And lastly, for the Lion

I recently came across this article by Garry Kasparov that got me thinking about writing a post about brands and business and how, as Seth Godin describes it, "surprise matters". However, after looking back at the article I realized that isn't what I wanted to say at all.

I keep coming back to this one quote: "It demands if not moral or physical courage then at least boldness and daring."

Moral or physical courage. How many people choose to describe themselves as courageous? How many companies describe themselves as courageous? How many dare to? I think there's a fallacy that courage is the opposite of fear. The truth is; the times in my life that I've had to be the most courageous, I've been the most scared.

Courage isn't boldness for the sake of being bold. Courage is not just saying but doing what you believe is right. Courage is following your beliefs and passions now, not someday, and taking steps big and small, every single day, in order to get there. Courage is saying to the world what you believe in. No matter how bold. No matter how daring.

Courage is saying that I will build the best company to work for, and because of that I will build the best creative company in the world. Courage is saying that I will be successful along with the people and the companies who work along with me, that I will share the risk and the reward equally, and that I will do it while staying true to my values and beliefs. Courage is saying that I will not only create a great company, but I will create a company that is passionate, bold, and ultimately, courageous.

Beacause, when I reach the end and look back on my life, I'd rather be labelled a failure than a coward, no matter how scared I was.

Always the last to be picked…

Ok. I'll admit it. I hated tag. What can you say about a slightly overweight fifth-grader with short legs and a shorter temper?

Tag was not the game for me.

Fortunately this game of tag is less about playground humiliation and more about sharing cultural information. The rules are simple, share five little known facts about yourself, tag five others, sit back, enjoy.

So…

one: I'm extremely competitive. I think I hide it well, but probably not as well as I think I do. I loved sports, yet was a middle of the road athlete, so I always made up for it by working harder, training longer and being more aggresive than anyone else. I'm a terrible loser, and I've grown to be ok with that, but as I get older, I'm learning to be a better winner. It's still a work in progress though.

two: I owe most of who I am today to my wife. She was the first person who wouldn't stand for my shit and made me hold myself accountable to myself, and to others. I'm forever indebted to her for that.

three: I have textural issues with food. Don't get me wrong, I love food. All kinds of food. But certain things give me the heebie-jeebies. Tapioca, hummus, avocado, most shellfish (especially scallops). Stuff like that. It has nothing to do with the flavor or the preparation, it's strictly the texture. So if I politely decline your grandma's razor clams, it's nothing personal.

four: When I lived in France, I roomed with this dude Stephane. I hated him. Like wanted to strangle him in his sleep hated him. I re-read some journals from that time, and I couldn't get over how much energy I spent disliking this dude. The funny part of it is though, for the life of me, I can barely remember a thing about him now.

five: One of the nicest compliments I ever received was from a co-worker. She said "Dave, the reason I like you is that you don't trip. You just look at people for who they are and you just don't trip."
That meant a lot to me then. It still does.


So there you go. Unfortunately, I'm only cool enough to know three people in the blogosphere who have yet to be tagged, so Trent, Susie, and Lynn. You guys are now it. Enjoy.

Edit: 1.29.07
Hah. My "blog coolness" quotient just increased by one. Mike, now you're it too.

Now the real work begins

Starting a business is a funny thing. You plan, and build, and wait for the "perfect" time to launch. You keep waiting and watching and thinking about what you will do when you reach the point of no return. Will you jump off the cliff, or will you back down and return to the safe place that normal people enjoy?

The funny part is, by the time you are ready to make that decision, the decision has been made for you. Day one is not the first day you open your doors and sit by the phone, hoping it rings. Day one was that first conversation over coffee, that first chat over a pint, the first time you felt out whoever it was that you trusted to see if they were also thinking of jumping off that cliff. Day one was that day you discovered that they weren't just thinking, but were building a glider, and instead of feeling each other out you ended up spending most of the time drawing up plans for a glider to fit the both of you. Or better yet, a rocket ship.

Day one was that day you realized "Shit. The point of no return was back there."

There's no point in trying to un-jump. You're over the cliff.

Time to fire those rockets and aim.