Note: I do not write this assuming my expertise on the matter. I write as an expression to bounce ideas. The following is based on my interpretation of certain books, blogs, observations and meetings with various people- entrepreneurs and not. And add a pinch of pepper to the last suggestion.
You might prefer being the ruler of your block when you start up. We feel secure if the borders are safe. For that, we believe that the borders need to be protected. This adds to the anxiety and stress. Well yes, entrepreneurs are warriors in their own way. Though it is better to be simply inspired by Genghis Khan rather than use analogy and employ the same tactics in our sector. Be a Warrior Light. Always better. The act of blurring the borders and slowly creating genuine alliances with all sorts of beings around you sounds too good to be true. As we initiate the shift towards startups focused on people-people relations, being the love-and-peace-fella will take you places. Symbiosis in lesser organisms has given us interesting results.
It is always better to exist in a symbiotic way of life. And interestingly, the symbiotic way of starting up is pretty helpful too.
Working towards our goal taking into consideration the goals of those involved.
Having a team is good stuff. Team-members have their own goals and yet are motivated towards a common objective of all those involved. When interests clash, the best reaction should be to eliminate that competitive feeling. Conducting frank conversational meetings and stating out clear paths result in transparency and a mutual feeling of trust. It is essential to remind everyone that the slightest animosity is against the interests of the bigger picture. And the bigger picture benefits all, in some way or the other. This helps chart out a path for better understanding and better working relationships.
Collaborating with seemingly rival organizations.
Everyone has one awesome thing one can do. Hardly anyone can be awesome on all fronts. So the trick is to stick together. You don’t have to love your rival, you have to make sure that you guys compliment each other the right way. Balance each other out and make sure the customers are getting what they deserve. Try and keep all your customers happy. If you cannot give them Expertise-X but you have an ample of Expertise-Y, send the customers-X to your competitor. Revel in the customer-Y-joy.
Collaborating with seemingly unrelated organizations.
Most of the things around you can be linked to each other by some or the other. Meet people, talk to them and find out what they are up to. Follow blogs, ‘like’ organizations and get in the midst of things. It is interesting when we realize how some of these totally random projects host flocks of our customers. The reason might not be even relevant. Find out what you can do in areas where the target segment has fun. Link projects together. Tie up with multiple organizations and create a sort of a brotherhood that, say, ‘aims for a better community’. Try out the ‘passive marketing viral ideas’ to bring in those awesome flocks. While retaining your existing customers using ‘active viral ideas’ ones, of course.
Might help eat up your critics?
Critics are good fun in case you love being the Darth Vader of your neighborhood that is far far away from most of us here, in most of the cases. If your critics mean business, get behind the stage and find out what they do. Where are they based? What is it that makes them criticize? Do they come from a similar background? Are they from the same locality? Did they have a bad experience from your startup while waiting for a similar service? What?
Once you have all the answers that ensure that you ‘know’ your critics, start looking for a place they love. Do they frequent a certain community club? Perhaps a food website? A clothes store? A bar or a local Starbucks? What?
Now trot right up to your critics’ favorite place and understand what makes them so awesome. Find a way where you can tie up to create something new. Can you help market any of their products? Is there a workshop that can be jointly organized? Is there a fund-raiser that needs the core competencies of both you parties? Find out. Get visible before the people who don’t like you now. Tie up with their favorite thing and start being visible everywhere they go. Will it help? I certainly believe so!
And oh yes, do not forget to be flexible and accommodating. Always awesome to have everybody around you truly happy. That helps you rise up like never before.
love and peace
