Friends of Dave #59: Why Do You Exist?
So, what do you do better than anyone else on the planet?
Apologies in advance -- this is a long preamble this week. So if you are pressed for time, I'm going to direct you to skip down to the Quincy Jones interview in the Last Word section.....if you have not read it yet, it is easily the oddest, most entertaining thing you will read this week. Believe me.
On to business...I was on a call this week with a professional connection of mine with whom I had recently reconnected after a long time. The guy is a founder of a FinTech startup that, after a decent run, is being forced to close up shop. Needless to say, not a fun conversation -- and not the first time I have had it and it probably won't be the last.
What has always struck me with this particular guy has been his extreme conviction in what he was doing and how he was going to change an industry. He is a really bright guy, but many would say that his personality was always a bit arrogant, a bit brash, and a bit hard headed -- all traits that might turn you off at a cocktail party, but you would definitely expect to see in an entrepreneur. But now, in the face of adversity and failure, I saw a change in this guy that was a bit unsettling: you could almost see his tail between his legs. He had truly lost his way.
Missing expectations is a gut punch that can make even the strongest keel over. Sometimes it's simply the reality that we failed at something that can get us off track. Maybe it's the realization that we disappointed those who emotionally and perhaps financially invested in our success. Most often it is fear -- the fear of facing our failures and the fear of what is next.
As the conversation continued, I could tell the guy was beating himself up. He shared that he was worried about his family, his financial situation and his professional future. He wondered aloud who would want to hire a failed startup founder. The brashness and confidence had melted away to expose an unsettled core. And that is when I interrupted him and posed a simple question: why do you exist?
I've done this exercise many times throughout my career with the people, companies and teams with whom I have worked, and I always find the reaction to this question to be fascinating. Getting people to stop and think about what it is they do that is truly unique and better than anything anyone else does on the planet is a lot harder than it looks. But the process, as painful as it can be, strips away the bullshit and the things we thought we did well and brings many many things into focus. And, most importantly, it allows people and companies that may have lost their way to find a path to getting that swagger back.
So the next time you find yourself hunched over after a good old fashioned gut punch, don't feel sorry for yourself. Don't worry about your next move. Ask yourself one simple question: what do you do better than anyone else on the planet? Why do you exist? Guaranteed, the journey to getting your mojo back starts with the answer to that question.
Along those lines, the Patriots certainly got punched pretty good last weekend, didn't they? Boy was I wrong about that one. The Eagles, and their first year head coach Doug Pederson, came to play. They did their job, and the Patriots (especially Tom Brady when it counted) did not. And that made my better half, who has been an Eagles fan her whole life, quite a happy lady. #FlyEaglesFly
Again, if you are looking to be entertained, be sure to check out the Quincy Jones piece below. Some excellent business related stuff too in this edition -- I found the Death of Clothing article about the slow death of the apparel industry to be especially thought provoking. Enjoy!
XOXO
Dave
3 To Get You Thinking...
How to tame your inner critic — work.qz.com
Most competitive people will admit that they are their own harshest critic. Here is some data that shows this may not always be a good thing, and can actually lead people to "self sabotage."
Why hiring the ‘best’ people produces the least creative results — aeon.co
Everyone says they want to hire only "A" players and have teams that are like minded. Interesting proof that this may not be the right approach, particularly if you are setting out to change the world.
Facebook’s EPIC Run Comes To An End — hackernoon.com
Social networks are like sharks, they’re either moving forward (i.e. increasing user engagement), or dying. And what we have here, is a dead shark.
Have we seen the peak of user engagement on social networks? Are people finally getting fatigue?
3 To Think About For Your Day Job...
The Death of Clothing — www.bloomberg.com
Provocative, data oriented look at the many factors that are contributing to the demise of the apparel industry. Take note: the same could be happening to your industry too.
How to Coach a B2B Sales Team to Win Bigger and Better Deals — labs.openviewpartners.com
Managing a sales team is like raising kids -- every one has their own unique strengths and weaknesses. It is your job to get them to be successful. This article provides a great breakdown of ways to identify where each team member needs to be coached in order to yield the best results.
Meet Candid, The Warby Parker Of Straight Teeth — www.pymnts.com Candid pairs direct eCommerce and delivery models with financing and other modern techs to make straight teeth accessible and affordable for everyone.
3 Random Ones about the Olympics...
Tonga's famous flag bearer makes Winter Olympics debut — edition.cnn.com
If only Charles Barkley had thought of this when he was at the Olympics....
8 U.S. Olympians share the stories behind their most gruesome scars — www.sbnation.com
Interesting how no one approached Nancy Kerrigan on this....
Vantablack: Darkest material known to man set to shine at Winter Olympics — www.cnn.com
The strangest request Jensen received was from someone wanting to film themselves eating it and then post the video on YouTube. "Obviously that's not a really good idea," Jensen says.
Neither is eating Tide Pods, yet somehow that is a thing too....
And, If You Read Nothing Else....
Quincy Jones, In Conversation — www.vulture.com
ABSOLUTELY MOST ENTERTAINING, HEAD SCRATCHING, LOL THING I READ THIS WEEK: Music legend Quincy Jones on who he thinks killed JFK, the secret Michael Jackson, his relationship with the Trumps (including dating Ivanka Trump), and the problem with modern pop.