What is Failure?

As I sit here writing this blog, I am thinking to myself what is failure? To me failure can be a number of things. Merriam-Webster defines failure as a state of inability to perform a normal function. To me failure is not completing something that you set out to do. Failure is not taking a step forward because you can't see the path in front of you. Failure is having the ability to make a difference in the world and not taking action.

I may not be famous, amazing or extremely talented but I refuse to let the fear of failing consume my life. Not everyday will be a success and not everything will go your way in life but I see all these aspects as a part of the journey. I would be lying to say that I don't get scared or nervous but that's life, right?

If you have had similar feelings or moments such as this in your life, feel free to drop a comment or shoot me an email. We are all in this game of life together, no matter what you are going after in life.

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Don't Wait For It To Happen, Outsource It

During the past few months things with my current business venture has been taking off; from meeting new people to attracting the attention of potential investors. As a non-technical founder starting a tech company you could say I'm at a huge disadvantage. Don't get me wrong, I can code in html and css but for the idea I'm looking to bring to life my limited programming skills do not match up well. No reason to twiddle my thumbs when I can outsource.

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Just Be You

If you don't already know, the entrepreneur I look up to the most is Garrett Gee, the founder of Scan. I continuously quote him in my post because GEE is the man! But in all seriousness; the thing that draws me to Gee is not only his creativity but his willingness and desire to create something innovative while staying true to himself.

The Investors Journey

The process of building a great and successful startup is a journey. There are moments of triumph and sorrow, however, the journey of securing funding from investors is a journey within itself. Gee mentioned in one of his speeches that when he initially approached investors he was putting on an act. Dressing up in fancy suits, attempting to sell the investors on the financial numbers instead of the vision and goals of the company. They saw right through his act and decided not move forward with the talks. The second time Gee was approached by investors he stayed true to himself and showed the investors: here is my vision, these are our goals, and what you see is what you get.

Staying True To Yourself

Investors are not only investing in your idea but you as a person as well as your team. My personal belief is that you should not conform to what you believe investors will want you to be, but rather be who you are. If they do not like you as a person then maybe the partnership is not meant to be from jump street.

I can't say I know all the right answers as I myself am still playing the investor field, but I can look at the lessons learned from those who I admire and respect and use it during my adventure.

PS. It is my hope to one day meet Garrett Gee.

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Enjoying Small Victories

As entrepreneurs we all have a time in our minds when we believe that we have finally made it. For some, that time comes when their company is acquired by a larger company, for others it may be when reaching 10,000 users. For many that time comes upon receiving your first large investment by a venture capitalist or angel investor and being on the front of TechCrunch. Measuring success varies for each person and each company, but no matter the value you place on success, remember to enjoy the small victories.

Each mini goal you achieve is validation that you are on the road to great success. Recently my company SavySwap was featured on a site called AtThePool. You can check out the blog post here. This small victory is a great thing for us. We have created a connection with another startup and have gotten our name promoted as well.

The path to achieving your goals and dreams will be full of roadblocks but celebrating a small  victory will help build your confidence as you continue upon the path to success.

-Stay "Savy" My Friends

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