Process. Product. Passion.

May 26, 2005

Reprinted from StartupNation.com

Ok, this is one of those “way out there” entries, but stick with me. It’s good stuff.

My friend Rob and I didn’t start getting to know each other until about 3 weeks before he graduated, and it’s a shame, because I love talking to him. Besides being incredibly cool and having “success” written all over him, Rob asks questions in a way that makes me think very critically. I’m always humbled by it, and maybe one day he will write a book about how to ask questions.

He’s currently hanging out, not too worried about a job, and just enjoying himself. Good, says I – find your passion before you find your process. Wait wait, I’m getting ahead of myself.

You see, Rob realized recently that there is a difference between a “businessman” and an “entrepreneur”. He had traditionally thought that the two were synonyms, and it fascinated me to explore the difference. The question that we pondered together is “how attached and passionate does an entrepreneur have to be about his product?” Good heavens, what a good, complicated question.

I think that “businessmen,” in the traditional sense, are all about Process – “P” numero uno. Inspiration? Nah… they get their kicks by analyzing cash flow statements and executing their goals. They’re important people – they make the world run on time – but they are not all entrepreneurs.

So there are some entrepreneurs who are into Product – “P” nombre deux. They are married to their products, their business plans, etc… these are, let’s say, junior entrepreneurs. They are not yet confident enough in their own abilities to detach from their products when the market calls for it. But they can get an idea off the ground when the rest of us are saying nay.

Then, there are the entrepreneurs who are Passionate – the third echelon. For them, the product, and the company, are not important unless they satisfy a market need. These entrepreneurs are not all about defining themselves by their product. They have faith in themselves; and what do they bring to their customers? Adaptability. A product that does what the customers demand. A process that is profit-oriented. Their company is not a company unless it represents them and their passion for satisfying their customers and shareholders. The product and the process are just by-products of their passion. There’s a little bit of ego here, so some say. But without their egos, could Caesar have grown Rome, Napoleon have conquered Europe, Richard Branson have built Virgin?

It is not just ego – it is belief in self.

Between 1946 and 1955, Sony spent a bunch of time trying to build electronics measuring equipment. But they were passionate and adaptable, and in August of 1955, they released Japan’s first transistor radio, ushering in a culture of consumer electronics innovation that is today manifest in the alarmingly powerful Playstation 3.

I really want a Playstation 3. But more than that, I want Rob to find find his passion and to believe in himself. I want every “Rob” to realize their passion and believe in themselves. What’s your passion? What beliefs will it take for you to realize it?

Posted by Christian | Filed Under Live The Good Life | Comments 

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Entrepreneurship and Giving

May 20, 2005

Reprinted from StartupNation.com

I’m skipping classes this week. I even missed an assignment. And its especially bad because during spring semester, everything moves twice as fast. But… I’m in London for a Charisma Sciences seminar we’re holding here, and I’m having a blast!

We’re booked at a pretty hip hotel – last night we hung out with Moby and his band, and I caught Van Morrison walking by on his way in. But you know, celebs are usually as down to earth as anyone if you treat them like real people.

So, I’m introduced to a spanish guitarist named Rodrigo. You can check him out at www.rodgab.com. Awesome guy, and we got to talking about what is going through his head when he is onstage.

“Well,” he told me, “I feel that I have something to give to the audience – that it comes from my heart and through the strings and it is for them.”

“So the idea of celebrity to you..?” I trailed off, the assumption in my question quite obvious. I’ve met several celebrities so caught up in themselves, and its hard to hide your aversion to that attitude.

“It strikes me as odd,” said Rodrigo. “I am not up there to become a star. I am up there to give to them. There are plenty of celebrities who know how to inspire a crowd, but the crowd knows the difference between entertainment that comes from the head, and entertainment that comes from the soul.”

Lying awake in my hotel room around 5:45 AM (still haven’t adjusted to GMT!), I was thinking about what Rodrigo said, my experiences with the Sloans and with StartupNation and my own experiences at Indigo.

I believe that true entrepreneurs are givers. They want to share what they have with the world. The ones I meet who are in it for the money or the “idea” of entrepreneurship almost always fail to reach the same heights as those who are in it to give.

To me, StartupNation and the community being built here embodies this idea. Its also our attitude at Charisma Sciences, and our clients appreciate it. Said one from Austin last weekend, “I like John’s high enthusiasm, it does not come across fake but genuine, which makes sense because it is an element (I am assuming) that you guys are teaching.”

I’m so proud when we get this sort of feedback, and I know that its only because we are dedicated 100% to giving to our clients. It makes me feel a little bit more like Rodrigo must when he is onstage, and that is something to which we can all aspire.

Posted by Christian | Filed Under Live The Good Life | Comments 

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