Age Doesn’t Matter Anymore December 31, 2009
Posted by Rio in : Age, Entrepreneurship, People, Rio , add a commentAge doesn’t mean very much anymore. Women can have babies in their 40s these days and people my age will probably still have careers in our mid-90s. Being able to connect with people of all ages will get you far. Everyone has a story to tell. To put people in boxes based on age means you’ll miss out on a great deal. This even includes dating.
But I’ve noticed people also wonder how I can start a viable business when I’m only 22. Sometimes I feel like countering: “What the hell were you doing when you were 22??” This kind of attitude does piss me off even though most people mean well. First of all, if you go to the coasts, a shitload of startups are led by people around my age. That’s what this whole thing is supposed to be about. Why not start a business now? The earlier the better. Why wait for financial freedom? Why wait on anything you want to do, for that matter?
I read something in Business Week that said most entrepreneurs rated previous experience as one of the most important factors in their success. Of course experience is important, but without intelligence and passion, you aren’t going anywhere. Plus, I don’t have to unlearn all of these bad habits people seem to pick up in the corporate world, like expecting a paycheck or security. I’m only kind of kidding on that one. I think the willingness to learn and the drive to see it through is what you need in any endeavor. And that will ensure you pick up the right experiences.
Happy New Year Everyone. I’m here in Germany and wishing you all a wonderful time as you age into the next year. :)
Smile! You’re in Business. November 27, 2009
Posted by Rio in : Business, Entrepreneurship, Rio , add a commentPeople’s default attitude when I tell them I’m “in business” is that they assume I’m a boring, heartless corporate drone. Or something like that. I was taking pictures for one of my websites and I asked my subject to smile, or at least pretend to look happy. His goes: “Smile? I thought this was a serious company.” I think I died a little inside.
Business gets a bad rap for being boring and corporate. But that’s not what business is about. Business is about fun.
Watch this video on fun. It’s lovely:
Get focused, it says. Stop hiding who you really are. Break the rules. It’s about what you can do, not what you can’t do. Be creative, start scaring yourself. Take action. Start something. Sounds like business to me.
The most successful business owners out there today are the icons, the characters, the Steve Jobs and Richard Bransons of the world. In order to get publicity for Virgin, Richard Branson started doing all sorts of stunts and taking risks and doing balloon rides around the world. This got him some cheap publicity. It’s the characters that get all the attention. Good thing, because marketing can be expensive.
Have passion, make your own choices, and have fun doing it.
In the words of Hugh MacLoed: Don’t try to stand out from the crowd: avoid crowds altogether.
I’d have to add: Don’t take yourself so fucking seriously. Smile sometimes. People like that.
Do not Multitask while Operating Heavy Machinery. November 22, 2009
Posted by Rio in : Entrepreneurship, People, Productivity, Rio , add a commentThe number of things I have on my To Do list is probably unhealthy. I’ve never been good at that thing called focus. My mind more or less resembles a file cabinet being tossed through a hurricane. I’ve gotten a lot better, though. I’ve moved “learn how to swordfight” to next year’s list and removed “hunt antelope with a bow and arrow” and “look like Salma Hayek” entirely. Prioritization, here I come.
So when I asked myself exactly what it is I wanted to do, I decided to rid myself of all distractions, hunker down, and focus on the one thing that would allow all my other goals to follow. For me, it was starting a business. And eventually not being dependent on a paycheck, which is a catalyst for most of the other things I’d love to do.
Starting a business is the one thing that I’ve chosen to focus on right now. There are tons of other things I would love to be learning and doing right now, but I’ve found that most of them are simply distractions and slow me down. Because multitasking is the art of screwing up several things at once. Multitasking isn’t just about putting the email away, it’s about learning how not to be overwhelmed and knowing where to start.
I’ve been doing a lot of thinking about my social life and its current non-existence lately. Right now going out feels like a kind of multitasking to me, and that absolutely destroys productivity. It takes your focus away. When I get going on something, it’s better when I don’t stop till it’s done. I’ve never been good at “balance”. But focus is what’s more effective than balance when it comes to getting things going. Focus is what moves you forward. Balance keeps you in the same place.
Don’t get me wrong, (going out and) meeting people is very important to me. Talking to people who are important to you keeps you grounded, and meeting new people often inspires you and takes you in new directions. But if you’re not in a position to take advantage of these new opportunities, if you’re just going out boozing because you had a bad week at work as usual, then you’re not in a position to capitalize on any of this. You’re not in the right place. There’s a time for everything.
And hey, I’m not saying you shouldn’t talk to people. Teamwork is essential. It allows you to blame someone else when something goes wrong…
Why accountants aren’t any fun and why I hate all this talk about “corporate image” November 9, 2009
Posted by Rio in : Entrepreneurship, People, Rio , add a commentI read a lot. Right now the topics are mostly related to business. Sometimes it’s hard to separate the worthless information from the helpful, especially for something that changes as quickly as the world of business does. A lot of the stuff out there is full of rambling platitudes, pointless personal experience, and no specifics about how the author accomplished what they did. I want specific techniques, details, not general ideas about working hard and the web being a game changer.
Something completely useless I read recently was from a “handbook” on starting your own business. Apparently this book was a bestseller. I kept having to check the date it was published (2007), because it sounded like it was written 15 years ago. The author talks about websites as an afterthought, seeming to think that the only function they have is to list information about your company. No mention of social networking or all of the great marketing techniques cash-strapped startups can use. The problem this book had (and many others like it) was that it was trying to cater to everyone and no one, and it ends up just recommending the “safe” or standard path of starting a business.
On image, the author writes:
“Fortunately, just because you are a startup company does not mean you have to look like one. Your logo, business card, signage, and style are all part of a cohesive image program known as corporate identity. And with the right corporate identity, your company can appear highly professional and give the impression of having been in business for years.”
Something is really wrong with this statement. I’m not talking about the phrase “cohesive image program”, which sounds like something out of a Cold War Spy novel. I’m talking about the idea that you’re required to look like you’ve “been in business for years”. It seems to be saying that if you give the impression that you know what you’re doing, you can sucker people into sales, or that you can get your foot in the door without paying your dues. I don’t dispute the fact that image is vital, perhaps one of the most important things. Life is a selling job. I also firmly believe in good manners and the like. What I don’t believe in is pretending to be something you’re not. Your business will be successful because you’ve sought out new solutions, not because you pretend like you’ve been in the business for 15 years.
Of course image is important, but it comes as a byproduct of doing what you’re supposed to be doing, developing a viable business. Focusing on “corporate image” and pretty brochures is a filler, distracts you and makes you feel like you’re accomplishing something when you really should be focusing on coming up with a kick-ass new idea that will change the world. Pretty brochures and firm handshakes have their place, but if that’s the sole basis of your business strategy, you’re in trouble. By focusing on “corporate image”, you’re also becoming a lemming, which is exactly what starting a business is NOT about. You’re so focused on following formulas that you can miss opportunities right in front of you. These days, starting a business is about so much more than just “corporations”, doing an mba, or the sole goal of making money.
The author continues:
“Any events or causes you participate in should be in keeping with your business image. If your company is in a fun, creative industry…you can get zany and silly with events like balloon popping or pot-bellied pig races. On the other hand, if you’re in a serious industry like medical transcription or accounting, it makes more sense to take part in more serious events like a 10k walk.”
I couldn’t make this stuff up if I tried. Again, there’s something seriously wrong with this statement. It’s funny (what, accountants aren’t allowed to attend balloon popping parties?), but more to the point, the businesses of doctors and accountants certainly wouldn’t be harmed by trying to be more fun. I’m guessing that the doctor who manages to make root canals fun will be a very rich man. Point is, business is about being creative and original. By asking “does my industry allow for creative flair?”, you’re missing the point. Business is supposed to be about creative flair. You’re creating something new and setting yourself apart. THAT’S how you get sales, not because of your polished image. Of course a polished image helps and is necessary, but that’s like saying you should bathe if you want to have friends. If you didn’t know that, you really need more help than a book on “business” can give you.
Business is not about making money November 1, 2009
Posted by Rio in : Entrepreneurship, Rio , add a commentWhat Business/Entrepreneurship is NOT about:
- getting an mba
- corporate america
- firm handshakes
- finance
- business is not about “networking” (networking should just be a life attitude, as in “I can learn something from everyone”)
- business is not about “being serious” and never saying “fuck” in public.
- and lastly, business is not just about making money. Money is just the byproduct. It’s certainly not the end goal.
What Starting a Business IS about (in no particular order):
- creating something. doing something. acting on your ideas
- the pleasure of meeting and talking with different people every day
- the reward that comes from taking on new challenges and experiences
- the fun and laughter in a relaxed and healthy work environment of your own choosing
- the fascination in the work itself
- the great feeling when you finish a job and do it to the best of your abilities.
- the excitement that comes with seeing your ideas take shape in a very real way
- the new things you learn every day – even without looking to do so
- developing skills you never knew you had
- being true to yourself
- being creative
- being passionate
- exploring possibilities
- having no clue until you figure it out
- being self-directed, and the empowering feeling that comes with you being the only force behind something
- taking full responsibility for the direction you want your life to take
- and the thought that there are many, many people who would swap their own situation to be able to work for themselves on something of their own making.
Why don’t we just get a job and shut up? October 20, 2009
Posted by Mike in : About, Entrepreneurship, Mike, Money, Opportunities , add a commentSince the economy tanked in Michigan, all the talent have taken their pink slips, packed up thier goods, and headed for the coasts. I’m guessing they figure if your going to be broke you might as well have an ocean and a viable city to be it in. Especially in the post Auto-Bust era the suburbs of Detroit have suffered through. Even I, in a panic, took a job at the University of Michigan as a temp. $18/hour. No bennies. No health. Cinder block walls, buzzing computers and four guys in a 12×12 cube they called the Bull Pen.
Definition of “Bull Pen”:
“A temporary holding area for prisoners, as in a courthouse.”
And oh yes…it was. The only sounds were the breathing of the other guys, and occasionally the breath of your “boss” over your shoulder as he is looking at what you’re doing and you jump out of your boots going “Jesus! Announce yourself. You almost gave me a stroke!”. That doesn’t go over well by the way.
The only advantage of a job is if you work for 2 quarters and accumulate enough paid time in total to make 1.5 times your highest month’s pay…which I did by 200 dollars…you can collect unemployment when they fire you. Which they did. Thank you. The lesson there was a “full time” job means you won’t have any time to do anything else. As my dad always said: “When you’re working for someone else, you’re just working for someone else”. All the promises in the world, or the hopes based on someone else’s whims or the strength of the market mean nothing. My sister worked for GM for 25 years, they let her go in 15 minutes with a pocket sized kleenex (which they asked for back if she didn’t need them) and that was it. No pension. No retirement. So tell me there is security in anything, even life. You take life and make life.
Getting a job? No. We have reduced all expenses to bare minimum. Survival living. Time is the gold, not money. Living lean means eating healthier, working out, sleeping when needed versus in your cube having to explain its your lunch hour and wanting to say go fuck off instead. I picked Fuck off.
Are Entrepreneurs Made or Born? October 19, 2009
Posted by Rio in : Entrepreneurship, People, Productivity, Rio , 1 comment so farI just read an article in The Economist that suggests that entrepreneurs are made, not born. The article claims that the modern mba is good for only one thing: networking.
The world’s a different place than when Richard Branson first started selling records out of the back of his car, and the internet is a large part of that. But when it comes down to it, you still need people to help you get where you want to go. I tried for a year to get my photography website up, sitting there trying to learn html like some OCD-addled idiot, and not getting anywhere. Then I met mike and he cranked out my website in 3 days. We sat next to each other passing ideas back and forth and somehow it always ended up being 5 am when we were at our creative best.
We had fun, most of all. And those are the kind of connections you need. That’s the networking that’s important to me: finding someone to work with who brings out the humor, the fun, and the daring in you. I’m talking about those people you can talk to and get excited with, about ideas and more. They just make you feel right. Mike is passionate and raw (loud and blunt, most people would say). He’s emotional and can infect you with his energy. Combining our strengths, we get stuff done. And it feels good to be working on stuff that you’re excited about.
Sometimes it’s hard to connect with people. Maybe it’s the culture, that coffee shop, your mood. But sometimes there are those that just draw you to them, they have that energy that leaves some left over for you. The Economist article goes on to mention that the mba today is teaching people how to harness the innovative resources that should be present in every thriving business. That means “creating an environment which encourages new ideas and approaches“. Right now, for me, that means meeting and connecting and creating with as many interesting people as I can find.
Problem is, most encounters leave me frustrated. Most people disappoint when you take a closer look. They’re only healthy in small doses. They’re all fire and color when they pass you at 50 mph but then when you chase them down, question them, try to dig deeper, there seems to be nothing there. They laugh and take swipes at those who put their heart out there and really push themselves by not being afraid to question and make fools of themselves.
Who are these f*in people and why isn’t everyone an entrepreneur? October 10, 2009
Posted by Mike in : Entrepreneurship, Mike, People , add a commentEntrepreneurship is pain. Hard pain.
People snap. They dump it all, they go to Hollywood to discover themselves, they get a job, they become a bum or go to grad school.
It’s why no one does it, its why morons can become rich just cause they tried longer.
It’s why people are drawn to positions or titles of empowerment. CEO, Doctor, PHD. We feel they found the secret. We want to be close to it. Absorb it. Learn by it. More often than not its nothing but a well constructed veil of attitude, arrogance and false self entitlement.
I went to a Entrepreneur meeting, the purpose to bring investors and inventors together. 40 inventors. 1 investor.
The inventors all danced in front of the camera, the investor sat in the rear with arms crossed, look of old time wisdom across his face. The look of blue bloods judging a prize horse. All was needed was a pipe and a “pip pip bravo” coming out his mouth.
Turns out the investor was a retired businessman with a need for power but no means to attain it. He’d been around for years, so the organizers snapped him up to be their one investor. Even 40 inventors, dorky as they were, might not buy “This show will be seen by thousands of investors on the Internet!”.
And the drudgery of going to all this stuff. Meetings and consultants cramming business cards in your hand going “I got what you need! I can fix all your problems!”. Why not ask me if I need anything at all!.
The out of work consultants are the worse. I went to a chamber of commerce lunch meeting…my last. Sat at whats called “The round table”…just round tables that people sit at. Some speech by the president of the chamber on why were so much better than New York..blah blah blah.
When we did the “round table” speech and introduced ourselves, I said what I did and 9 cards flew at me.
I thought I was in some trick magic show where the goal was “who can slide the card the fastest and make it appear on top of the others before the others do”.
I’m like…uh…no…I can’t afford 2 lawyers, 3 business consultants, 1 accountant, and a weekend clown for children’s birthdays…pony included.
The reasons this happens is I supply a product. They support the product. Like vultures on carrion…Kaww…Kaww…moneeeyyyyyyy!!
My suggestion, lie. Say your a window washer…a bad one. Broke your arm once falling 2 feet up off a basement window. They will stare at you…blink…then look at the next guy and lick their lips.
This is one reason why people give up. It’s why they quit. No ones clean. Can’t tell who from what.
It’s easier to sit in a cube, sip a latte, tap on a key or two, look at the clock. Once or twice a day have your boss come over and shove a list at you saying. Do this, do that. You got what I need yet. You lie, perhaps have it ready, perhaps shit yourself. But then the bell rings and you go home. No meetings to attend. No pocket full of white hard little cards screaming “Do you remember me!! I was that guy with the suit, I was that girl in the hat with the pin”.
The world is filled with morons my friends. Two bit Presidents. Two bit PHD’s. Two bit Doctors. All passing themselves off as the truth, the real deal. They wear it well. They push it hard, yet might not appear pushy.
Seeing past them is no easy trick. So be wary. If your gonna work with these people, you have to gain a thick skin till you meet one of them who’s worth their weight.
Dark I know. But sometimes this game just feels dark.
How much does 1 million dollars weigh? October 4, 2009
Posted by Rio in : Entrepreneurship, Money, Rio , 2commentsWhat’s in a million dollars? It’s a great number that gets thrown around all the time in movies, bad romance novels, and blackmail notes, but hardly anyone knows what that kind of money looks like. Would it fit in my backpack? My house? Could I use it to crush people that annoy me? Apparently, the weight of one million dollars in one dollar notes is one ton. How convenient.
1 million dollars seems to be that magical number for people, that unreachable goal that would fix everything. But what’s our goal here? Winning the lottery wouldn’t change much in the grand scheme of things. My business partner says to me out of the blue the other day: ” If we had $10,000, we still wouldn’t know what the fuck to do.” Slightly worrying, but what he meant is: throwing money at problems doesn’t exactly encourage you to solve them in a creative way. Having no money as a startup does have some advantages, it turns out: you start being really creative. I’m not talking about using food stamps to pay for dinner with potential investors. I’m talking about coming up with really clever viral marketing campaigns because you can’t afford to pay for traditional print advertising. We’re still working on that viral idea for my main business. But if it pays off, we’ll get a bigger payoff than we ever would have with a traditional media campaign. I’m not saying having a bit more money wouldn’t be nice. But a lack of funds means we’ve had to put off impetuously launching all of our products, and has actually forced us to brainstorm and come up with some pretty good long term strategies in the meantime.
My goal is to create a self-sustaining source of income. Money is just a means to and end, a means to much more creative endeavors. For me, an automated source of income is a way to free up my time to focus on the things I really want to focus on. Not that those things are clearly defined. Yet. Why can’t I just work at Starbucks and do this whole entrepreneurship thing on the side? I admire the people that can work on great projects while keeping their day jobs. They’re pretty focused, and persistent. For me, though, the opportunity cost of working a day job is just too great. The cost is not only time, but the wasted opportunity of working on becoming financially independent. I also really hate getting up at 8 am if it’s for someone else. If it’s getting up at the crack of dawn to post offensive ads for my portrait photography business all over campus, I’m all for it.
Tim Ferriss had the right idea in The Four Hour Workweek: a person who earns $40,000 by working 4 hours a week is richer than the guy who earns $500,000 a year and works 100 hours a week. In terms dollars per hour, the first guy is making more. Time is my most valuable asset right now. I can use the time and freedom I have right now to create even more opportunities for myself.
Money can then serve as a springboard to bigger and better things, if you reinvest your money into bigger projects and get your money to work for you instead of working for money. It frees up your time to focus on the things you really want to focus on. And that’s what being rich means to me.
What day is it?? October 3, 2009
Posted by Mike in : Entrepreneurship, Mike , 1 comment so farI have no clue anymore. One thing about being an “entrepreneur”…or “unemployed”…same thing, is that you have no idea what day it is. Its Saturday night at 10:30. Might as well be Tuesday at noon.
A few weeks ago I was talking to Rio about getting to some store/bank/somewhere, and she goes “You can’t”. I ask why. She says “because its Saturday”. I laughed … cause it was Thursday.
You know you’re in the mix and moving forward when time is irrelevant, especially when it’s Saturday night and you’re not spending the time on a drinking binge.
So when you do this and find yourself looking around going “Why are there so many people? Is something going on?”…it might just be Sunday.