Tech Savvy and Lessons From the Stone Age

About 2.5 million years ago, some clever early human wrapped in a rabbit skin fashioned the world's first stone tool - probably using another piece of stone. A technology that led the way for mass migration and eventually other technological innovations leading up to satellites leaving our solar system. But those innovations were way down the line. If you were one of those early stone tool making types, you were pretty much set for about 2.4 million years. It was all mammoth meat and hot cave gals for you baby. That is until some jerk smelted copper with tin, arsenic and other metals to make - dare I say it - BRONZE!

I can just hear the complains at the Stoneworkers Union hall. "what's this new technology!?" "Can't possibly replace stone! I mean it was good enough for my dad and his dad and so on, then stone is good enough for me". And I'm sure there was a couple of blokes in the back of the room whispering, "What's bronze?" These fellows were faced with wrapping their heads around this new technology or face the very real possibility of have same heads lopped off, shrunk, and worn around necks of the heads that adopted the new technology. Those that did adapt, were pretty much set for about 2,600 years. 

Fast forward to 600 B.C. and all hell breaks loose again. Some wanker develops iron, a metal that could slice right through your shiny bronze swords. Earlier adopters donning iron helmets and wielding iron swords were suddenly everywhere building roads, taxing the hell out of everyone and teaching the world just how vitally important it was to adopt new technologies. 

I could go on, but I think you get the point - unless you're still wrapped in a rabbit skin loin cloth. Technological advances went from time frames measured in the millions of years to several hundred and now less than a life span - much less! For the average middle aged worker today, the concept of I learned a skill like the microsoft suite and now I'm technologically savvy is a sure way to get the modern day version of an iron axe in the head. Technological advances happen every 12 - 18 months. In fact, a generation is now viewed as 6 years! 14 years olds think 20 years old siblings are technological dinosaurs. 

And this appears to be coming at us two tiers, the gross general trends - we're in the interconnectivity phase that includes social media and collaborative operating models and on a micro-scale, the tools that operate in this phase like Facebook and the google suite of online tools. 

To call yourself tech savvy, one has to be constantly aware of what's being developed on the gross and micro scale, test it, adopt it or try something else new - and there will be plenty of that. It should be part of everyone's routine to scan, test and adopt. Otherwise, you'll find yourself and your business being trampled under-foot by hoards of new technology wielding early adopters. 

I Ain't Afraid of No Posts

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spirit#/
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I like to write as the mood or idea comes to me. So a lot of the sources I quote are somewhere in the pile behind my desk. Like google being the 18th search engine business. Can't recall where I got that one from, but point is, they didn;t let the first 17 failed attempts dissuade them from being number 18.

Likewise Amazon was absolutely railed against when they started selling things other than books. "They're BOOKSELLERS - Period!" was the chorus heard from every so-called business expert in the field.

I'm sure, if you're an entrepreneur, that you've heard more Debbie Downers than you care to count blow hard about the dangers of any course of action you could take and why you shouldn't go there. And they love posting all about it. What they're saying is "I'm a coward, How can you not be afraid like me?!"

What these folks do have in common is being too lazy to do their homework. A business strategy - long before spending a dime on the actual business - is critical. It can identify why the others have failed, why you're different, and the path you need to take to be successful. Google and Amazon relied on their unique product offering, their unique core competencies and a well-planned strategy that connected them with a well-researched customer need. This alignment is business strategy.

Unicorns and their Fearless Pursuit of Opportunity

If you're an entrepreneur you've probably noticed that most people don't think like you. Or more correctly stated, you don't think like most people. By example, when a new venture is proposed, most folks will see every reason imaginable why it can't work. The actually pride themselves on their ability to see the downside of anything as if this is some sort of entrepreneurial skill. Based on their vetting process they appear to be looking for the one venture where the path is clear, the risk is zero and the workload minimal. Or as I like to say, Unicorn hunting. And like unicorns, they don't exist.

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/
File:DomenichinounicornPalFarnese.jpg{{PD-old-100}} – for works in the public domain 
because their copyright has expired in countries and areas 
copyrighting works for life plus 100 years or less.

The problem with most people, these pseudo-entrepreneurs in particular, is that they fear the hard work and risk required to build a business. True entrepreneurs look at what most people see as an obstacle as an opportunity. Some even thrive, seek out, and absolutely love onerous regulations as this tends to frighten off competition. Where one person thinks about how impossible it would be to mitigate the risk and comply with regulations of a toxic cleanup business, others see an opportunity to charge a surcharge and know the competitive field will be small increasing the margins even more.

Our team thrives on a challenge and our members have been chosen to tackle the varied challenges needed to thrive, the same challenges that scare off the average joe and pseudo-entrepreneur.  We're fastidious in understanding a product and its place in the competitive landscape and fearless in executing ones we've vetted. Missing pieces are just that, a piece to be secured and added to our tool belt.

So the next time you're in the latest quasi-governmental or non-profit "here's how to think outside the box" group or consulting with business guru of the day, listen for ques. Are they fearful? Are they quick to dismiss an idea because of competition, regulation or even workload? If so, recognize that they are looking for the mythical unicorn and overlooking an ACTUAL extremely rare and fearless unicorn, you.

Paying Artist What They're Worth

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We all know who painted the Sistine Chapel in Rome, Michelangelo, of course. But ask anyone if they recall the name of the architect who built the chapel itself? Now ask anyone, who should be paid more in a construction project, an architect, engineer, or an artist hired to decorate the finished structure. Precious few would even consider paying the artist anything close to what they'd pay an architect or engineer.

I lead a consulting team of alphas in Web Design, Business Strategy, Branding and Marketing Strategy, Videography, Accounting Strategy, and Legal Strategy. Together we market ourselves to entrepreneurs as "Your C-Level" team and we all share equally in the proceeds from our clients. Yes, equally, from logo design to contract negotiations to web design and even to additional artists added to the team as appropriate and needed for a project. And we do this because we feel every part of the development process is critical to building a successful business.

Let's face it, we design products for people not Vulcans. Your product should not only function well, but look great, feel right, be a pleasure to use, and just have. Together we build products that include artistic design throughout and not as a final layer, an add-on, or gloss. We value these team member contributions and pay accordingly.

The architect that built the Sistine Chapel, by the way, was Giovanni dei Dolci. And yes, we consider architects artists and just as important as engineers. The engineer? No idea.

Please send business proposals to george.j.constance@gmail.com.

Be a Viking Not a Berserker

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Berserker#/
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History rarely treats them as such, but the Vikings were brilliant strategists. Their well-known and well-deserved reputation for brutishness was usually followed by some fine deal-making that allowed them to physically establish themselves in territories from the Byzantine Empire through North America and control trade throughout most of Europe. And part of that strategy was to establish a foothold using a segment of Viking society known as the Berserkers.

The Berserkers, from which the term "berserk" originates, were the shock troops of the Viking world. Historical texts describe them as savage beyond belief charging into battle in a frenzy wearing animal skins and no armour, biting on their shields, and displaying super-human strength. They are described further as immune to the pain of fire. So terrifying was their appearance and actions that the werewolf legend may have been based on these animal skin clad, beast-like Vikings. They were, in fact, probably drug-induced and so fearsome that they often turned on their fellow Viking communities or hosts, raping and killing at will. For this reason, Viking Lords often turned the sword on these Berserkers after battle to restore order to their newly-won territories and rationally negotiated lasting treaties with defeated foes and neighbors alike. The greatest Anglo-Saxon King Cnut was in fact a Dane and King of England, Denmark, Norway and a big chunk of Sweden. He didn't accomplish this gnawing on his shield.

As a business strategists, I seek out Vikings, aggressive, determined people who are passionate about their products. The Berserker know-it-alls with no time to think through their business processes and company direction are bound to end up on the wrong side of the sword. I don't have time for them.

GJC Business Strategy Consulting has teamed with other Vikings in Marketing and Branding, Web Development, Accounting and Finance, and Law professionals to provide C-level services unprecedented to entrepreneurs. We quickly plan strategies that provide not only a foothold in your market, but a plan for rapid and lasting growth through market exploitation and collaboration.

Long story short, be a Viking like Cnut and not some nameless berserker.

iamge credit: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Berserker#/media/File:Bronspl%C3%A5t_pressbleck_%C3%B6land_vendeltid.jpg

Can you have a "Gentleman's Agreement" with a woman partner?

I'm fortunate to have quite a few partners in all of my business ventures who have trusted me enough to work for equity on a handshake alone. These "Gentleman's Agreements" are usually a result of getting to know someone, getting a good feeling right away, or a willingness to take a chance in the short-run to evaluate a relationship before signing on. I liken the last one to dating before marriage. And in each case the deal is struck between people who are attaching their very reputation to fulfilling their end of the agreement.

But, what if, as is the case for me, what if many of your partners are women? Is the agreement still referred to as a gentleman's agreement? I can see two women reaching an agreement as "Ladies" in a Ladies Agreement", fair enough. But what if one of the is a guy and the other a gal?

I reached out to my oldest daughter who works for the Democratic party. She was first shocked that Libertarian-leaning dad would consider this question and second at a loss for what gender-neutral word to substitute for Gentleman. In the end she suggested a "Professional Agreement". Good stop-gap in my mind, but to me, "professional" lacks the power of "gentleman".  The terms Gentleman and Lady, after all, refer not only to how someone conducts their business, easily separated from the whole person, but refers to the core, the essence of who that person is. Breaking a gentleman's agreement isn;t just indicating you;re a bad person to business with, but a bad person overall.

Problem is that the two terms exist as two gender specific roles were universally recognized at the time the term was coined. Proper adherence earned the term Lady or Gentleman and since Ladies rarely conducted business, Gentleman's agreement was  a no-brainer. And let's be honest, there are still roles apparent and equally enforced by either side of the gender formula with a few extra added in recent years. So, separate terms might still be useful in today's society.

As it stands now, I'm leaning towards "Gentleperson's Agreement". A gentleperson would seem to cover all the bases. It just lacks that age-old feeling of time-tested honor. Spell check appears to be just as torn as it shows "Gentleperson" a misspelling of "Gentle Person".  Or is it the duty of the current three generations of business people to propagate the term and an associated sense of honor-bound obligation.

And I read over this article I noted that I used "them" and "they" as opposed to awkward "he or She" as Gender Neutral terms. There must be a way around this. Please help by commenting.