Three Fields, Three Rings, Troika

What makes a company the company one wants and will work for? In other words, why are people leaving in droves from one company, but are clamoring to work at the other? Is it money? Prestige? Benefits? No. Certainly money plays a large role, let’s be honest here. And prestige never has hurt - heck, one would love to work at Google or IBM.  But that’s not what actually keeps employees within the company.  What actually motivates employees to stay with the company beyond the usual 2-3 year span is the way the company approaches its employees. If the company’s management structure has been set up well, both vertically and horizontally, with extra focus on finding and nurturing potential talent, then it has already provided a fertile soil for the employee base that’s not just content but is willing to devote extra energy and time for the company’s goal(s), and thus, its bottom line.

I always think of the plant and soil metaphor when I think of the employment. Just as cactus that flowers brilliantly in desert during the brief days in spring cannot grow in a  temperate climate, the employee that performs the best in small, tight knit team environment will not perform the same at a large, devoid of person-to-person teamwork corporation. And vice versa - the person who is adept at navigating the bureaucracies at a corporation and excels at geographically dispersed corporation will have a very difficult time adjusting to the ad hoc nature of a start-up.  Of course, there are exceptions to the rule - but even there these exceptions have benefited from the way the management structure has been set up.

The education and the innate talents of the employee at a large corporation actually may matter little if the soil the employee is planted into does not allow for that employee to fully leverage his skills and knowledge.  And if the management around that employee fails to recognize it, and fails to actually work with the employee to figure out the ways this situation can be amended, the employee is a lost one for the company, for all the practical purposes.  Then this situation becomes a cancer - the employee becomes demoralized, his/her productivity tanks, his/her reputation within the company is shot, the company itself loses thousands and thousands of dollars in lost potential (be it ideas, initiatives, or projects), and in eventually re-training a new employee.

What a waste…

We at Mi-Si have reached a huge milestone - we have finally secured a new office!!! More details later.

It’s an oft repeated axiom: “time is money is freedom.” Indeed, I lately can’t help but think how valuable time is. The reason we humans were able to evolve so quickly is because we’ve figured out that by specializing and by distributing/sharing the burden of tasks we can become more efficient and thus devote more time to more important tasks.

There’s been some buzz going around the Internet that Android SDK is still full with bugs and is still very much in pre-baked state to be truly useful for the developers. The CNET says as much: Is mobile really a sure thing for Google?

The critics claim that Google is too “desktop-centric” and thus the field of mobile apps presents risk to Google due to its relevant inexperience in this industry.  I somewhat agree, but I don’t think that the obstacles are that dangerous or unsurmountable for Google. For starters, Google has already developed the mobile versions of its applications such as GMail and GMaps, and quite successfully! One only needs to take a look at the newest version of OS for iPhone, which sports the new GMaps functionality developed in collaboration with Skyhook Wireless, that mimics the GPS functionality.

I’d just give Google a bit of time to shake out the bugs and streamline the development efforts, along with the negotiating efforts with the related companies.

I met with one guy last week, to discuss his project. Due to confidentiality reasons, and obviously, not wanting to expose anyone prematurely, I will not divulge anything other than the fact that I think his idea holds a great promise if done smartly and correctly. He has identified a glaring omission in the market and is going to provide what others on market aren’t at this moment. And let me tell you, I’d partner up with this guy if given the chance and under the right circumstances!

That makes me think hard. Think about it, how hard it could be? One would think coming up with a great idea is easy. No! It isn’t. It requires due diligence in itself. It requires thorough research of the market, stepping away from it, and coming back to it repeatedly. It requires asking yourself mundane questions such as “Where do I go from this point A to point Q? How?” or “Where do I find out about this?” or “How do I go about this?” The questions may sound simple. But stepping outside of the box isn’t. Just ask any fish in your average Joe sized aquarium.

Change is good. One who is afraid of change eventually is set aside. One who instead embraces change, may not necessarily succeed, but s/he will certainly have a higher probability of success. Embrace change or die.

On that note, I must admit I am seeking and pursuing a few changes of my own. This will not leave Mi-Si aside though, but rather, this will allow me to devote more of my time to it, and to my own professional and intellectual passions.

Starting a company is challenging enough. Keeping it on growth curve and keeping up with growth is even more difficult. You’ve got to find office, you’ve got to streamline accounting processes, other business processes, and so on. Never mind making sure that all e-mails are answered, all invoices are sent, all orders are fulfilled. Boy, 2007 is already proving to be an exciting year, despite my significant setbacks on my other two fronts!

Some folks out there would much rather be high-level empoyees earning $150K+ a year. Well, I’d rather be making $75K as a businessman. Why? With the tax deadline looming, you better do your homework and read up the IRS manuals! That’s when you’ll find out!

This is probably the thorniest issue facing all entrepreneurs during an inflexion phase in their business’s life.   Do I borrow from credit cards? Do I seek seed capital from family and friends? Do I go to angel investors or VC firms? Do I simply give up?

It all depends on nature of your business and what your goals are.  Some have found success by borrowing from credit cards (as one friend of my friend spectacularly successfully has done).  Some went to their immediate and extended family members, and also partnered up with their friends.  Some were lucky and received financing from banks or VC.  My advice is, if your business is still struggling to pay its monthly bills while working hard to generate sufficient revenue - focus on increasing revenue. The goal is to make the business self-sufficient, i.e. able to cover monthly bills itself, without resorting to your monthly cash infusions.  Once the business is just that, able to cover its own bills itself, only then you can dream of expanding the business. Like people say, it’s step by step process.

Good luck!

Admit it, you’ve thought about it. Start your own thing and quit your job! Sounds easy? Sure. First you got to come up with the idea. Then you got to come up with implementation plan. And let me tell you, the idea is just 1% of the whole thing. Anyone can have an idea. But can anyone implement it? This is what separates winners from losers, the cream from the cake, success from failure.   Needless to say, this has been my lifelong dream, and I will pursue this dream whatever it takes.  I look at my past experiences and present experience and I view it all as a learning curve.  I am learning what to do and what not to do.  I am learning what I can apply from my schooling, and what I cannot.  I am learning what works at small companies, and what does not, and why.  Likewise for big companies. So far so good.

 2007 is going to be a very interesting year.  At least I hope so!