‘The Art of the Start’ — 3 simple steps to starting
I rarely get excited about public speaking but I was thrilled to be on the line up of speakers for the last #ARMEngage. The theme meant so much to me and the topic I was invited to speak on: “The Art of the Start” mirrors my life in the last decade or so.
The quantum leap in technology is perhaps one of the best angles through which one can unpack the importance of the theme of the event (21st Century Entrepreneur). Affordable computing power today is enabling the development of incredibly smart applications. With connectivity, we live in a world where human to human, human to machine and machine to machine interactions provide us with an unprecedented opportunity to create value and share information real time. Not only are we able to access quality information, they are now being made available to us when needed; Interestingly, this is just the start as we gear up for IoT, Blockchain, AI and many other exciting technologies.
This development has a tremendous implication on our world. One could easily notice the existence of a new order with a complex, sophisticated and changing social structure. Consumers now have better clarity on what they demand from products and services, barriers to starting a new venture are probably at all time low while access to capital is increasingly being democratised. It is now uncommon for an in-experienced entrepreneur without a strong network to raise money from investors looking to back disruptive businesses. The most demanding of all is, however, the shifting boundaries of enterprises — the mandate and responsibilities of businesses are now beyond profit and constantly evolving.
To this end, an entrepreneur is no longer a businessman but a value creator — someone in pursuit of addressing one or many of societies’ evolving needs or challenges. This led me to replace “21st Century Entrepreneurs” with “Value Creators”; to allow me share what I consider 3 basic steps I find useful while being part of the start of CcHUB, Truppr and many exciting projects I have worked on in the last 7–10 years. A value creator can thus be an entrepreneur within an organisation (intrapreneur) or the founder of an organisation. I hope you find these 3 steps useful.
Set Out To Make Meaning: starting a new venture or project can be incredibly difficult. The uncertainty associated with how a market or set of stakeholders will react to a new product or project is a major hindrance and one of the many reasons ideas don’t get a chance. In my years of working with innovators and entrepreneurs, setting out to add value to a group of people or society at large is a strong motivator that people take for granted.
Setting out to make meaning gives you a head start. Making meaning doesn’t imply addressing social problems but being clear on whose problems, needs or changing demand you are out to address. Not only does it give clarity to your venture, it attracts like-minded people and support that may be crucial in helping you start. I know a lot of people are cynical about our world; nevertheless, I still come across more people willing to back genuine and impact-driven entrepreneurs than one would imagine.
Over the years, we have built a strong culture of executing at CcHUB, we are pretty good at spotting needs in the society and setting out immediately to address them. The DNA of CcHUB is a crucial driver of this culture — we won’t do it if it doesn’t make sense for the society at large or a group of people. This starting point is where we draw our energy, passion and ability to create and execute year on year.
Have A Clear Theory of Change: a theory of change is a popular model for promoting social change but one I find applicable even in business and project management. The concept is essentially a comprehensive description and illustration of ‘HOW’ and ‘WHY’ the desired change is expected to happen in a particular context. Despite uncertainties, which are constant in any engagement, starting with a clear understanding of “How” and “Why” is a strong enabler. In most cases, having a clear ‘theory of change’ shapes the necessary steps required to getting an idea off the ground.
Nothing is bullet-proof; so are new ideas and projects. A clear ‘theory of change’ is a strong way of building a feedback loop into your venture. It gives you clarity on what to measure, review and improve to achieve your desired objective. It is also a strong way of developing a compelling story and case for your venture. It is a lot easier to explain your venture to people when you can demonstrate a path to the desired change or goal you set out to accomplish. For new entrepreneurs, a theory of change also provides a path to a productive engagement with mentors and advisors. It gives a window for them to understand your assumptions thus helping with ensuring they are grounded in reality (to a large extent).
Always Be Shipping (start-up jargon): shipping sounds like what you do when you have a running business or project. However, your ability to truly start a venture or a project is dependent on your ability to execute on assumptions, learn, rejig and execute again. There are many projects/ventures that don’t have a single starting point and assumptions vs. reality may hinder their eventual start. The ability to appreciate that multiple iterations are often required before a venture or project is seen by its customers or stakeholders is an essential requirement for successfully starting.
A good starter will thus be someone who is constantly creating while maintaining a stern focus. Starting a venture will always require the ability to approach things with an open mind and understanding that several approaches may be required to reach your desired goal. However, the only way I find out is by doing? I don’t give into analysis-paralysis.
Your dream is valid — give it a shot!
