Are you bold?
[Willingness to take risks and act innovatively; confidence or courage. OED]
Lexico
Is your idea a starting point or a soul mate?
Is it a little bit crazy?
Are you nervous and excited about the change your idea can create in the world?
Do you lead a company or a startup?
How do you want to be remembered? As a businessman or as someone who changed their industry?
Boldness
Boldness is important. We are going into the unknown. It’s not safe. I’ve sheltered in snow caves, fallen off cliffs and had pit vipers fall on me. We will make it as safe as we can, safer than any other approach, in fact, but it is not for the risk-averse or for the purely ambitious.
Starting Point
If you love your idea and don’t want to change it then I am not the person for you. Your idea is a starting point, the end of the road and the start of the trail. With over 1,000 business models behind me, I know that the idea helps us see where an interesting problem is. That’s where the work starts. An idea by itself, without a great workout, is just a lead weight on your open water swim.
Crazy Ideas
The best ideas that are brought to me are a little bit, actually a lot, crazy. The best test is not that you think it is brilliant. No, the best test is whether you feel a little bit uncomfortable, perhaps vulnerable talking about it. If you have lots of industry experience, this is a sign that you are seeing something that others in your market can’t see – and that is something that we can exploit very effectively.
Excitement
If you’ve ever done a marathon or Ironman triathlon, you’ll know that in the minutes before the start of the race you tremble with suppressed energy and excitement. The journey ahead is tough, but you can see the finish and you are ready for this. That only happens when what you want to do matters a lot. Your idea should be changing the world in a positive way. Not necessarily a B-Corp, but certainly more than making money for money’s sake.
Lead
I work with people who lead, and who can take others with them. My role in this is a bit part. Just like Mr Miyagi or Yoda, I’m teaching you how to fish so that you can go out and fight the big battles. Execute, scale, grow, get traction. That’s your baby, and if you don’t lead then your train can’t leave the station. It doesn’t matter how shiny it is.
Legacy
What’s your legacy going to be? Twenty years after you retire will there be a trace of you in your industry? That’s not a bad thing, who remembers the CEO’s of most fortune 500 companies after a while. Or do you want to be one of those leaders: Page, Buffet, Jobs, Maclean, Musk, Bezos, Gates who will be remembered because they brought change to an industry as well as profits.
Right now, you face a sceptical board, cynical investors, to get funding, investment, and approval. This process is all about taking your ‘crazy idea’ and forging it to the point, where your Chairman says
“This kind of thinking is exactly why we hired you. You aren’t a place holder, but someone who is creating real change”.
If you think there is a fit let’s have a chat; choose a time that suits you.
A few additional thoughts: I’ve learned that the above are all important. Maybe it’s the way I look at the world. If we are not hitting 5 out of those 6 then success will be hard-fought and painfully achieved. When we get all, it can be like silken magic. If there aren’t many at all…then enjoy the website, take the downloads, use the knowledge, but someone else will be a better fit for you
