Telluride Retreat
“Life is what happens while you are busy making other plans.”
-- John Lennon
Sorry for the delay in postings. I am out in Telluride on vacation with my family which is an internet challenged part of the world. I understand that the main ISP providing broadband to Mid-Mountain has gone under. I am very happy to be alive as my friend took me down the "Ridge" for my second mountain biking experience ever. This is a steep path with slanted rocks and exposed roots that winds through dense trees. I am a much more religious man from the experience. :) Ironically, although he is a veteran rider, he went over his handle bars separated his AC on his shoulder.
Saw Lyle Lovett on Sunday. I have never listened much to him but our friends had tickets. We worked our way to about five rows out in the standing crowd. What a blast we had. I did not realize the breadth of music styles he and his 18 person band (yes, 18) kick out. As I was listening and watching the dedicated fans fully engaged in the show, I was struck by a couple of similarities to entrepreneurship.
1) Substance over style: no one would ever call Lyle handsome. Poor guy will always be known as the Julia Roberts' 6 month husband. He does not promote or push a flashy image like most in the business, and yet he is an icon in the music world. In short, he has figured out what his fan base (niche) wants and delivers it flawlessly. Too many entrepreneurs start focusing too early on with PR campaigns. The market will listen if you have something of substance to show or say. Focus on getting your product or service right and the Buzz begins to take care of itself. Apple gets its buzz because its products are so awesome. Push PR with a weak product and it will come back to bite you.
2) Enjoy what you do: it is clear that Lyle really enjoys performing and being with his band. He referred several times how lucky he was to be able to travel with his best friends. I was attracted as much to his attitude and ethos as I was to the music. Traveling from city to city can really be draining (like trying to get a company ramped). You had better enjoy and live for it or it will consume you.
3) Find the best talent: Lyle has an amazingly talented group of performers in his 18 person band. He also let each of them get some recognition and/or solos during the performance (share the fame & success). Interestingly, other than one or two, no one was under 50 years old. He did not go with the young, hot flashy performers but with proven veterans. His leadership was in getting all of them to perform as a team. Too often, CEO's drive their teams hard with letting them share in the glory. Dick Costolo does a great job getting all of his core team out in the public eye. Also, too many companies hire hot resumes versus substance. This requires a much deeper evaluation and care in picking team members as well as a strong focus on fit.
What all of this particularly reminded me of is that the best things in life (personal, work, business, etc) come when you least expect them and from directions you never expect. This is why persistence is so key in entrepreneurship...if you persist long enough, good things will happen. Too often, people either a) drop out before entering the concert hall or b) fail to actively seek to embrace all the opportunities that are out there...