Desperately Seeking Self-Inspired Salvation?

I must be honest. I cannot recall when or where I read the meat of this post. Or who wrote it. Only that he/she/they inspired me enough to feel the need to pay them forward.


So for all you entrepreneurs out there, and anyone else Desperately Seeking Self-Inspired Salvation, the following 16 questions were written (by someone clearly with their finger pressed firmly on the aorta of life right now) as an alternative to getting clarity and conviction on any new business venture your might cooking up. 

1. Who are you trying to please?
2. Are you trying to make a living, make a difference, or leave a legacy?
3. How will the world be different when you've succeeded?
4. Is it more important to add new customers or to increase your interactions with existing ones?
5. Do you want a team? How big? (I know, that's two questions)
6. Would you rather have an open-ended project that's never done, or one where you hit natural end points? (How high is high enough?)
7. Are you prepared to actively sell your stuff, or are you expecting that buyers will walk in the door and ask for it?
8. Which: to invent a category or to be just like Bob/Sue, but better?
9. If you take someone else's investment, are you prepared to sell out to pay it back?
10. Are you done personally growing, or is this project going to force you to change and develop yourself?
11. Choose: teach and lead and challenge your customers, or do what they ask...
12. How long can you wait before it feels as though you're succeeding?
13. Is perfect important? (Do you feel the need to fail privately, not in public?)
14. Do you want your customers to know each other (a tribe) or is it better they be anonymous and separate?
15. How close to failure, wipe out and humiliation are you willing to fly? (And while we're on the topic, how open to criticism are you willing to be?)
16. What does busy look like?

Very cool. I for one, have them printed and posted up by my desk. They teach as well as shape. And avoid too much wanton sprinting into visceral and fad charged dead ends.

Be well. & Good things

CB