Someday I'll write a book. It will be about the lessons learned in my entrepreneurial pursuits. Lots of lessons there... Two years ago, I embarked on writing the 247 technology, which is a search engine of sorts that facilitates conversation. It was a good idea, but my selection of channel for it wasn't right. Then I tried another channel, and that didn't work either. As I write code, I often put myself in the seat of the end-user. I'm good with database design, and other than a sound data schema and a rough sketch in my head of the user interface, I don't have a lot planned. I feel it out as I go, from the perspective of the end-user. Then with what I hope is a workable design and good implementation, I go hunting for a market. And my first attempts are usually misses, on either market or product or both. I used to think I just had to scrap the whole thing. Now I know that I just have to listen a bit closer and tweak what I have. It's why business plans are generally bullshit. Whoever it was who said it, that meeting the enemy always changes your battle plans, was exactly right. My first implementation of the 247 technology wasn't right, but that doesn't mean that it's pointless. Just as my implementation with the EverywhereCalendar technology - written about four years ago - didn't deserve the scrap heap either. I just wasn't knowledgeable enough back then to know what to do with it. I once read a book (don't remember what it was) that suggested roles that we play in life. I altered the list a bit. I came up with these: - Laborer
- Explorer
- Artisan
- Conductor
All are important. Success requires real effort, traversing new ground, mastery, and working and growing your network to attract others to what you're doing. But the one I think most neglected by people is the role of Explorer. It scares people. It requires confronting the new, adapting to change, and it carries risk.By saying "Yes" to the role of exploration, as Patricia Ryan Madson suggests in her book Improve Wisdom, you open up worlds and opportunities. This is going to sound crazy. Say yes to everything. Accept all offers. Go along with the plan. Support someone else's dream. Say "yes" "right" "sure" "I will" "okay" "of course" "YES!" Cultivate all the ways you can imagine to express affirmation. When the answer to all questions is yes, you enter a new world, a world of action, possibility, and adventure. Humans long to connect. Yes glues us together. Yes starts the juices rolling. Yes gets us into heaven and also into trouble. It was by saying "yes" that the 247 technology is gaining the steam I've hoped for. Had a great meeting today about that, and I have more in the future, it seems. For one example of what I'm doing with it, check out forward247. I still have some work to do, but I believe in the idea. In fact, I'm quite passionate about it. And others are too, which was obvious in today's meeting. With each tweak, I get closer to a workable and sustainable and profitable model. I'm honing, not paring.So, here it is late again, with me working on it. Today's demo only had a couple of bugs, and those who have used the technology in its prototype mode (in another interation of it), glowed about it. Yayy!! With each exploration, I learn more about how this needs to take shape for my audience who craves it. Next Friday, I have another meeting and that meeting will be crucial. More importantly, it will be informative. I'll learn from it what their needs are. Each time this happens, I learn more the ways in which this can be applied. Exploring...no more critical to success than being a laborer, an artisan, or a conductor - but also not worthy of neglect. It's just as critical as the others. Now for my role as a laborer - one foot in front of the other... |
