Rolling on a River — An Admission of my Addiction
28 July 2015 / Ivan Lopez
“Left a good job in the city, Workin’ for the man ev’ry night and day, And I never lost one minute of sleepin’, Worryin’ ‘bout the way things might have been…” (sic) Isn’t this what the startup life is all about? And how is it possible that Credence Clearwater Revival figured it out already in 1969?!?! Let’s come back to that question later.
Personally I came in contact with a lot of entrepreneurs throughout my life. Both Grandfathers had many careers and their own stories of starting businesses, making deals, closing business at dinners, chasing clients, etc. All of it sounded very cool as a child growing up. I can’t say if it somehow influenced what would become my future but it very much seems to have had that effect on me despite a different career start.
My first real job was working for a real big company. The US Government… There can’t be something more polar opposite to the startup culture and life. It had clear rules, processes, protocols, and hierarchy. A clear role on what you do, whom you reported to and how you should do it. And there couldn’t have been anything more different to my childhood ventures.
As a child I was a hustler. I didn’t think I was, but upon reflection that’s all I could have been. It snowed; I was out with a shovel clearing sidewalks and driveways for $5. Summer? I would mow your lawn and cut you a deal if I could do it every week. I even figured out a way to make money from when they deployed cable TV to our neighborhood, but that story should probably not be published…
I learned early that the deal was if I wanted something, I had to earn the money to get it. How I did that was really up to me. I had one hard and fast rule however. I wouldn’t work in fast food chains. I didn’t want to work for “the man”. In fact I wanted to be the man. The first job title I had on my resume was manager because that’s what I did!
All of these little businesses eventually evolved where I would hustle the business and other kids would end up doing the job. I handled “closing the deal”, they did the job and got paid for it. Easy, managing deal flow, logistics, people, customer relationships. All things considered these were micro-startups with all the fun and hardship they bring.
As things would go, I grew up, got a company job and focused on working my way up the ladder. It never really felt right but it was good money, safe and had a promising future. It also felt a bit boring, and, as someone who really enjoyed risk, I found myself being complacent. Something you should never become.
It wasn’t my first time recognizing this, but I remember meeting an early stage startup when I was working for a global Chinese conglomerate. These guys were raising money and I was there to evaluate them for either an investment, acquisition or as a service provider. I remember it like yesterday! These guys were wild, they had ideas, changed them regularly, debated about everything, they were going to change the fricken planet. They also were self-funded, running out of cash and had a half-baked product, which didn’t really make any sense (yet). On the outside they were rock stars. Under the facade it wasn’t pretty.
It was exciting to see how they ran things. I wanted to be part of their idea, their plan. I would work for free! Well for equity at least. I however never asked, and they could never answer. They went on to explode a market in the US that was never before undertaken. Today their service is commonplace. The company was sold to a global company who managed to mess it up. The guys went on to start a couple other companies, some successful, some not. It was what I wanted and it was what I went after only a few months later.
Fast forward, I have now spent my fair share of time in startups. Successful ones, some started whilst working full time elsewhere, some crashed and burned, some found a life under a different name. They all were different and each with their own set of challenges. What they taught me in the end is that you can learn from each, and even when in different market sectors, you can apply your learning to other situations.
Today, I find myself in a new startup and we are changing the way an industry works, engages and creates relationships. We are focused on making this industry change for the better, something it has never had to do before despite being full of need for innovation. For the first time I’m also “the grey hair” in the company. Something I never thought I would be…
I turned down a couple of big company jobs in their “innovation” teams — aka a corporate term for we are cool like a startup… The reason was it just isn’t the same. It’s still a big company with big company mindset, politics and timelines. We are like a speedboat and they are like a cruise ship. We are fast, agile but without the luxury of a ballroom floor and full kitchen. Who needs that when you have Red Bull and pizza delivery anyway?
Working in a startup is a chance to be inventive, to take risks, to be willing and driven to change something not because someone told you to, but because you know its better if you do. It’s a chance to find yourself, push your limits, work on the edge and learn from all of those around you. It isn’t a job, it’s a lifestyle!
I don’t think it’s for everyone, my friends and family don’t really understand what I do half the time. When I interview people that are joining a startup for the first time, I ask them if they understand the risk of becoming addicted to the culture. Most laugh, few appreciate the advice I am trying to convey. I now can openly admit that I am a startup addict. But, I wouldn’t have it any other way either…
So back to CCR. You see, I think they knew this was the way of their time in the wild sixties. Also that this isn’t a trend but it is something we have been doing for centuries, getting out there and creating the next thing. They knew they didn’t care about the “big job in the city”. I never did and why should you?
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Originally published at blog.tyba.com on July 30, 2015.
