Sometimes being “unfinished” is the whole thing

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Last days I’ve been working from Barcelona, preparing our upcoming Nex(t)cellence event. Also got really inspired by one of the great monuments; Sagrada Familia. Thought I would share my takeaways with you this week.

 

This building has been under construction the last 125 years and won’t be finished any time soon, if ever. I call it being in permanent beta 🙂 So, can you not be finished and still attract clients and earn money?

 

Oh yes! Sagrada Familia is fully financed by exhibition fees and people stay in line for hours to see it. In fact, not being finished is what makes it attractive. I think the same goes for you and your business; you’re more attractive when you’re in beta, making progress. Finished, or perfect, is boring.

 

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What business could you be in tomorrow?

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Read an interesting article on Forbes today, ”Could Uber Put FedEx Out Of Business?”, about disrupting business ideas. Not only do we need to constantly ask ourselves how we can innovate our business, we also need to ask what business we could be in tomorrow. Markets and conditions change all the time. All of a sudden there’s someone pushing an opportunity and flip everything we do. Make sure that’s you. Stay in Startup Mode.

 

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You can make an impact also in beta

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Sagrada Familia, a never ending building project – or, as I like to call it, a church in constant beta version. Finished or not, it’s still extraordinary. Just as you can be. Launch yourself and your business in beta version, make progress as you go. Strive to add an “extra” to ordinary.

 

You can make an impact, also in beta.

 

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What really makes you attractive…

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You know when you walk into a store and know the product is just made for you? That happened to me today, I had to buy these shoes. On my way back, I started making up all kind of rational arguments why I needed them… Made me laugh. Why not just admit I fell in love with the shoes? Our purchasing decisions are very much based on emotions and still we’re super-rational when describing our offer.

 

What if we would focus on creating expectations and making the client curious about us instead? Rational arguments are important but put first things first.

 

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A maybe-free week!

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Wrote some time ago about maybe being the opposite of yes, and the opposite of being in startup mode. Maybe is non-definitive which means stagnation. It’s not always easy to walk the talk and last days I’ve found myself in a stage of maybe… Lucky me, I have a great business mentor, Per Frykman, and he challenged me to have a “maybe-free” day. After some discussion we decided to make the rest of the week maybe-free. Here we go!

 

Will you join me?

 

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Don’t let your dream wait for you!

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Kind of often I hear ”You’re so brave starting your own business”. Of course, I’m very honored that people think I’m brave and happy for the compliment – thank you!! But honestly, I’m no braver than anyone else. What happened when I followed my dream and started my business some years ago, was that I realized three important things:

 

  1. There is no right time.
  2. There is no right level of experience or education.
  3. There are no right conditions.

 

Now is just as good as tomorrow, or next week or next year, for taking action. To me it’s helpful to think about myself and my business as constant beta versions; not perfect but always making progress and striving to be remarkable.

 

Maybe that could help you to? Don’t let your dream wait for you!

 

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Never settle.

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Never settle. Protect your curiosity. Nurture your creativity. Love what you do. Strive to be a slightly better beta version of yourself every day. Push opportunities and take action. Make an impact. Change the world.

 

That’s Startup Mode™.

 

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Is easier really the goal?

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The brilliant Seth Godin wrote the other day about dreams.

 

If having a small dream we start with what’s available and choose the best alternative. If having a big and important dream we start with what’s needed and then find a way. Something to keep in mind when it feels hard. Small dreams are easier to realize. But as Seth Godin puts it; is easier the goal?

 

Highly recommend you to follow Seth Godin’s blog.

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Add an extra

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Today could be an ordinary day. If you don’t decide to add an extra. Then it is an extraordinary day. You could be ordinary in your field of work. If you don’t decide to add an extra. Then you will be extraordinary.

 

I think that extra contains equal amounts of curiosity, creativity, love of what you do and willingness to make progress instead of perfection.

 

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Why you shouldn’t protect your ideas

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As a group-training instructor I listen to A LOT of music, especially when a new term is about to start. In my case mainly House. One thing that I really like about the ”House community” is that everyone builds upon each other’s ideas all the time. It’s actually a prerequisite to make remixes of other DJs songs. A win-win situation: the “remixer” gets a great song for her/his set, and the original artist’s music is spread.

 

What if we would fully embrace that idea in business and let others advance our ideas instead of trying to protect them at all cost? Interesting thought, right? 🙂

 

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