Intrapreneurship

First in Line

There’s something special about being first in line.

Being up front means you’re committed. You’ve made a sacrifice to ensure you experience something you care about in style. Conquering the unknowns to secure this coveted spot has required effort, but a sense of pride materializes when everything goes to plan.

When we think about being first through the lens of innovation, first in line is not such a desired position.

Being first gives entrepreneurs a chance to take an early lead, but early leaders don’t always win in the end. The headwind is strongest when you’re in front.

When you’re creating something new, enthusiasm from early adopters is often met with pernicious friction. One common source of friction is the time spent educating a prevailing market. This protracted process wears on even the most resilient and exhausts resources every step of the way. Along with frictions that come with being first, with fewer clues from the past it’s harder to avoid potential pitfalls as well.

There’s value in a head start, but the early market leader often falls behind the innovation curve. Never hesitate to forge into the unknown, but remember that when you lead, others will always be chasing you.

If you’re building in front, stay ahead with humility, a challenge network that invites you to be wrong by avoiding groupthink, a genuine desire to accelerate others, and interactive leadership that allows intrapreneurs to stay wild.

If you’re the one chasing, which is far more common, you’ll need to flex a bit of founder-market fit to find product-market fit, but it’s nice knowing there’s an existing path with potentially more opportunities to champion change in a known industry.

Alright, now think bigger. How might we avoid the wait? The front of any line may be a traditional way of getting ahead, but this requires time with no guarantees. You’re still relying on someone else to let you in as well. If this activity is something you really enjoy, be conscious of how business can sometimes kill your passion but know there’s usually a way to be less of a spectator by getting more involved.

One way to do this is by combining your creative skills and an entrepreneurial spirit to wedge yourself into the experience itself. This requires initiative, but volunteering, building into a side hustle, or using content creation skills can quickly become your ticket to skip the line all together.

Extra Shot

A love for friends, craft beer, and technology is what led to FliteBrite. Along with a patented electronic serving system, our beer festival app is a tasty example of how we now skip past lines like this. Cheers!

By Ben McDougal, ago

Ship It

We are all artists. No matter what you create, there’s a distinction between creating art and shipping it.

Seth Godin teaches us to go beyond the status quo by creating remarkable art. As leaders cultivate a creative practice, Godin also suggests that if we don’t ship our art (i.e. send it into the world), the effort is self-limited. There’s value to creating more than we consume, but art creates connection. If what you construct is not shipped, there is no connection, and therefore, Seth Godin says it’s not art.

Extra Shot

Does (re)defining art change how you think about your own contributions?

What is your art? Entrepreneurs, intrapreneurs, side hustlers, students, and community builders who are willing to ship, fuel positive change with their art.

Unfortunately, the ego fears external evaluation. This fear is compounded when progress feels slow, which is part of the dance. As apprehension calcifies over time, it’s hard to resist the temptation of hiding our thoughts, emotions, and activities within the safety of solitude.

Creating art to enjoy by yourself can build real skills and provide internal layers of sentimental value, but to go beyond the status quo, push past the fear of feedback. No need to waste time shouting just to make noise, but know that we need you to ship the art.

This encouragement is not an excuse to rush into bad ideas, ship something that hasn’t received proper attention, or not deliver on a promise. It is, however, a friendly reminder that pursuing perfection can devolve into an enemy of progress.

We’ve all heard inspiration like that before but listen to those you admire. Perfection is rarely required when all you need is enough success to continue creating art. Let such liberation fuel confidence. Translate expanding confidence into fresh curiosity. Augment this curiosity with creative action. Rinse and be isochronal in your creative practice.

As belief in oneself grows, one interesting hesitation is disguised by good intention. We tell ourselves it’s not wise to be too self-serving. This is virtuous, but sometimes endless humility makes silence feel safe. As we protect ourselves by staying quiet, a self-limiting restraint develops. For example, many find a journal to be therapeutic but are quick to dismiss sharing these beautifully raw writings with others. It’s good to internalize thought, but as you learn more about yourself through writing, even if it’s only for those you love, know your art can only connect when it ships.

Ready to ship your art? Double-click on your superpowers and the people you care about. Pouring a hint of discipline over what you’re best at and who you seek to serve will provide genuine value over time. Experiment with small actions, and as this develops into a practice, expand the connected nature of your creativity. As your art connects with those who care, find a cadence that allows you to be consistent. A daily blog? A weekly podcast? The monthly newsletter? An annual event? One size does not fit all, and the right tempo depends on the art you’re planning to ship. To find a signal, consider your personal bandwidth and the target audience. Talk with others and take action, then tweak timing to find the right rhythm.

If you’re shipping art, I’d love to hear what makes it stand out and how you remain consistent.

Perhaps there is a renewed desire to connect more of your intelligence? As you take action, know that your contributions matter. Even when the immediate impact is undetectable, thank you for being courageous enough to ship it.

By Ben McDougal, ago

Content Creation: Writing

Marketing requires an ability to translate stories into written word. Creative writing impacts all aspects of marketing and is a skill that’s easy to enhance. The most effective way to improve your writing is to write. Whether it’s for business or for pleasure, the more you write, the better you’ll get.

The highest hurdle for building this content creation skill is that writing takes time. Writing is also difficult when you think of yourself as a poor writer. One way to tackle both barriers at once, is to sharpen your message everywhere you write. Make being a wordsmith a healthy obsession. Written articles, emails, social media posts, and even text messages can all receive thoughtful attention. When quality writing becomes part of your daily life, it’s more natural when you need it. Another exercise to build confidence is to write without the pressure of sharing it. This creates space to flex more creative freedom. As you fearlessly chronicle personal thoughts, you’ll get more comfortable with writing. Stories will eventually take less time to craft and you’ll be able to optimize anything for any audience.

Extra Shot

Speaking of optimizing content, You Don’t Need This (AUDIO)Book will be available October 15th! Audiobook pre-orders are now available and I’m hosting a party to celebrate the release at Beaverdale Books that Friday evening. Here are event details.

As you practice writing for business, consider the type of content you like to read. For most, less is more. Complex topics may need thicker encounters, but there’s value in being concise. As Albert Einstein said, “If you can’t explain it simply, you don’t understand it well enough.” The modern attention span is never far from the next distraction. Put heart into your words, but don’t massacre the message with convoluted content. Clear, aligned, and concise content catered to the right audience is easier to hear and also to share.

When it comes to writing, those who care make attention to detail a part of their daily practice. Take pride in sharing words with the universe. Being a wordsmith ensures everyone receives your best every time. This results in well-written art that stands out with a consistent, more recognizable tone.

Extra Shot

Seth Godin suggests writing every single day. This daily cadence was considered as I built this website and blog, but a weekly reflection has been the right rhythm for me. Months later, I’ve remained consistent and I’m really thankful to have this growing treasure trove of published thoughts. If you’re exploring ways to write more, hit me up for encouragement, because the best day to start was yesterday, but the next best day is today.

UP NEXT: Skill #2 – Photography

By Ben McDougal, ago

Slow & Fast

Slow is smooth, and smooth is fast. This sounds like a contranym, but when we slow down, it’s easier to find a rhythm that activates kinematics to add elegant speed.

Extra Shot

Accuracy sparkles within rhythm.

This concept serves founders who are building with a turbulent sense of urgency. For example, startup life in an accelerator is a compressed environment for ideas to flourish. When mentors and investors are dedicated to helping founders succeed, milestones will be achieved, but growing too fast can leave the team feeling hollow.

With decisions at every turn, relationships still take time. Early hires are delicate. Financial modeling is complicated. Sometimes the product isn’t even fully baked. This is when slowness adds a healthy thickness. Patience leads to deeper understanding, which bonds to the urgency. Momentum is not only then accelerated; it’s also geared to scale.

By Ben McDougal, ago

#GiveFirst

The energy of accelerating others is unmatched.

When talking with others, forget potential transactions. Instead start by focusing on how you can help. People gravitate toward those who choose genuine selflessness over their own interests.

Showing you care can be as easy as a quick thought to help someone else take their next step. Perhaps there’s a helpful introduction you can make? It can even be as simple as showing you care enough to listen.

Extra Shot

Early in my career I was told that everything felt like a one-way street with me. From then on, I made an effort to listen first and talk less. This is difficult when all you want to do is invite people to your next event or sell whatever it may be. Be willing to show up, stand out, and follow up to seal the deal, but pave two-way streets that allow your relationships to flourish by pulling as much as you push.

However you choose to contribute, the trick is not expecting anything in return. This benevolent attitude has been encapsulated in the hashtag #GiveFirst. Here is a Techstars podcast that explores this mindset. Brad Feld also wrote this book to highlight the #GiveFirst philosophy.

Maintaining a #GiveFirst mentality will spawn meaningful discussions faster and more often. This happens because without ulterior motives, you’re able to explore anything without remorse. Over time, this allows more meaningful connections to evolve, versus contacts without context. When you play the long game of investing in the success of others, the real fun begins.

Concerned you’ll never achieve your goals if you’re always trying to help others? Don’t be. If you relentlessly #GiveFirst, you will earn the attention of people eager to return the favor. You’ll also get asked about your own work more often. That’s when you spark intrigue by saying it’s a secret, before shifting the discussion back to them. They’ll laugh, love it, and come back for more.

By Ben McDougal, ago