Find Motive

“If you ain’t got the Bling Bling there aint no Cha-Ching Cha-Ching”

When being a One Man Show you have to wear many hats, infact all of them. This can be a disadvantage if you let your focus slip. The issue I have been encountering lately is getting caught up in the business aspect of my startup and forgetting about my actual product.

The business side of it is a necessary evil, but its only evil if you let it take over. The process includes things such as: Setting up your business entity, getting legal, and etc., this list will grow bigger than you expected if its your first time in a startup. Doing these things right in the first place will save you ALOT of trouble and headaches down the road so don’t skimp out, but don’t forget about your product. Your product is the whole reason why you are going into business, without the product there would be no need to go through the hassle of setting it all up.

So in my case where I am the developer and the owner(and everything in between), I have to make sure I don’t get caught up and forget about my product or even worse, lose focus on what my product actually is. Yes, devote certain days to your business chores, but when its time for development, worry about nothing else. Your product is the life of your company.

To sum it up: Set time apart to set up your business correctly, but when that is done don’t forget about your product. Make sure your product has got the Bling Bling, fo sho.

I’ve heard the terms “It’s just business” or “Business is Business” over and over again as I’m sure many of you have as well, but I am a firm believer that honor, integrity, and a clean conscious are worth more than any business deal. Going home at the end of the day and being able to sleep well and with a unburdened conscious is invaluable to me.

At the end of your days on this earth what will you be remembered by? I hope I’ll be remembered as a person with honor and integrity. A business man who valued people more than money and advancement. Be careful who you step on to get to the top, because you’ll meet those people again on your way down.

I started the idea for Indiefy about 2 years ago, although it wasn’t Indiefy then and the idea has evolved, but since the idea was conceived I have done all work on it myself. I have not outsourced any programming/design/business work to anyone. This may be a character flaw or blessing, but it is hard for me to work with other people on ideas that I have conceived. Since I am able to do everything needed to get Indiefy off the ground, I find no reason to outsource. There are downfalls to this methodology and that being it has taken me longer to get this idea off the ground being a one man show, but it has also kept things simple. No partners to worry about or employees/contractors to pay.

Bottom line do what works for you and your company. Doing everything yourself may not be the best way to go for you.

Vision, it’s your motivation, it’s your roadmap. Its one of the most important things you will need for success. The level of success with an idea is determined by your vision. Now I’m not talking about literal vision with your eyes, I’m talking about that screenshot of the future in your mind. I believe that most people fail when they lose this.

Vision = Motivation + Roadmap
I am a creative person, but when it comes to keeping that initial motivation from an idea I”m one of the worst. I have no problem coming up with the ideas and creating the vision, but what I do have a problem with is KEEPING that vision. To help myself conquer this weakness I came up with the following steps to keep the vision fresh.

1. Write it down
Get out that legal pad and write down the vision for your idea. Spell it out in big letters! Now this isn”t meant to be the all encompassing detailed spec for your idea, but the general outline of what you want to accomplish. This is what you will need to read over and over again to keep it fresh on your mind. When you are feeling lost or down about your project unfold this piece of paper out of your wallet or purse (or open it on your PDA, however you roll is fine) and read it until you believe it.

2. Talk about it
The way I inspire myself with motivation is to talk about my idea. Go to the coffee shop with some of your friends or go to mom’’s house, either way just talk about your idea to people who you trust and that will listen to you. When you talk about your idea to other people you are also talking to yourself about it. You hear yourself describe your vision and it becomes ingrained into you.

3. Realize that it will take work
Often I will get so excited about my ideas that I map out from start to finish what this service or product could grow into, but then reality sets in. I then realize that I have to get it started first. I have to start doing the dirty work and get something running before the potential of this idea can be fulfilled. Keeping this on your mind from the beginning will prevent that sudden jerk of realization which can really hurt your motivation.

I hope you have enjoyed this and that it will help you with your ideas. Please feel free to leave comments, they are always welcome.