When people avoid conversation for honesty and clarity, you're bound to move on to better things.
The truth is, your value is your piece of the pie.
Lessons to be learned:
Don't work with your boyfriend/girlfriend.
Don't say yes to equity - it's a lie and "thank you for your hardwork" doesn't pay my bills.
Don't join a startup with 10% equity or less. Equal shares = equal responsibilities.
If you don't trust your co-founders, leave.
If you feel left out and you're not having fun, what's the point in staying and being miserable about it
If you're already thinking about the next startup project in your head, you're probably wasting your time in the startup you're in.
And don't forget to bring all your contacts with you.
There are other contentions with aspects of diversity, but then if there are no contracts or systems in place, there is 'nothing'.
Legal implications are important in the beginning, but signing a document without trust is nothing. Business pre-nups need to be scoped and all the hurt and pain you're feeling now, is part of the lesson. Embrace it - and like the reason you became an entrepreneur in the first place, move on and start your own thing.
So we're back for 2016 and in the past month, events, progress and dissertation work!
(If I haven't told you already, it's on entrepreneurship at GCU).
On top of holding down 2 jobs, a dissertation and the hunt for a grad job, the past month has been a learning experience.
YUPTY LTD
64% do not think there is enough information on live music events.
86.6% would use a website dedicated to events.
November 2015, Yupty, Glasgow
Soon we (Doug, Vlady and Kieran) will be going live with our website Yupty.co.uk
Yupty is a comprehensive website for local music events, bringing artists and venues together.
All the interns representing all the Scottish universities and colleges were there and it was good to see new faces and old faces.
Then we had to go survey the public on the street questions which were about how we approached and surveyed them. With my own experience in IKEA selling solar panels, it was a breeze (mainly because I wasn't trying to sell anything!)
The exciting part of the day was our activity to swap SIE pens and lollies for anything else either of the same value or more. Some groups got hold of perfume samples and boxes of tomato paste - from an Opticians! Another group got a box of chocolates, soap from lush, beer glasses from a bar and an entire back of lost items from a motel consisting of books, cds, old phones, scarves and hats a plenty!
Last but not least, we're back on the numbers. Entry numbers and engagement for each of the universities. According to stats, we had doubled the amount of engagement at HEIs since last year for each one of the interns reaching out to their universities/colleges (events, emails, bootcamp, 1-2-1 business advice, entries, etc) in the past year. Well done us!
And as always, the wheels on the banter bus go round and round...
Soon, the Annual Summit will be upon us!
Can't wait to hear from DHI and MadeBrave.
Business Branding and Identity @ CitizenM Hotel
I was lucky enough to shake hands with the man of Made Brave, Andrew Dobbie at the YEZ/Bridge2Business Business Branding Event held at the CitizenM Hotel.
One theme that was common amongst them was the idea that people focused too much on the design of their logo rather than what their business was all about - and why the business does what it does.
Two brought up the infamous Simon Sinek chat about the Golden Circle.
The elaborated presentation on TedTalks:
The 'Why' is a question we forget at times when we don't have the time to stop doing what we do because we get caught up in following a list of things to complete or focus too much on what others are doing.
I can often tangent off into the wilderness of human history and the 5 basic primal instincts and Maslow's hierarchy of needs and culturalization of nations and organisations. It can all get too psychological or sociological, generalized and contrdictory, relative and open-ended. On the other hand, the answers are out there... like on TEDTalks!
I'm starting to think all fellow entrepreneurs have been touched by TEDTalks by some educational, inspiring and life changing talk to motivate the hell out of you- which is why you should come along or volunteer!
Keep the 3rd of June clear for the main TEDxGlasgow Event... not that I'm a member of the Salon/Ideas Lab team... ;)
On another life-changing note:
...and so the answer is inevitable. You can only think so much before trying it out for yourself. After all, our experiences are... relative.
To conclude, the reiteration of the super fun Annual Student Summit (which also lands on the date of my 1st Draft of my Dissertation hand in!)
How is the 'professional' reflected as a student start-up?
Is carving our your own job role a career? Is there a definite framework to align yourself with?
Or is it a question whether or you able to publish, have ROI or make profit?
The phase we're at would be between 'concepting' / conceptualising and commitment.
I say we, I mean our a company I am co-founding with the 3 others you may find in Google Images after searching for 'Yupty'.
The Start Up Phases are really useful in letting you know what programs or websites you can use to help set up your business, i.e. web design, crowd funding and trainee agreements and lead generation.
But what it's really about is the #goodfeels.
A couple of kids from Singapore have some fun at the stereotypes of Professionals!
A little fun before we get all stoic.
Until we meet again on the otherside of the New Year troops.
Subscribing to playlists, following music likes and playlists on Spotify is all good for sharing music and can see another's favourite band, simply by the number of tracks by Adele or Gang Starr that's Saved to your customized 'Playlist'. But what about JUST listing your favourite bands?
Sharing bands through Excel.
Building relationships with people is always good to share commonalities with people. Even better when you can share this information on an EXCEL sheet! YAY EXCEL!
So, ever get yourself into a situation where you wanted to know what bands your friend/ boyfriend/ girlfriend likes, but never always get to catch those Youtube posts on Facebook? Or that Spotify Play list to share?
I HAVE THE ANSWER!
You can list/share your favourite bands on this very simple Excel sheet:
If you both like a band, you'll see whose column it's under
You can download a copy here from Google: Bands We Like
This function can altered for other things, like matching non-numerical values in a list.
For more, visit good old Reddit for answers on the Excel function to check if value in Column A exists in Column B (Thank You Kiwibot!)
The Lupo is a little bluetooth tracking device that allows you to track whatever you attach your Lupo to. Bluetooth (up to 100m / 330 ft). Here's is a video:
However this is the more simpler version of it. It's handy for tracking your keys, bag or wallet.
At the hackathon, the more advanced device (which is going through more testing and programming at the moment) was hacked by programmers to come up with new ways of applying functions to the button (multiple clicks), lights, and vibrating system and how that can link to your phone or other phones. Some of the ways that the device could be used for would be to keep track of your friends or close family in public places. Again, the range is only 100 meters or so, whereas if it were GPS tracked then there would be ethical issues. Because of the limited range, it's perfect for the busy (and somewhat forgetful) person - like me!
You also have the option to check the last known location. The app is simple to use. And funnily enough because you have it on you, you become more conscious of where you leave it.
The only thing is that with the Map Tracking, it wouldn't be able to track exactly what floor of the building you may have left it - but let's face it, most of the time you're really in only a few, and not every single storey of a 10 floor building!
One of the things I've found is that I wish I had it for my favourite scarf!
I've attached it to my keys and my security pass-card TedxGlasgow lanyard - just in case.
The best part about the Lupo experience is meeting Raj Shark, Product Designer and Co-founder, who's agreed to being my entrepreneur mentor!
The topic of the panel discussion was on digital distribution and how the speakers from the music, film, radio, gaming and book publishing industries distribute their content online and digitally.
They spoke about their various limitations and opportunities in their fields about the manner for which their content is shared with the world through social media and the various platforms. More importantly, how they interact with their customers and how they reach out to their "cult followings", so to speak, for example, someone from the crowd shared and interesting story about the people who bought and downloaded her horror movie where going to be key customers in giving value and promoting and sharing the film.
Louie who was a musician (Hector Bizerk) and band manager spoke about how important it is only give teasers to songs, to create value.
Ellen from SCREENpmd (producer of marketing and distribution) spoke about how there was no turning back once your material is out there and needing to be very careful with editing before releasing your movie, since it's not the same as the innovation of tech products, or games where you can come up with different versions of it. Ellen also spoke about market by having a #campaign and reach out to the people.
Paul from TAG Games, spoke about the different ways in which games are distributed and the tester phase from games. He spoke about localisation for games, especially when distributing it to say, China, and making sure that your game or product makes 'sense' culturally to the country you are distributing to like the characters and of course, the language. Paul also spoke about planning for failure. This much is true about strategy and understanding your external and internal environment for probable liabilities and how to safeguard against them. I was taught in school about this motto: Failure to prepare, prepare to fail. I admit, fear is intrinsic to being 'driven' at times.
Keith from Strident Publishing, spoke about the issue with making typos and dealing with having to deal with the publication, and the obvious, which is not being able to do anything about one typo in a 500 page book! He also spoke about how branding and innovating and changing to stand out to clients and customers, like how car racing drivers should change their helmet designs or wear a ear-ring! Intersting analogy.
Dougal, from Inner Ear (online radio and audio marketing and promotion) chaired the panel.
The same discussions
I'm starting to see trends in the things people are discussing in terms of marketing, working for the right people, building brand awareness with social media, connecting with people and the right types of people, baring in mind that you shouldn't be judgmental on your own future needs, and valuing every person you come into contact with at these networking events. That's what they're for.
What I really want to head is about resilience, safeguarding and dealing with competitors/alliances.
The point about market share is understanding how much of the pie you need, but needing it enough to establish your 'piece' say, should there be organisations who 'steal' and take your product, make it 100x better because they're bigger, better, stronger and faster.
But what should be said about this is the fact that not all of them will have the connections you might have as a person, and individual. Personality + Empathy = Branding and market. In two words, public relations.
Creating Value
Some of the points about creating value with scarcity reminded me about on the 48 laws of power (Robert Greene), "Use abscence to create respect and honour" (Rule #16).
Now, there are two types of strategy for the reason why people do anything (Beyond Please and Pain, Tory Higgins). You're either 1. The type to shy away from potential pain/shame/losing the game but attain success by doing what you must or 2. The type to grab every opportunity possible, but not do enough extra work.
When you're someone who fears being left out of things (omisstion), be default, not knowing what's going on in your environment can be detrimental to your cause. Whereas in some cases, if you are needed, and people do need you, you will be missed.
They say 'time heals all', and maybe absence might create some value, but identifying when to leave and knowing when to come back is the other trick.
In my opinion, there will be value if you seek it and empathize with it. Value can be dependent on what other things, or what you personally think and perceptions of value. Think of the music scene and the rockstars we do love. SO KEEP ONROCKING you badass entrepreneurs!*
*And just to contrast that, slow and steady wins the race!
When people avoid conversation for honesty and clarity, you're bound to move on to better things.
