Their founders are often described as a maniac on a mission. In the very beginning they grow organically through loose collaborations. Innovation leads to an IPO or acquisition by a larger company like Google or Amazon or other more mature players in the space.
“5” Steve Jobs, (1955 – 2011): “You can take the heat today, especially if you’re the one providing it for yourself in the form of self-discipline or lofty ambitions. You may not achieve all you desire, but you’re better for the effort.” Pisces
Hi and welcome to Thursday’s Episode 87 in Season 2 of “My Pandemic Year Natural Experiment” on this 30th day of July in the summer of 2020.
“The Tau of Steves: What You Don’t Know Could Fill a Book”
Season One and Two are a two-year examination of how bits of wisdom changed during the “normal” pre-pandemic and then in this unfolding pandemic year.
Previously in Season Two, the Pandemic Year
S2 E86 — How To Avoid a Disastrous Career Like Mine; S2 E85 — How to Up the Odds in Your Favor; S2 E84 — Maybe Robin Hood Got It Right After All, Eh?
Related from Season One, the Normal Year
S1 E87 — Pipe Bombs Destroy Vacation Bliss; S1 E86 — Day 86 of My 1-Year Natural Experiment; S1 E85 — What happens when the fear subsides?; S1 E84 — Crisis averted? Energy depleted? What are we going to do?
Context
This is a continuation of “Volume Two Manuscript — WorkFit” a work-in-progress.
In a previous episode I summarized everything you need to know about four basic organizations to stack the odds in your favor when shopping around for your next job opportunity.
Oh, what disaster to avoid (unlike me) in your next career move.
Five Major Stages of Growth for Organizations
Image Credit: Stephen G. Howard Copyright 2020
Now we’re building on each of the 16 talent profiles and how they can take advantage of opportunities in stages of organizational growth from Start Up to Maturity and from Decline to Reinvention.
Start Ups
What do we know about them? For our purposes we assume two driving forces conspire together — a disruptive innovation and a rapid pace to commercialize an invention into the marketplace to establish a first movers advantage. Think Apple, Google, Facebook, and say, Tesla.
Their founders are often described as a maniac on a mission. In the very beginning they grow organically through loose collaborations. Innovation leads to an IPO or acquisition by a larger company like Google or Amazon or other more mature players in the space.
What they develop, independently, usually dramatically speeds up a standard process, or eliminates major steps, or in some radical way revolutionizes business-as-usual.
Think Amazon and retailers.
Somehow, they are capable of anticipating something new and act decisively to establish a new market, industry, technology, or a new scientific discipline. Seemingly against all odds they’re able to refine and deliver a rapid prototype of the new product category.
Only technology enthusiasts are interested.
Here’s the rub.
Their market niche emerges too slowly for them.
In the early stage it is built up around one or more visionaries who see the potential for the new technology and fund the first proofs-of-concept.
Talent Profiles Seeking Better Fits
It makes sense that two Paradoxy-Morons and one Emerging-Entrepreneur are attracted like moths to a flame:
16 Talent Profiles by Organization Type
Image Credit: Stephen G. Howard Copyright 2020
So what do they have in common?
The first two, 101 Breakpoint Inventors and 103 Commercial Innovators, share the need for speed with the third, but being Paradoxy-Morons they’re really into disruptive innovation.
Speed drives 105 Marketing Athletes, but their focus is on learning from their experience and generating new knowledge while building product teams putting that proprietary intellectual property to work again and again.
Three Talent Profiles Attracted to the Start Up Stage
Image Credit: Stephen G. Howard Copyright 2020
The typical scenario for the “garage start-ups” is a tricky proposition. If they come up with a discontinuous technology whose sole benefit is to lower cost and improve productivity within a well-worn application arena, they have essentially an unmarketable opportunity.
The longer it takes to convert visionary influence into early pragmatist orders tests the start-up’s capacity for survival.
It has to generate enough cash initially, and then stabilize its business by eliminating cash flow problems.
And that my friend is the crux of the problem.
Oh, and the vast majority of “garage” Start Ups “bonk” against the garage door and never make it out of the first stage.
More on that later.
Evidence
“3” Steve Zahn, 51: “The importance of planning will be highlighted. Start with what you want, otherwise, the world will decide your weekend for you and then you get what you get.” Scorpio
Hmm … now I’m wondering why I selected this in the first place. Sorry!
Random ones that make me want change my sign.
Today’s Holiday Birthday:
You have the power to move people — a gift that was bestowed to you long ago through the opportunities inside of hardship. This year, you’ll articulate your growth and show how you assimilated life’s lessons. You will teach, inspire and leverage your strength into the creation of an environment where you and yours can thrive.
“4” Steve McQueen (1930 – 1980): “It starts off small enough. You notice what another person has and it creates a sharp indent where a seed of want is planted in your being. This is not just about envy; it is the distant cry of a calling.” Aries
Today’s TauBit for our Patron Saint seems so tortured in the telling that I can’t really tell you what it’s about. But it includes intention and starting small and a calling, so doesn’t seem to fit what a Start Up is all about? Well doesn’t it?
“3” Steve Howey, 42: “You will know the particular kind of thrill that comes with pretending to be someone else and pulling it off to the spectacular degree that ‘someone else’ is actually a new version of you.” Cancer
Haha, is this the flip side of “Being careful what you wish for?”
“4” Steve Carrell, 57; Steve Martin, 74; Steve Wozniak, 69: “These days, it’s not how many people show up but how they show up that matters. Scores of intentionless people can’t make the difference that one intent human being can.” Leo
If there was a motto at the heart of what 105 Marketing Athletes bring to Start Ups, it would align with this TauBit of Wisdom.
“4” Steve Greene, 34; Steve Guttenberg, 61; Stephen King, 72: “You’re in the final throes of a minor project and will probably be surprised at your feelings about it. This was more of an emotional investment than you thought it would be. At the end of a journey is a new adventure.” Virgo
At least through this Pandemic I’m grateful for even minor projects, though by now it doesn’t feel very minor. Yes, it was an emotional investment revisiting this WorkFit work-in-progress.
“4” Steve Aoki, 41: “If you think you’re satisfied, then you are. If you think you’re wealthy, then you are. If you think you’re in love, then you are. But if you think you’re wise, then you are not. Wisdom is not a conclusion; rather, it’s an endless question.” Sagittarius
Are you with this on me? The first three “If you thinks” don’t add up. But, the last two wisdoms do.
“3” Steve Harvey, 62: “With the pleasantness of falling for someone comes the hopes that, at the bottom of it, there will be a soft place to land. There’s a period in which you can test this out, but once you’ve leaped, it’s too late.” Capricorn
Well, I recall your TauBit rang true when Emma the Baroness and I first hooked up. I don’t remember hoping for a soft place to land at all. Having leaped, I’m eternally grateful for the faith she had in me.
“4” Steve Nash, 45: “After years of neglect, one area of your life is about to receive rigorous focus. You’ll get a dozen ideas about it over the next 48 hours. This is the beginning of an overhaul.” Aquarius
Yeah, although this seems like a never ending Pandemic Year, I’m hoping for some inspiration vs. dread.
“5” Steve Jobs, (1955 – 2011): “You can take the heat today, especially if you’re the one providing it for yourself in the form of self-discipline or lofty ambitions. You may not achieve all you desire, but you’re better for the effort.” Pisces
I gotta say composing and then editing this work-in-progress aka Volume Two Manuscript — WorkFit may yield a low ROE — Return On Energy.
What’s Going On …
Literally Bottled and Set Adrift from KnowWhere Atoll
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- @knowlabs followers of one or more of my 35 digital magazines organically grew from 4427 to 4516.
Foresight
Quality-of-Life
Long-Form
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- Saw the movie, didn’t realize that one of my favorite authors, Michael Connelly — his detective Hieronymus (Harry) Bosch book series and Amazon Prime series — also wrote, “The Lincoln Lawyer” which I just finished. Gotta tell you I can’t not see his lead character (Mickey Haller, Bosch’s half brother) as anyone else but Matthew McConaughey.
Image Credit: Wikimedia Commons
Inspired by: Holiday Mathis – Creators Syndicate
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