Have Fun

My new favorite video online has to be Gungham Style by the artist PSY. Though I have no idea what he says, the images, dancing, and scenarios allow me to enjoy the video. 

Remember to take time out for yourself and have a little fun. Building a business can be stressful and frustrating at times but taking a step back from things can allow you to come back with a clear and focused mind. When in doubt, just do the "Invisible Horse Dance!"

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The Power of A Team

Andrew Carnegie once said, "Teamwork is the ability to work together toward a common vision. The ability to direct individual accomplishments toward organizational objectives. It is the fuel that allows common people to attain uncommon results." With the right team a simple idea can turn into a great one. The addition of team members brings new perspectives and ideas that you may not have thought of. Finding the right team is just as much apart of the journey as building the product for your startup. 

Know Your Skills

Knowing what your good and bad at is key when picking a co-founder or future members of your team. If you are technically sound but know you are not the most social person or not the best public speaker or marketer then try to find a co-founder who excels in those areas. The same goes for non-technical founders. Delegating tasks to various team members also allows you to focus on what your best at!

If You Can't Find Them, Outsource

Finding the right members who meshes well with each other and are committed to the vision can take time but that doesn't mean you should stop building your startup. Handle the task that you know you can do effectively and outsource the rest. There are tons of companies and individuals who are willing and looking to create, build, produce anything and everything that you possibly want or need. Also leverage your network. Do not be afraid to ask for help, because you never know who a friend of a friend may be.

In the End

No team will be perfect but having a team there every step of the way makes the process that much more enjoyable. When you finally do reach your goals, you'll be able to celebrate and laugh about the highs and the lows. 

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Finding Your Billion Dollar Idea

We all have those moments where we say, "Man I wish someone would create this" or "This is a great idea, its probably worth a billion dollars," and you just very well may be right. The problem is that the majority of us will never pursue these great idea. Your idea could be the next Facebook or Amazon, or may be something small but just as useful like the pooper scooper or the toaster oven.

Jot It Down

Keep a journal handy, whether its on your phone or a physical notebook. When you get an idea, jot it down and revisit it later. Think to yourself, "What is a problem that I have? Is there an existing solution to my problem? If so, how can my idea make it better." Not every idea you think of will be a game changer and thats okay, but something in your book is. All you have to do is try it.

Sharing

There is an age old fear of people worrying about others stealing their idea upon sharing it with them. That notion is false. As Howard H. Aiken, an engineer for IBM once said, "Don't worry about people stealing an idea. If it's original, you will have to ram it down their throats." That's the truth! The only way for people to hear about your idea is to share it with them. Sharing allows you to gain feedback, meet potential investors, generate interest from users, and find team members to help you build the product. If your idea has holes, sharing it will allow you to figure out solutions, work on your pitch, and get a better understanding of your own project. Plus, for someone to actually steal your idea, that involves them having to create it, which generally no one is willing to do.

Keep In Mind

If you are looking to find a get rich fast idea, entrepreneurship is not for you. Instead, find something that you are passionate about. Something that you can see yourself dedicating every waking moment to and then go after it. Remember, Rome wasn't created in one night and neither was Facebook.

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Groundbreaking Decision

As I sat in my journalism class during the fall 2011 semester at Howard University, I stared at the wall and asked myself, "Can I see myself doing this for the rest of my life?" I shrugged it off because as a junior who was in the middle of transferring to his fourth school I knew this was it. I was here to get my degree and hopefully begin my career as a budding tech journalist.

Why a tech journalist? Well technology is my passion, specifically smartphones and startups. I love researching and reading about every aspect of technology. My thought process was, the best way to get first hand information about the latest happenings in technology was to write about it, right?

Fast forward to February. I begin applying to internships left in right, from Universal to local news papers around the county. Email after email contained the famous words, "after reviewing your applications you are a talented applicant, however,".... I quickly deleted them. I finally heard back from an internship I was willing to take. It was a writing position for the Philadelphia Inquiry. Great! Here is my big break at a reputable newspaper. I go through the interview process, send in sample writing material, add my references and a few days later, I got it! 12 weeks, 40 hours a week and no pay, hmm this can't be what I want to do all summer, is it?

Throughout the whole year at Howard, I was keeping track of startups around the world receiving millions of dollars in funding and asking myself man why can't that be me. Normal people similar to me creating amazing things that I use everyday like Instagram or Twitter or Facebook, etc. I was literally fighting back the urge to take a chance and pursue the ideas that I continuously wrote down in my journal.

Summer break comes and I am all set to start at the Philadelphia Inquiry. One late night as I was surfing the internet looking for a reliable QR code reader, I stumbled onto an app called Scan. I had never heard of it before so I begin to do a little research, and ended up on the blog of Garrett Gee, the founder. Hunched over my computer at 4am I went through ever single one of his post, soaking in the knowledge and tips he provided. Garrett helped me realize two things: 1. If I don't decide to pursue my ideas then that's all they'll ever be is ideas, and 2. I needed to learn how to code.

That very night I throw myself into codecademy to learn the basics. Upon closing my computer at around 1pm the next day and finally heading to bed, I knew what I was going to do. School would have to wait, the Philadelphia Inquiry would have to wait,  I was going to begin my own startup.

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