I went on a bit of vacation after the last newsletter. Partly refreshing and partly had to deal with overwrought emotions from two high school soccer matches. After 37 years, I have four weeks left as a high school soccer referee assigner. I don't think I'll miss reviewing videos from irate coaches.
Guy Kawasaki interviewed Dave Wharton for his Remarkable People podcast. Wharton covered his work counseling "evergreen" companies. These are companies built to last for some time, not just to show rapid initial growth looking for a quick exit.
I think of Inductive Automation (my sponsor) who has built a company still growing and innovating some 22 years after I first met the founder. Software companies' strategies normally involve quick acquisitions. I've been watching HighByte, who has now been growing for about 9 years. They have taken some investment capital but seem to still be focused.
One market I remain puzzled about is cybersecurity. These companies are strategically important for their customers, yet there doesn't seem to be financial stability--not to mention how people seem to constantly churn. These thoughts came into a new focus as news broke that Mitsubishi completed acquisition of Nozomi Networks. The principals all say that nothing will change. Speaking from experience, I'd say that once the business systems people get involved, there will be changes.
I took a look at another Adam Grant book--Hidden Potential. Grant explores character as the essential trait.
Sometimes the same idea comes to me from different sources. From my earliest memory, I'd consider curiosity as my driving force. Two sources reinforced the importance of curiosity--a Paul Graham essay and Barry Diller also on the Guy Kawasaki Remarkable People podcast.
Check your attitude. Wrong question: “How do I get the most out of my people?”
Guy Kawasaki interviewed Dave Wharton for his Remarkable People podcast. Wharton covered his work counseling "evergreen" companies. These are companies built to last for some time, not just to show rapid initial growth looking for a quick exit.
I think of Inductive Automation (my sponsor) who has built a company still growing and innovating some 22 years after I first met the founder. Software companies' strategies normally involve quick acquisitions. I've been watching HighByte, who has now been growing for about 9 years. They have taken some investment capital but seem to still be focused.
One market I remain puzzled about is cybersecurity. These companies are strategically important for their customers, yet there doesn't seem to be financial stability--not to mention how people seem to constantly churn. These thoughts came into a new focus as news broke that Mitsubishi completed acquisition of Nozomi Networks. The principals all say that nothing will change. Speaking from experience, I'd say that once the business systems people get involved, there will be changes.
I took a look at another Adam Grant book--Hidden Potential. Grant explores character as the essential trait.
Sometimes the same idea comes to me from different sources. From my earliest memory, I'd consider curiosity as my driving force. Two sources reinforced the importance of curiosity--a Paul Graham essay and Barry Diller also on the Guy Kawasaki Remarkable People podcast.
Check your attitude. Wrong question: “How do I get the most out of my people?”
Better question: “How do we create the conditions for our people to get to where they’re heading?”
Gary