It's been months since I last posted here. I've been working in my coding cave - producing a new product lineup and re-invigorating our foundational business -
Intelligent Netware through months of focus and heavy posting on tech forums.
This years 'expedition' brought a wonderfully painful insight initiated by
Dr. Gary Ricketts,
Barry Carothers and
Alex Ramirez. These are strong Texas MENtrepreneurs we met with over the summer. I say 'painful' insight because CHANGE is tough. It's far easier to keep trying the same old thing, even when we know it isn't going to keep us much further, than to CHANGE the way we do things, including our expectations and habits.
For 14 years Angelina and I have built custom web based applications and high-end websites just like I did as a high-end custom home builder for the rich and famous. We had a hand in the UPS tracking system, helped name brands like Starbucks and we won awards and saw some amazing results. But, with the past couple years of economic challenges, we too saw the tide going out, and the need for change. And with that we launched MENtrepreneurs and the Enterprising Cycle and this year's expedition.
Then we got to Texas...Gary, Barry and Alex each asked the same question in different ways. I experienced first-hand what a minyan of impartial peers can do with simple questions. Essentially they asked;
"if you are so good at what you do, how come you don't do it for yourself?"That question started a four month code monkey session - reinventing the way we approach website development and even production. We now have the fruit (a new line of products) ready to take to market. I won't go into how amazed I am with it, or how forward thinking it is, but I will say that I've followed a model from real-estate developers like Trump toward 'speculative' development and away from single unit custom home building.
Long story short?Two points:1) DON'T GO IT ALONE - get a peer group established
2) DON'T DO IT ALONE - build a system that profits from the success of others - and invest in that system until you've taught a bunch of others to do the same.(sidebar hint - we have a new Business Development Partnership program you might want to have a look into for your own business model)Happy new year!
Daniel