Social Media Revolution

Surprising to me how powerful this information is and yet how very few people over the age of 55 actually understand just how different this world is going to look in 5-10 years. The Paradigm HAS Shifted.

Rethinking Motivation

Another brilliant TED talk and articulation of why the old paradigm and traditional models of work/achieve/reward simply do not play out as expected and will continue to not play out as expected in the years/decades to come. In short, providing human beings with Autonomy, Mastery and Purpose within what they do serves as a far more motivational and productive instrument than cold hard cash and/or fear of losing one’s job.

Evolved Corporate Values & Culture

Though I’ve never worked for NetFlix and don’t know anyone personally working at the firm, I was EXTREMELY impressed with the presentation below as it speaks directly to the type of management I feel is most effective. Most people SAY they understand this way of thinking, however I have seen so very few people and companies actually try and manifest this type of culture in their workplace.

I hope one day to be a part of an organization that truly embraces this presentation at a core level… though I’m sure if I don’t find one that does, I’ll simply create one on my own soon enough ;)

What other companies that you know of actually PRACTICE and CONTAIN some or all of the values and culture posted above?

Rack One up for Santa Cruz and 12seconds.tv

I thought it worth throwing out there that bootstrapped www.12seconds.tv, out of Santa Cruz, CA, with 1 full time developer, 1 mostly full time CEO, 1 part time UI Designer and an endless supply of good Karma and Community Capital backing them have managed to surpass the likes www.seesmic.com in unique visitors per month… Seesmic, who has been around for twice as long and landed over $14M in funding.

Yes, Seesmic has “changed their focus” recently by embedding their video player on desktops, but IMHO, I would be freaking pissed if I were an investor in Seesmic and be all over 12seconds.tv right now as this is a simple case study in doing more with less and that the people running your business are far more important than business model.

I simply can’t wait to see what continues to go down in 2009. I strongly feel we’re going to see a dramatic shift in perceptions and in the way business actually gets done from a grassroots level. Specifically, count on those who understand that Business is Personal to start exceeding like never before.

Thoughts on “Can Governments Create Entrepreneurial and Innovation Hubs?”

@alexlavidge just directed me to Taylor Davidson’s (aka @tdavidson) insightful post on the topic of how/if governments can go about aiding the process of creating Entrepreneurial and Innovation hubs.  Definitely worth checking out…

Can Governments Create Entrepreneurial and Innovation Hubs?

Personal, I’m yet to see a government program other than the Central Coast Small Business Development Center provide anything substantial when it comes to aiding, encouraging and promoting entrepreneurs to take their ideas and manifest them into sustainable businesses.  I’m even willing to bet that not all SBDCs in California are nearly as effective as the local chapter, as we just so happen to have 2 of the most dynamic people on the Peninsula running and involved with the program who are extremely passionate about what they do and why they do it.  Specifically, Teresa Thomae and Keith Holtaway.

The successful incubator InNOVAcorp in Halifax Nova Scotia also appears to have developed a very beneficial symbiotic relationship between public and private interests, in that a % of their operating expenses and Fund is provided by the government…  but again, this is primarily a result of its founder and CEO Dan MacDonald who simply embodies the entrepreneurial spirit and continuously encourages and supports others looking to create and innovate.

I guess my conclusions then would be that regardless of the program any given government may launch to help create entrepreneurial and innovation hubs, at the end of the day its the people they chose to operate and manage the programs that will largely determine its success or failure.  Clearly some programs may be destined to fail from the onset, but I would bet there’s a direct correlation between the success/failure of any given program and if the people involved with creating, managing and organizing the program itself actually have experience as a SUCCESSFUL entrepreneur in their own right… or at very least having experience successfully innovating or creating anything original themselves.

Anywho, more food for thought on the topic at hand… back to further developing the entrepreneurial and innovation hub we have here in Santa Cruz :)

Sean

Business is Personal - The Twisted Logic of “It’s Just Business”

I believe business should be conducted in such a way that provides for the continued existence, progressive and collective growth and enlightenment of our species. There are clearly caveats as to what progressive means and what growth is and is not preferable, as some growth simply does not benefit the whole or create lasting systemic good or change (such as that which destroys the resources needed for survival of future generations or that which decimates other species).

What I really want to dig into here though is the logic behind a statement such as “It’s just business” or “Don’t take it personal.” Specifically I’m interested in what it tells you about both the person making such a statement and the institution that supports such a statement. IMHO such statements and mindsets are indicative of short term, short sighted and abusive behavior that at its core reflects a strategy that is directly in conflict with the natural law and the very survival of our species.

Again, it all comes back to the law of attraction, or “What goes around comes around” or “Karma” as some may call it. To live ones life without knowing or understanding that every action has an equal or greater reaction is to live in ignorance of one of the very simple scientific facts of life. I like to call it “Wake Theory” when explaining this as it puts things into some tangible visual context. For example, ones life can be viewed as a massive ship pushing through the ocean building a wake behind it, and depending on ones actions, as this ship slows down, the wake generated can either serve to lift you back up and push you forward… or come crashing down on your head, filling you with water, stopping your motion and driving you down. For some, the wake goes back pretty far and can hit you days, weeks, months or even years after the fact… or it can lift you up and drive you forward days, weeks, months or even years after the fact.

Thus, to ignore or write off the human component and reaction(s) to ones actions, regardless of where these actions take place (in the office or at home) is, again, IMHO, very short sighted and ignorant of one of the most simple laws of nature and human behavior.

As if simply saying “Don’t take it personal, it’s just business” somehow negates or softens the reality of the situation at hand. “Oh, ok, well, he/she says I shouldn’t take it personal, so I’ll just pretend the conversation never happened or isn’t as serious or insulting as it is.” When I hear people say “It’s just business” or “Don’t take it personal” I’m always reminded of Will Ferrell in Talladega Nights, who repeatedly insults his boss and the owner of his racing team, but starts each insult with “With all due respect…”. Eventually the boss calls him out on it but Ricky Bobby simply doesn’t have the capacity to understand why what he’s saying is still insulting. Well folks, you tell me, do these statements sound any different to you?

• “Your ugly” vs. “With all due respect, you’re ugly” vs. “Don’t take it personal, but you’re ugly”

• “I think you’re a total slacker” vs. “With all due respect, I think you’re a total slacker” vs. “Don’t take it personal, but you’re a total slacker”

• “A 2 year old could do a better job than you” vs. “With all due respect, a 2 year old could do a better job than you” vs. “Don’t take it personal, but a 2 year old could do a better job than you”

Is there a difference? Would hearing one of these over another make you feel any less insulted?

I think not.

So what’s the solution and point here? Well, understand that BUSINESS IS PERSONAL and every action has a reaction. Next time you’re in a position where you need to have a tough conversation with someone, or you feel the need to make a business decision that may put someone off or hurt someone in some way or another, take a step back, try and empathize with how the person you’re speaking with might receive what you’re about to tell them, and treat others the way you would like to be treated.

Also, understand that if someone ever does say something like “It’s just business” or “Don’t take it personal”, they’re more than likely coming from a place with little/no previous life experience that affords them the capacity to manage their relationships or job with compassion or empathy… much like Ricky Bobby. Understand that this is the type of person or people you’ll be needing to work with and deal with moving forward at your job and if you feel the management and owners of the company your working for follow a similar philosophy, then understand the chances of you getting screwed over, mismanaged and generally abused by your work place are extremely high. Those who tend to have no qualms with a statement like “It’s just business” or “Don’t take it personal” lack an understanding of “Karma,” “Wake Theory,” or “what goes around comes around” and very likely only view you as a disposable asset that can be replaced without thinking twice.

Personally, though I may not know you, I think your life can be spent in a far greater capacity than serving as a slave to people or an organization that lacks a longer term, more realistic and honest understanding of how the world works… Don’t you?

Hello Class… My Name is Sean Patrick Tario…

Had the opportunity to speak on campus at UCSC on Friday last week to a Business Management class led by the kind and wonderful Mary Flannery. Specifically spoke on the life experiences I’ve had and lessons learned over the past 10 years pushing the limit and trying to forge a different path than the standard 9-5 cubicle life outside in the real world. For the most part, I ended up winging it, but spent a lot of time hammering home the point that if they (being mostly Juniors and Seniors - @ 50 of ‘em) didn’t get off their butts, start finding out what their passionate about, and start looking for a job ASAP they would be SOL come graduation and forced into a career path they most likely would not be happy with.

Reflecting back, I loved the experience. Something sparked in me part way into the talk, and I was overwhelmed with the desire to go back in time and tell myself all the things I was telling the class in front of me. Made me that much more passionate about the points I was trying to get across and realize I was truly sitting in front of a room of quasi-mold able clay (other than the few students who just plugged in their headphones and tuned out the whole time). I have so much more respect for teachers now (like my amazing wife who teaches now and my mother AND father who taught back in the late 60’s and 70’s) and also a sense of the incredible responsibility they have to actually REACH their audience. Anyone can talk about a subject, but engaging your audience and actually getting them to listen is what separates those teachers who transform lives from those who just get a paycheck.

Having nearly half the class stay after to ask questions was a sign I think that this may be a calling for me… some day! :)

Law of Attraction - Case in Point…

I love my friends, especially those who take bold action and consistently surprise me by the awesome projects they’re working on, companies they’re working for and people they’re working with.  To this extent, the decision I made a few years ago to start pro-actively networking with and developing meaningful relationships with these types of people has been hands down one of the best decisions I ever made.

Not surprisingly, I’ve found that like minded people tend to flock together and are many times drawn together without ever going out of their way to make the connection.

Case in point, a new friend of mine Taylor Davidson (who I randomly started up a conversation with at a SXSW meetup in San Francisco and wound up talking with for 90 minutes about life, entrepreneurship, love, the global financial systems, and seemingly a million other topics).  Taylor has spent the last few months traveling the country on the cheap and meeting with entrepreneurs and communities throwing elbows and making interesting things happen…  all the while documenting what he learns and contemplates along the way.

One of his recent posts in fact is specifically on Santa Cruz and the time he spent touring around and talking about all the cool stuff going down in our neck of the woods. If you’re a regular reader this will be nothing new but does serve as yet another outside perspective confirming that what we’re building here is in fact unique, powerful and, IMHO, Awesome.

Building Communities in Santa Cruz, California by Taylor Davidson

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