Dec 15, 2011

Seeing a New Color

"I never perfected an invention that I did not think about in terms of the service it might give others... I find out what the world needs, then I proceed to invent."
~ Thomas Edison


Imagine that you have seen a new color. This color is not a new mix created from our current color wheel. Once seen, your view of the world would change and you would be able to see it everyday, interwoven like a thread or over everything like a broad brush stroke. Imagine trying to describe it to someone. The initial attempts to describe it would be filled with a series of "likes," "but not's," and "kind of likes." Finally, these attempts will give way to descriptions associated with feelings, experiences, scenarios, and imagination.
This is the bittersweet exhilaration of the Entrepreneurial spirit. You see "The New," "The Next," "The Better." You come to know that "The Best" is found in the passion and vision, not in an end-product. True entrepreneurs do not want to keep their vision to themselves. They are anxious to get the idea out, developed, and functional. They see the improbable as possible.


So, the next time someone comes up with an idea - nourish it and help them develop it through discovery questions, not critical ones. The entrepreneur will face plenty of criticism from the world. But they have seen a "new color" that until the world sees it, it won't believe in it. Believe first in the person, then the product - then you will see the "new color" that they are talking about.
~Jason Saetrum

Dec 7, 2011

Structured Religious Government as a Model for Building and Running a Business

Let your religion be less of a theory and more of a love affair.
~ Gilbert K. Chesterton

Both a religion and a business introduce a doctrine or product. The potential converts either see the object as a need, convinced it is a need, or don’t see it as applicable. Once converted / purchased, the success story establishes a stronger sense of desire and interest among others. The missionary program markets and sells the product. The government establishes a top-down administrative model that does not cave to fickle individuals. Changes in the product periphery do not change the organizational structure, practices, or core doctrine / product line. The church extends distribution by opening additional parishes and adding converts. To maintain quality control, the church requires certification, ongoing training, standardization of teachings, demonstration of understanding, and quality audits. The model continues to grow in reach and conversions, strengthening at each step.