The Devil Is In The Details

This saying is repeated time and time again but ultimately what does it really mean and why am I talking about it now?

Well for one thing I think about this everyday (something I highly recommend). As an entrepreneur I am constantly asking myself -  what  must I  do to succeed? As a business owner I am daily  making mundane seemingly insignificant decisions about all kinds of things. What do I say in this email to a potential client? What changes, if necessary, do we make in our next client presentation? What does our next blog post discuss? These aren't big picture questions that address the vision of the company, but it is necessary to think about these things. 

I say this, while also keeping in mind, that tomorrow, November 4th, after a long and hard struggle with day to day questions, issues and challenges,  for one individual a supreme goal will be attained; which  reminds me of a quote that says "the grandest of projects depends on the success of the smallest components". As the winners and losers begin coming to terms with their destinies, it's a sentiment to ponder and important to understand.  Although Barack Obama and John McCain's world's and endgames are vastly different from mine, the funamentals (i.e. challenges, strategies, relatiosnship building, etc) are essentially the same.

On a similar note.  Just a couple of weeks ago I was watching one of the major evening news shows  and they were discussing (and showing) never before seen footage of an interview with JFK prior to his running for office.  A reporter was talking with him and Jackie  at their home in Virginia about life and politics.  A few things he said stood out particularly. One of his comments that struck me was when he mentioned how he never really  had any strong interest in politcs. He hadn't felt that it was really one of his  strong points. He said the career and lifestyle didn't really suit his personality. He talked about how running a campaign was a huge undertaking and how you had to be precise in what you do. A short moment later he mentioned the reason why running for the office  of the President of the United States was  such a precarious undertaking. A remark definitely worth highlighting; "the margins are very small between those who fail and those who succeed".  It made me think for a minute.  A very simple  yet  profound statement.  At the end of the day if for whatever reason you are just a few inches to the left instead of a few inches to the right that could determine the difference between a huge success or complete failure. 

Another such example is in Malcolm Gladwell's book "The Tipping Point".  In one of his stories he covers the case of Sesame Street and poses the question: how does a show that came on the air in 1969 continue to be successful almost forty years later?  He asserts that it is a mistake to think that it was a television show conceived in a flash of insight.  What made it unusual and so successful was quite the opposite - the final product was deliberately and painstakingly engineered.  He then goes on and states the legacy of Sesame Street:  If you pay careful attention to the structure and format of your material, you can dramatically enhance success.

Understanding that the devil is in the details makes you pay very close attention to the little things. It's the minutest of issues that will determine whether your ideas, your work or your business flourish and succeed or simply sputter and go absolutely nowhere.

The Economy is tanking. . .YES!!! Huh??

As an entrepreneur you should always be looking for the best possible scenario within any given situation at any particular time to push your idea, business or venture forward. Ladies and gentlemen. . . let me tell you there is no better time than now! The economy is slow, times are uncertain, the market is shaky and spending is slooowing to a drip. YEESS! This is just the way you should like it!

Over the past few weeks I have been reading some spot on commentary about business and the financial crisis the country (and the world) is currently experiencing. Much of what I've been coming across has been about ideas that any business person should always be conscious of - success depends on knowing and understanding what's going on, stepping outside of the "mob mentality" (thinking and doing what everyone else is because you are emotionally caught up) and rationally looking at the situation and acting on good, sound judgement.

A couple of ideas to think about. . .

• Warren Buffett, the world's richest man according to Forbes magazine, said Friday in a newspaper commentary that he is buying US stocks even though the American economy is in a "mess". The reason, he said, is a key maxim in his outlook: "A simple rule dictates my buying: Be fearful when others are greedy, and be greedy when others are fearful".

• Paul Graham says . . . "The economic situation is apparently so grim that some experts fear we may be in for a stretch as bad as the mid seventies - When Microsoft and Apple were founded. As those examples suggest, a recession may not be such a bad time to start a startup". He goes on to say this; "If we've learned one thing from funding so many startups, it's that they succeed or fail based on the qualities of the founders. . . Which means that what matters is who you are, not when you do it. If you're the right sort of person, you'll win even in a bad economy".

Now of course with the shape the current economy is in,  the reality is that the environment and the terrain  is challenging. But the bigger picture is this - are you a person who sees that the  glass as half empty or do you see it as half full?

With the present situation as it is its valuable to think of the market in terms of this: People are being cautious  - you can differentiate yourself by being bold.  With less people willing to "make moves" that's less competition for you.  With more companies having tighter purses but still needing to conduct business that's a great opportunity for you to offer your services cheaper than the competition.

This is just a handful of ways to interpret the current environment.  Ultimately how you perceive the present situation is up to you.  But remember timing in this world is everything and if you have an opportunity to be bold (but don't forget, smart) and jumping out ahead of the competition when they are nervous to act, you might just find out this was the best decision you ever made.

The New Equation is . . .

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 the future of business

A couple of weeks ago I was sitting down with a group of business mentors as they shared with me ideas on how to to be savvy in today's business market.  They discussed business strategy, the current climate, relationship building and a whole host of concepts and beliefs.  After about an hour,  with 3 written pages of notes, 4 downed glasses of water and 3 destroyed raisin muffins to show for it, the meeting wrapped up. George Pierson, (a former creative and design guru at HBO and The Discovery Channel) the 'futurist' of the group, pulled me aside and said "Rasul, let me share with you one of the best pieces of advice a friend shared with me years ago".  "He said if you can anticipate the needs of society in 10 years and act on them now, you'll always be in position of success."

Hmmm. . . very interesting. . .

As I meditated on his words I then began thinking - ok, how do I begin trying to figure out what the world wants in 2018?! But then it occurred to me; I've actually been doing this all along.  I've just never really thought about it.  Well I wouldn't say I was exactly anticipating the needs of society but I always have and still perpetually think about what's next. The main reason being: survival.

When I graduated from college (in the late 90s) my biggest fear was getting my architecture degree and going into the world and not being able to land a job.  That scared the crap out of me. So I was always reading, researching and studying whatever I could get my hands on (and networking! What good is knowing a lot of stuff yet you don't have any connections?) so that I was always in the know - about everything my mind could possibly handle.  My game-plan was that if I was aware and had an inkling of an idea of where things are and where they were going then I would always have something of value to contribute. So far so good.

Fast forward to 2008.  Today my decision to get my degree in architecture continues to pay off (thank you electrical engineering for beating me to a pulp my freshman year. Otherwise I may have never decided to change my major. . . whew!!). Design thinking is becoming evident as the mindset of choice for the successful (can we say Apple - whose profits climbed 26% despite a slowing economy), and those on the cutting edge. Now as designers (and design thinkers), technologists and innovators continue to create actual things of  value vs. perceptions of value - and there is an enormous difference - you'll continue to see  their impact in  the market. Couple this with the very idea of brand building (i.e. creating something with meaning, authenticity, relevance and dynamism- (see the black box above) and you have where the future is going.

Adapt or Die

About about 1 1/2 years ago Fast Company hosted an event here in Washington D.C. at a posh restaurant, literally about 6 blocks from the White House.  Jeff Chu,  a senior editor at Fast Company,  and a number of his staff  put together a 'dine and discussion' event and engaged the group that night in conversations about business, entrepreneurship and innovation.  I attended (with a couple of close colleagues) the invite only affair of about 25 to 30 business persons in the DC/Virginia/Maryland metropolitan area.  I met some very cool and interesing people that night and left with a small army of ideas that would help Vosica develop new, powerful and viable business ideas and solutions for our clients.

As a 'thank you' from Fast Company for attending the dinner (and for being great fans of the magazine) one of their parting gifts for us was a book written by their editors and writers called The Rules of Business - 55 Essential Ideas to Help Smart People (and Organizations) Perform at Their Best.  Now I had been wanting to order this book ever since it came out (in 2005) but never got around to it.  So now I didn't even have to buy the book - I got it for free!  SWEEET!

Now 1 1/2 years later I still hadn't read the damn thing.  But just yesterday I finally forced myself to pick it up and begin reading it (well the first chapter anyways).  In doing so I came across, what is possibly the most important idea anyone should etch permanently into their psyche - The first rule of business is the same as the first rule of life: Adapt or die.

Its really a fairly simple concept, yet for individuals, groups, or companies it is such a herculean task to assess the market, see where your business or organization is at and then make changes accordingly.  These are necessary things that simply need to be done in order to continue to be successful.

Prime examples:

• Apple revolutionizes the mp3 player market by creating the ipod.  In order to keep pace and stay competitive with this new market gamechanger,  Microsoft shortly releases the Zune (now creating a smart, creative and successful adapt or die strategy is another conversation).

• Tapping the power of the Internet, Netflix launches its 'movies by mail' mini empire in the making. Blockbuster, seeing the growth of this new company and realizing the serious threat posed to their primacy, are forced to create online services as well.

These are just two quick examples of the adapt or die rule.  There are literally thousands more out there.

In one of our earlier posts we talked about when Shift Happens, where the focus was on how the market is changing, how ideas are evolving and how the world is becoming more complex. In summary, the final question was; what does it all mean, particularly for you?   Well what it means is plain and simple:  Adapt or die.  Take it or leave it - I highly recommend you take it.  The reason being; the only thing in life that stays the same is change.

So just a little something to think about. . .

If you hate change, ok, that's fine. But I promise you (and rest assured) you'll like irrelevancy even less.

What do you stand for?

I'm sure we all have friends or family that ceaselessly forward us pointless, stories, jokes, or some new urban myth about how Microsoft is giving away 2 million dollars for god knows what.  On occasion though, youI'll actually receive something worth its weight in gold. Last Thursday a good friend of mine forwarded this post to me from Seth Godin's Blog which I absolutely had to share.  One of the best posts I've read in a while.  Hope you enjoy!

When you stand for something

People and brands and organizations that stand for something benefit as a result. Standing for something helps you build trust, makes it easier to manage expectations and aids in daily decision making. Standing for something also makes it more fun to do your gig, because you're on a mission, doing something that matters. Of course, there's a cost. You can't get something for nothing.

It's frustrating to watch marketers, politicians and individuals fall into the obvious trap of trying to stand for something at the same time they try to please everyone or do everything.

You can't be the low-price, high-value, wide-selection, convenient, green, all-in-one corner market. Sorry.

You also can't be the high-ethics CEO who just this one time lets an accounting fraud slide. "Because it's urgent."

You can't be the big-government-fighting, low-taxes-for-everyone, high-services-for-everyone, safety-net, pro-science, faith-based, anti-deficit candidate either.

You can't be the work-smart, life-in-balance, available-at-all-hours, high-output, do-what-you're-told employee.

To really stand for something, you must make difficult decisions, mostly about what you don't do. We don't ship products like that, we don't stand for employees like that ("you're fired"), we don't fix problems like that.

It's so hard to stand up, to not compromise, to give up an account or lose a vote or not tell a journalist what they want to hear.

But those are the only moments where standing for something actually counts, the only times that people will actually come to believe that you in fact actually stand for something.

If you have to change your story because your audience is different (oh, I'm on national TV today!) (oh, this big customer wants me to cut some key corners) you're going to get caught. That's because the audience is now unknown to you, everything is public sooner or later, and if you want to build a brand for the ages, you need to stand for something today and tomorrow and every day.