A handful of us that worked for Steve Jobs in the past were quoted in this article at Mashable.com
I have great gratitude for the opportunity to work with Steve and everyone else at NeXT Computer from 1989-1993. Thank you Steve for instilling in me the belief that a small group of us can change the world for the better.
For more info see these post:
Prelaunch of a network of entrepreneurs in Antofagasta (in Spanish)
A report of tonight’s activities with support from Leonardo Maldonado, Estuardo Robles, Bijoy Goswami, and Steve Golab
You might know of the work that I started in Chile in 2003 – which was to become the basis of Tech Ranch Austin– the “Enterprise Teaming” (trademark!) framework that I originally took to Chile so many years ago. Well the Tech Ranch Austin has been growing, and we’re starting to duplicate this framework and our more polished insight back to Chile. Last year, I was in Antofagasta, Chile for the launch of Region Fertil– a project that has been started to invigorate innovation and entrepreneurship in Antofagasta. I’ll be working with my colleagues from G&L and Gulliver– and am looking forward to seeing many of my friends in Chile.
Given as we’ve been unpacking at the new Tech Ranch Austin (we moved a few weeks ago) and we launched the Austin Startup Bazaar with 30 startups presenting, and over 350 people in attendance, I am getting this info out late about my travel plans, so I’d figure I’d share it directly here – for coordination purposes. Here’s generally my schedule- let me know via twitter, email, or US phone or Chilean phone at +56.9.9.871.5077 to coordinate getting together while I am in Chile.
Sep 25th: Sunday Austin – Santiago
Sep 26th: Monday Meetings in Santiago
Sep 27th: Tuesday Santiago – Antofagasta- Meetings in Antofagasta
Sep 28th: Wednesday Antofagasta
Sep 29th: Thursday Antofagasta – Santiago
Sep 30th: Friday Meetings in Santiago
Oct 1st: Saturday Fun around Santiago
Oct 2nd: Santiago flying out in the evening
Oct 3rd: return to Austin in the morning
What are we working on? We’ll be following up on building teaming opportunities between networks of entrepreneurs both in Antofagasta, Santiago, and Austin. (We’ll be showing off some of our results at SXSW2012 by the way). Here’s to strengthening entrepreneurship by working together. I’m excited to return to Chile, for that’s where this whole process began for me.
In the workplace as in many parts of life, I have found that there’s a simple distinction that guides what I tell many a new entrepreneur into their first startup. This distinction is conformity versus discipline. Being an employee requires that the individual conforms to someone else’s directions. Day by day activities are directed by someone else. Results are beget from following structures set up by someone else… and at the end of the day, or a 40 hour workweek, many times the employee may step away from work, leaving behind whatever results have been achieved, and thinking about other things.
The entrepreneur has a different scenario. Many times there are no structures that have been set up by anyone else, requiring the entrepreneur to set them up. It takes discipline to set the directions that a startup will go. It takes discipline to get up in the morning, especially when demotivated because of present results, to go at it again. It takes discipline at the end of the day to somehow quiet the voices of undone task, doing one’s best to mentally walk away from work that needs to be completed for that day’s rest. It takes discipline to not allow success to go to one’s head, but instead, maintain a humble approach that keeps the entrepreneur’s eyes open for the next opportunity, or the next threat.
Either way, choosing the path of conformity or discipline, there is a choice that must be made, and a willingness to pay the price of that choice.
One of the biggest issue that every entrepreneur must face is dealing with the “down” times… times when something (possibly) negative has happened, that distracts him/her from the key objective that they were focused on, to dealing with the unexpected.
The recent Tech Ranch Move, which was unexpected, is exactly that.
Yes, we had a year extension on our lease. We’d negotiated so that it was possible to keep our present location (which was not perfect for us by any means, because of many limitations) for at least a year longer. Then we were told that the group that we were subleasing from had their lease terminated.
It was “tragic” and “distracting” and many other words. It was ill timed. Not what I wanted to focus on. Yet now, on the eve of signing a new lease, I see it as a gift. Perhaps some greater consciousness (or whatever) telling me to “grow the Tech Ranch Austin” up. It was time.
The present location that we’re at was not working for the Tech Ranch Austin for quite a while. We’d have Campfires of 65 people that just did not work at our present location. The AC didn’t work good enough. Everyone was cramped. And it was a hard location to find.
But at this point, before I announce the new location, I can tell you, the process of being forced to focus on something that I really was not ready to focus on has been a net positive. We’re moving, and no matter which of the locations that we pick to move to, we’re going to be moving to a better place. A place that we’re going to be able to handle our mission so much better than before. Each location that is on the top 3 locations is massively better than where we’re at now. What’s so interesting is how blind to how much better it could be that I was.
So as I write this, I say “Lemons, meet lemonade”. Life’s lessons in entrepreneurship have taught me that “change” is not so simple as “good” or “bad”. I am thankful for the help that you’ve all given to me as I’ve looked to finding the next Ranch location. All I can say at this point is that I am excited, for it is looking very good.
It is through the community that the faithless have become the faithful. Thank you for your support! (and thanks for continuing to make our mission possible!)