SSP, or The Art of Creating a Business
In Zero to One, Peter Thiel writes that while Richard Branson always seemed like an entrepreneur, “…other aspects of his renown — the trademark lion’s mane hairstyle, for example — are less natural: one suspects that he wasn’t born with that exact look.” The Branson that we all know began cultivating his persona when he created his first business, and he used that foundation to help build a global empire. The lesson is clear: in order to promote your business, you first have to cultivate your own style and use it to sell your brand.
This lesson is worth learning, but few people these days are going to tell Founders not to promote their personal brands. In fact, Founders are constantly reminded that their brand is as integral to their company as the idea, since no one wants to buy into a lifestyle (yes, all startups are lifestyles) that the Founder herself doesn’t believe in. Perhaps budding entrepreneurs need to hear this message so often to be reminded that they are looking to bring customers into their vision, not just because they want to build something cool. Or perhaps there is something controversial about the message, a deeper meaning that goes against the grain of our culture while passing unnoticed under even the most well-meaning mentors’ eyes. It’s almost as if there’s something off-putting so deeply embedded in this language that it barely registers over the sound of progress.
Every entrepreneur has heard the term Shameless Self-Promotion, or what I’ll call SSP. It is the tool used by Richard Branson, Coco Chanel, Steve Jobs, Serena Williams…nearly every famous person has — or had — their own distinct personality that they shamelessly promote every day. But what strikes me most about this term is the hidden reminder that society considers it inherently shameful to promote one’s self. Intertwined within SSP is a note telling us that in order to sell our brand, we must first overcome the shame associated with putting ourselves ‘out there.’
Why do we regard the act of promoting our personality as shameful? To start, there is the obvious fact that we might embarrass ourselves, which counters our evolutionary predisposition to seek approval through assimilation. We might also worry that our vision won’t be fully appreciated by the masses and that our work will instead get laughed into some dark corner of the Internet. It can also be awkward to talk about our personal accomplishments, especially our strengths, because we run the risk of being labeled a braggart.
But this is the wrong way to look at SSP. Promoting a brand does not mean that a Founder should simply talk about how good she is at something. Nor does it suggest entrepreneurs should remind everyone how their product is the thing every potential customer never knew he needed. Rather, SSP is about being the brand other people want. Richard Branson lived the life he wanted to promote with Virgin, and in this way he made his view of the world attractive. Serena Williams’s aggressive and dominant style on the court made her the icon that millions of young women and men look to emulate when considering a career in tennis. There are many, many more examples of notable branding across every industry, but the point is clear. To modify a common refrain, these people walk the walk, and when they do, talking the talk becomes natural.
So what can we do to improve the startup atmosphere? Rather than encouraging Founders to promote their brand shamelessly, tell them to be the physical embodiment of their company. Saying, “My name is Chris, and I am AceSpace” is much more powerful than the more common introduction, “My name is Chris, and I am the Founder of AceSpace.” The first tells everyone that I embody my vision; the second suggests that I merely run my company. Perhaps Ty Webb was right when he said “be the ball.”
Creating a business requires guts, overcoming risk, working long hours…and plenty of self-promotion. Founders should not be afraid to sell their personal brand; when they do, their companies are better off for it. But promoting a personal brand is not about bragging or talking the talk; rather, it is all about walking the walk. Our mentors should not be telling us to engage in SSP, because there is nothing really shameful about it. Rather, the message to Founders should simply be LYB: Live Your Brand.
