Reflections - Getting Things Right From The Start

00:00:10: When we look back, we've been through quite a few startup journeys separately altogether.

00:00:17: And when you look back at all the things that you would hope you would learn is one of those thingy how do really ought to get right in the beginning and which things can pivot muddle-through and figure out?

00:00:33: You know what I think about most important enough of a core team that has really strong cohesion, variety of skills and is sort of committed to the capitalist venture.

00:00:53: You know they're not in it for salary.

00:00:54: you know there's a core group of people who are on the same mission yeah and sharing the same but I think that's really important.

00:01:02: And to me funding and cash runway making sure That you know what time your gonna give this business.

00:01:11: You're managing your cash runway to make sure you can take that time and, um... That you don't end up just running out of time basically with something they could have worked but he didn't manage.

00:01:21: I'd say those are two other things.

00:01:23: And then KPIs collecting data.

00:01:26: even if we don't need the data now later We should be collecting it.

00:01:30: in terms Of having a standard sort of table of the data you gonna need To have As i said going back and collecting retrospectively,

00:01:41: very difficult.

00:01:42: So that would be my answer but I have a very strong hunch.

00:01:46: you're going to cover this from quite different angles so i'm interested here.

00:01:49: yeah well

00:01:51: I certainly wouldn't disagree with any of those things.

00:01:54: uh those feel like absolute fundamentals But where my mind would go too um as well having maybe coming through it this time around sort of the things that I was thinking about really deliberately is that anything you don't make a decision on yourself, you're leaving to chance.

00:02:16: And when your young and naive in doing things for the first time maybe

00:02:21: as

00:02:21: we once were I mean as we remained but You would hope As you go through this world you learn enough To say ah there's a clue how it might have done better had i known more.

00:02:34: or When you learned about this particular subject.

00:02:37: And I think one of the key things we did at the start, this business was thinking about what are things that we could start and do well early rather than leaving to total charts.

00:02:49: Those were things where you'd taken lessons from in a first-business or earlier businesses.

00:02:54: So a key would be values.

00:02:56: on culture.

00:02:57: From the crew The First Business with Chris We had moment where values and culture became a very important thing to think about.

00:03:12: Because of a misadventure along the way?

00:03:14: Yeah, a mis-adventured, misalignment... And I think even back then that learning there was.

00:03:22: The quotes were being banded around said do your value stuff when you're at fifty people.

00:03:27: But my friend who educated me said well if he did it at fifty why wouldn't you do five?

00:03:34: So then the question is, well why wouldn't you do it at one?

00:03:36: And I think that's kind of how we've ended up applying some of this right.

00:03:40: The earlier you start that thinking.

00:03:42: so values and culture... That's something that we discussed before even have an idea what would build It easier because i had a working relationship with Chris.

00:03:52: We are in work way understanding.

00:03:54: but when comes down to practical and operational documentation and structuring and conceptual capturing ideas and defining those things.

00:04:07: In code, there's an idea of using the same terminology in the code as a customer uses all way through the product to this is one first thing I wrote down into such principles design principles that we would apply encode work.

00:04:21: it's a discipline To do it.

00:04:23: well i remember these sorts of things being talked about my university education but not really understand the importance just glazing over And then only later years actually understanding of having that stuff nailed down.

00:04:37: And actually by doing that, it means that when I'm discussing a particular concept or idea throughout the business... ...I know we're all aligned on this.

00:04:47: There's not six different ways to describe saying the same thing.

00:04:50: Yeah So That would be.

00:04:52: one of major operational differences is that.. ..I've tried document from very early-on and be conceptually clear because It saves lots of discussion points around things that are needless expenditures, of energy trying to come to a decision.

00:05:14: That really one person could have made because they just knew well we'll get halfway there by making the choice.

00:05:21: There's an enormous amount of diversionary energy goes into sorting out sales deals which you and Chris would be like.

00:05:32: why is this... this person think, This is the kind of deal we want.

00:05:36: But somehow they've allowed themselves to think that and it's just an example.

00:05:40: or somebody who spent months coming up with this prototype for something.

00:05:43: you'll look at each other.

00:05:44: so Who asked me where I come from?

00:05:45: but They Just thought It was a great thing To do.

00:05:48: So.

00:05:49: i Think An enormous amount of Diversionary energy gets Spent dealing With those That kind Of stuff in Small Businesses.

00:05:57: What I've said so far Is The values And Culture Really Determining At The Beginning The concepts, the conceptual framework of the business.

00:06:06: Things that either aren't going to change or you're gonna be very reluctant to change them and they'll change very slowly.

00:06:12: And then the documentation.

00:06:13: so there's some... The room for doubt and confusion is much slower here.

00:06:18: anything we want add?

00:06:22: Not in addition but I think my thinking on this stuff was formed reading books like Great by Choice.

00:06:32: Jim Collins talks a lot about operational frameworks and I think i'm naturally disposed to think about documenting.

00:06:39: but in the world actually, this is maybe really sadient modern point.

00:06:47: context is key.

00:06:50: So if you've done a great job of doing your thinking up front and capturing it suddenly its massive unlock for you at that moment where somebody says can we have system flat?

00:07:02: because you've already done the thinking.

00:07:03: Yeah, and if I could just wrap up with one of Stephen Covey's quotes about these highly effective people they do things that need to be done on their iPhone.

00:07:16: yes maybe it is one for

00:07:21: many.