What I learned about startups from: My first Hustler Magazine
Are you faking it?
Note for readers under 30: In the 1980s porn was much more “taboo” and of course a lot more difficult to come by. Hustler magazine was a racier Playboy.
In the 1980s as a young teenager, I “read” my first Hustler magazine. Despite the newness of seeing naked women, the thing that really stuck out was the back cover ad. A motorcycle cop is carrying a (dead?) child and crying. The headline read “Some still call him pig.”
I knew the slur, but I didn’t have any interaction with the police good or bad. At that time, I certainly wouldn’t be crazy enough to call them anything but sir.
The next day, the cutest girl in social studies, Heather Jones, was talking about the Camden riots in New Jersey. She was more mature and well-read than anyone else.
I was/am painfully shy around girls/women, but I thought it would sound very sophisticated to mention the ad. I knew the riots had something to do with the police so I thought it would be relevant.
I described it to her which began a conversation. I couldn’t believe it. She was looking at me, speaking only to me completely engaged in our discussion. Luckily she did most of the talking because I didn’t know enough to contribute much.
My friend Henry came into the room, impressed I had finally mustered the courage to talk with Heather but obnoxious enough to interrupt.
“What’re you guys talking about?” Henry asked.
Heather described the ad that started the conversation.
“Oh yeah, I saw that ad in Hustler too,” he said.
Heather’s expression instantly changed from engrossed to disgusted and she walked away. I went bright red. Henry laughed.
Heather never spoke to me again.
Lessons learned about startups:
- Don’t be a poser. Learn as much as you can about your industry but don’t pretend to know more than you do. If an investor, partner or customer asks you something you don’t know, simply say “I don’t know, but I’ll find out.”
- Check your sources. I’ve had information in my pitch deck that fit my needs, but was only opinion from someone’s personal blog. I replaced it with more credible facts. Just cause google has indexed something doesn’t make it quotable.
- Don’t be a Henry. Improv actors have a rule “play with” not “against” which is good for everyday use too. Don’t embarrass or insult others (team members, partners, customers, competitors).
