Comments on: 3 Serial founders share their 'Success Hacks'

By: Computer Consultants Secrets Blog

Computer Consultants Secrets Blog — Wed, 23 Jan 2008 18:17:56 +0000

All these tips are really good for those at any stage of their career. As someone that provides tips for small business computer consultants, I know that focus and planning are incredibly important when running a business. This means writing down a business plan and a marketing plan and following it to the letter, of course revisiting it often to make sure it still fits in with your goals. Many have a hard time understanding the concept of turning away business and saying “No,” but it makes sense when you think about the future of your business and long-term success; you want to get people that can contribute to your success and be committed for a long period of time and not those that will weigh you down without commitments.

By: What do Richard Branson & Tina Fey have in common? « FoundRead

What do Richard Branson & Tina Fey have in common? « FoundRead — Mon, 19 Nov 2007 08:37:18 +0000

[...] in the Networked World, which comes out at the end of December. Last week I read a post here on Success Hacks, which got me thinking about how transferable such “hacks” really are. I commented: The [...]

By: The talks from FounderHacks III « STIRR Backchannel

The talks from FounderHacks III « STIRR Backchannel — Sat, 17 Nov 2007 01:33:28 +0000

[...] good folks over at Found|Read wrote about the talks [...]

By: insomniamg

insomniamg — Thu, 15 Nov 2007 14:20:49 +0000

This is some really good advice and will be taken on board. http://www.crenk.com

By: Manoj

Manoj — Thu, 15 Nov 2007 07:20:44 +0000

It was my first Stirr event. It was really nice to see in person some of the top bloggers whose blogs I follow.

Not to mention the organizers did a really good job with the arrangements, food and everything else.

By: gamechanger1

gamechanger1 — Thu, 15 Nov 2007 07:15:52 +0000

The difficulty with learning from ‘success hacks’ is that so many of them are idiosyncratic to the hackers who performed them in the first place. It does not automatically follow that others will find them equally useful.

Ev Williams’ five hacks for eliminating work that doesn’t matter might work for him, but that is no guarantee they’ll work for me. I know a lot of successful entrepreneurs and businesspeople, for example, who do a lot of outside meetings. Connections with companies other than their own can be the life’s blood of some organizations and managers. It depends on who you are, what kind of business you’re in, and who else is on your team to lend operational support. It just depends. So it simply cannot be taken as any kind of rule or guideline for success.

Likewise, saying “No” a lot may work for Williams, but many successful entrepreneurs get where they are by saying yes a lot. By saying yes, I don’t sinking money into every PowerPoint deck that walks through the door. Every business needs gatekeepers. What I mean by ‘saying yes’ is keeping a positive and open attitude to whatever comes your way. I mean adding to the dialogue, instead of shutting it down. I mean encouraging innovation wherever and whenever you find it instead of strangling it because it doesn’t fit the imperative of the moment. Business in the Network World requires a constant input of fresh ideas. Saying no is necessary in certain situations, but as any kind of organizational dogma, it’s a dead end.

I myself am a major proponent of Improvisation in business. If you look at any successful businessperson, you can see that they are almost always excellent improvisers. Quick on their feet, responsive, flexible thinkers, who always see more than one way to solve a problem, and see setbacks as an opportunity for learning and moving closer to the objective. The beauty is, improvisation can be taught and learned. It can give organizations and their employees the tools they need to succeed in any business environment. With improvisation, the success hacks are unique and appropriate to each business team, and each situation.

Thank you for the post.

Mike Bonifer
http://www.gamechangers.com

By: Top Posts « WordPress.com

Top Posts « WordPress.com — Thu, 15 Nov 2007 00:00:32 +0000

[...] 3 Serial founders share their ‘Success Hacks’ Last night I attended Founder Hacks III, the latest a series of STIRR mixers for entrepreneurs in San Francisco. These […] [...]

By: alex4comment

alex4comment — Wed, 14 Nov 2007 18:43:25 +0000

Wow, that sounds really great. I’m in the bay area, maybe I will see you at a STIRR soon.