at a new job. That is, how long does it take for you to start using “we” when referencing your company and its activities?
I was thinking about your services…when you talk to your clients…what’s the thinking behind your products…
The thing about deadlines is that, if we’re conscientious, we’ll actually work to them.
Which, in general, is a good thing because deadlines ensure that we prioritize our tasks, allocate the needed resources (usually) and get things done with intent.
At the same time, deadlines - if not correctly set - can give us a false sense of security.
Bill Gates said that he once believed that, if someone had a high IQ, they could be good at everything. He doesn't anymore, and that's a key idea to come to terms with if you want to build a great enterprise.
Because great teams and achievements are, as I discuss in today's episode, built on the back of diverse capabilities and people.
Like it or not, mistakes are par for the course.
As much as we’d like a perfect innings, there really isn’t any such thing.
That’s a function of the variability inherent in our environment. Our colleagues will not always act predictably. Competitors don’t always behave the way we’d like them to.
Character trumps content. Always.
If I have to choose between two individuals - one fully versed in their line of work but untrustworthy, and the other who is less than well versed but trustworthy, I’ll go with the latter person every single time.
When we listen to songs, they come fully formed - perfect entities in and of themselves. But the fact is that the really great ones can evolve and change over time, because they're driven by something deeper, more meaningful.
That, as I discuss in today's episode, is not that different from us and our lives.
Decades ago, in the early days of the PC, Steve Jobs observed that “most people didn’t want to learn how to use a computer; they just wanted to use it”.
That was his underlying philosophy with the Mac (and all (of his) subsequent Apple products): how do you make the product so simple, so intuitive, that the customer can simply use it without a learning curve? And you have to admit, it’s worked beautifully.
While I’m not a “gamer” in any real sense of the word, there is one that I downloaded on my phone years ago and play when I have some downtime. It’s called Wordscapes and involves rearranging a set of scrambled letters into words in a crossword-like fashion.
I’ve played it enough that I’m now at Level 2,744.
