Big Red Car here, following the unending saga of Elon Musk of Tesla fame and his continuing dialog with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission.
“Just want to [say] that the Shortseller Enrichment Commission is doing incredible work. And the name change is so on point!” Tweeted by Elon Musk.
Is this the smart play?
Elon Musk taking a toke to release his inhibitions?
Jack Dorsey is an American entrepreneur who co-founded Twitter and Square.
Sun is just coming up over Austin By God Texas, delivering on the promise of another spectacular sunny, summer masterpiece, y’all. On Earth as it is in Texas!
From time to time, there are those who have taken issue with Jack Dorsey’s dual roles as CEO of both Twitter and Square. Hard to believe, actually, but let’s take a look at the most important report card – RESULTS.
Name’s Jack, Jack Dorsey, and I co-founded Twitter and Square. Now, I’m the CEO of both of them. You have a problem with that?
[This is a guy named by 24/7 Wall Street in 2017 as one of the Worst CEOs in America, following on the heels of Fox News similarly picking him as the #4 Worst CEO of 2016. TechCrunch picked him as the Founder of the Year 2012. More importantly, Forbes picked him as the World’s Most Eligible Bachelor 2013. Guy’s been on a roll!]
Facts are nice things. Not as nice as a root beer float, but nice.
Big Red Car here on a cool Texas morning with the Fahrenheit set at 72. Hello, Fall!
So, I am in the midst of helping a bunch of CEOs either craft their first crack at strategy or to revise something they did some time ago.
Writing strategy is an exercise in storytelling. It is fiction. It is the future and all writing about the future is fiction. It is fiction you intend to make come true, but it is still fiction.
It is, however, based on facts.
Entrepreneurial energy, Big Red Car? What is that?
Stay with me, beloved readers, all in due time.
Big Red Car here in the ATX in the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey — son-of-a-bitch. Fifty inches of rain?
Lots of leaves in the swimming pool, lot of rain, trees down in the hood, the ATX endured nothing compared to the Coast and Houston. God bless Port A, Rockport, Corpus Christi, Houston. It will be a long recovery, but this is Texas and Texas will recover.
I particularly want to compliment Mayor Turner of Houston (all mayors), Governor Abbott, President Trump, the Texas National Guard, the Cajun Navy, and everyone who got wet in Houston serving their fellow man. Y’all are what makes Texas Texas.
Good luck, Godspeed, God bless Texas!
So, entrepreneurial energy, what is it?
Today, we talk RISK, y’all. It is a four letter word and it can be profane, if you let it.
Big Red Car here on a sunny, Texas day which will give rise to a 103F temperature during which the BRC will be hanging in the pool, floating.
OK, so today we talk about risk. Risk is what drives startups. When you overcome a risk, you wander into the Winner’s Circle and collect your winnings at the mythical PAYWINDOW.
But, what is risk? Risk is different to different people. If you are a green, first time founder/CEO, then everything is risky after you have tied your shoes (the reason why new CEOs should wear slip-ons).
If you are a fifth time, serial entrepreneur, then your view of risk is different.
Razors, Big Red Car?
OK, Big Red Car here talking about when a successful small company competing with a bigger company attracts the attention of the bigger company and the bigger company takes action.
Big Red Car, what are you talking about?
OK, it’s about the razor business and entails three companies:
1. Dollar Shave Club (first mover in the space) — razor blade subscription service;
1. Harrys (with Warby Parker vibe) — makes their blades in Germany where they own a factory; and,
3. Gillette — which just re-launched its own subscription blade service, Gillette On Demand. Gillette is the “bigger company” of which we spoke. [Cue the ominous, dark, Darth Vader music in the background. Please.]
Each company is a little different, but at the end of the day (cliche alert) they want to get you to join a “club” so they can sell you razor blades. They will almost give you the razor itself if you will just become a faithful purchaser of their subscription based blades.
There are others in the subscription razor business, but these are the big three, y’all.
Big Red Car here, y’all, talking risk, fear, slavery and other deep stuff.
So, entrepreneurial endeavor is a risky business by its very definition, no?
When an entrepreneur faces risk, she will generate some resultant fear. Perfectly normal. Sorry.
That fear is pervasive. Never takes a vacation and lives in her brain like an African safari worm.
So, what does one do, Big Red Car?
Big Red Car here on a sunny SXSW Tuesday in the ATX. On Earth as it is in Texas. No sign of snow, but it’s early.
So, the world is divided into three basic camps:
1. Entrepreneurs and founders — consumers of capital
2. Funders of all kinds — angel investors, venture capitalists, friends & family
3. Ballerinas & poets — folks who are not in the startup world and are gloriously happier in their ignorance of it
Each understandably has a unique point of view depending which role they undertake. Forget about the ballerinas & poets for this discussion.
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