Between the Random

Do you have the patience for my impatience?

There's this blogger out there that's killing me.  I can't remember which blogger it was because my google reader cleared and I can't remember which blog I read it from.  But when I figure out who he is, I'm gonna unsubscribe.  That's right --  you heard me.

He's been blogging on patience in entrepreneurship and his last post said that patience was one of the most important traits of successful entrepreneurs.  Ugh.  I don't have time for that!

OK.  I get it.  Most people don't have the patience to stick out a good idea. To see it through.  I can deal with that. 

I'm struggling with a different kind of patience.  Let's say you got 3 things you want to work on.  One is huge and the other ones are smaller -- and easier.  The money is probably in the first one, but the other ones are fun and you really want to do them.  Does patience mean you have to wait to let the first one run its course before you try the others?  Does patience mean one at a time?  Or does it mean don't give up too soon?

What do you think?  Just do one because any growing business will take everything you've got.  Or, it's OK to keep a small thing going as well -- try a few things and see what catches?

Will it work?

[This is the first in my "will it work" series.  Consider it an invitation for comments from any "intended users" only.  I'll make my prediction, and then we'll hear from those who might actually use the product.  If it's not for you, make your guess -- but don't share it.]

I love this! 

Click on the image to see the way I would love to plan meals in our house. The most interesting thing that happened when this email arrived in our office was that it was immediately forwarded between the guys in the office. We loved the concept and the tech application.  But none of us do the grocery shopping.

I'm a sucker for cool.  This almost makes me want to do the shopping!  But I wonder if it's more cool than relevant.

I forwarded it to my wife.  I can't wait to see what she thinks. I'll have her post below.  And if you do the shopping for your household, then please share your thoughts as well.

My suspicion?  I'm thinking that she would think that meal planning is already hard enough.  We'll see.

Making Connections

Last year the American Marketing Association came out with an updated definition of "marketing."

Marketing is the activity, set of institutions, and processes for creating, communicating, delivering, and exchanging offerings that have value for customers, clients, partners, and society at large.

Huh?  Funny that a marketing association couldn't find a better way to define their own activity.

At lunch today, I decided on my own definition.  "Marketing is making connections."  It's finding the products that connect with the market.  And it's finding ways to connect people to the product.  It speaks of the activity in terms of a relationship.  That seems just about right when the experience of your product is at least as important as the product itself.

Marketing is making connections.  I do marketing.  But I think I'll be able to do it better holding on to this simple expression.  It won't let me forget about the relationship.

Specialize in Your "Rut"

I remember the first time I thought I knew more than my mom.  I was like 6 years old.  I can actually remember thinking, "wow, I can't believe she doesn't know this."  So of course, in true know-it-all fashion, I took it upon myself to bestow my knowledge upon her.

And so it went well into my 20's.  It seemed the older they got, the less they knew.

My oldest son turns 6 years old next week.  Can you see where I'm going with this?!  Back at me.

Funny thing is, now that I'm middle-aged, I've discovered something that I truly did not expect. I was partially right when I was six!  It wasn't just adolescent arrogance!  I can't believe how many areas of my life I seem worse at than just a handful of years ago. 

I think I've become a worse driver - or so my wife tells me!  And I don't understand the new ways they're teaching math in school.  That's not the way we did it.

So given my recent decline in genius, I've been motivated to think more about this.  Here's what I've come up with.

As a kid, I didn't usually get to see my mom when she was in her element.  Most of the time I saw her when she was trying to enter my world.  Moms simply aren't very good at being teens.  But now, it's different. I've had opportunities to see my mom in her world now.  And she rocks.  It blows me away.  She's doing things I could never possibly do myself. 

And thus... my new theory.  I've come to believe that as I get older, I get much better at the things I'm good at, while the fringe becomes a casualty.  I'm becoming a specialist.  Even if my son thinks it's weird that I didn't know how to do something in his Webkinz account, I am refining the craft of entrepreneurship and marketing.  But he won't see that.

Some people call it a rut -- sticking to what you know and what you're good at.  I call it "specializing."  Though I can't recall the direct quote, I hold on to Peter Drucker's statement that it's not a good use of time working to become better in the areas of our weakness.  Rather we should focus on the areas of our strengths and outsource or partner in areas of weakness.

That might sound like an old man who doesn't want to change.  I think it sounds right on.  The tricky part is making sure we specialize in the right areas.  Lest we become out of touch.

I'm Ben. Not Brent.

Have you ever sat at the table with a Brent?  He's the guy at the table that gets all the laughs.  Seriously.  As soon as his mouth opens, people prepare to chuckle.

One day as I sat dazzled, I realized his trick.  He was genius at taking what someone else said and' making it so much better. Brent knew how to close the deal.

Yesterday, it hit me.  I'm not a Brent.  I'm the guy that gives Brent stuff that he can hit a home run with.  I come up with great stuff, but I need a Brent to make me better. 

This was a great moment of self discovery in knowing how I contribute best to a team.  When the brainstorming starts, my mind takes off.  I'm the first out of the gate.  This is one of the best ways I contribute to a team.

But more important than learning that I'm the first out of the gate was the realization that I need Brent to make me better.   And he probably needs me.  Now when I sit at the table with Brent, I look forward to how he will make my comment one that people will really laugh at. 

I think most self-starters aren't good at finishing the race alone.   

Slap Me

Someone slap me if I get to the point where I don't care when a new customer pays attention to me. 

I was recently blown away by the work of an artist.  This guy makes remarkable seem stale.  So I sent him an  email to see if he was interested in my business.

A representative responded:

"Thank you for your email. Unfortunately Peter is too busy to answer his emails but I am sure that he will appreciate your response to his work."

Survey says?  XXX   I don't think he'd appreciate my response anymore.  And oddly enough, his art is losing its appeal.

We frame the first dollar and befriend our first customers.  I wonder at what point people become distractions.  My hunch is that for many, they were never the priority to begin with!
 

Dummy for sale

looks like dummydomain.com is for sale.  But it's currently owned. 

I think at least one other person saw the genius in the dummydomain.  I feel validated.  But I'll let someone else buy it.

Dummy Post

I wonder if I'm the only one who does this.  Whenever I don't have anything to say, or when I want to hide what I'm really supposed to say, I refer to the dummy.

email:                          dummy@dummydomain.com
company information:    dummy, inc.

You get the point.  Am I the only one that does this?  Do you?  So the other day it hit me that I might not be alone.  Made me want to pick up the domain www.dummydomain.com.  Just imagine the google ranking I'd get if this were actually a common thing.

So why the dummy in this post?  Because I didn't want to say, "hello world!"  But Typepad made me type in something before I could see what my blog looked like.