This weekend I announced my move as the new Chief Evangelist for Tracky. It couldn’t have come during a better (and more inspirational time) as I attended Mashable Connect (#mashcon) at Walt Disney World. People have asked WHY I decided to make this move, uproot my family and go “all in” on a Vegas startup.
Thanks to #MashCon, I took away extremely valuable life and business lessons that allow me to communicate my move and, hopefully, share inspiration with other entrepreneurs.
It’s all about the #partyofdavids (as in David v Goliath).
CAVEAT: This was much more eloquently put by the man who reinvented political campaigning, Joe Trippi (@joetrippi).
The #partyofdavids doesn’t only apply to social media and #gov20. Entrepreneurs and startups, in particular, rely on the masses (us little guys) to use their products, platforms and networks. The Davids are the ones getting things done. In fact, it’s one of the essential reasons I decided to join Tracky. The “little guys” are in the trenches. We are building “the next big thing.” We have willpower and determination — and a little bit of crazy — that big guys may no longer have.
When someone says, “Yah, but doesn’t Google do that?” Remember Wave? The biggest don’t always succeed at everything they touch. In addition to the smarts (and some funding) it takes spirit, heart and passion. Next time you’re discouraged think about the #partyofdavids and know that the small, but mighty can (and do) prevail.
The current state of email is broken.
This one is inspired by MakeLoveNotPorn founder, Cindy Gallop (@cindygallop) (otherwise known as the woman who stole the show). She asked the question, “What if a brand solved the problem of email overload for all of us?” It gave me chills when she said it. Why? Because it re-framed the way I think about my new role. That’s what Tracky is DOING. There isn’t a good way to stay on top of it all, manage tasks, create content, respond on social networks, etc… You know the drill. Now it’s my job to get the word out to the #partyofdavids and help solve this problem.
Pass out the slingshots.
The businesses who provide the TOOLS to the #partyofdavids will ultimately win. Not as easy as it sounds. You need to create the tools the masses need (e.g. Apple) the way they want. Once you get the tools in their hands, not only has your business won, but your customers do, too.
The new marketing is complete transparency.
Don’t laugh this one off. If you work somewhere and the thought process is, “be careful what you post online,” you should probably ask yourself why. If you’re completely transparent, you have nothing to fear. I don’t mean to imply you should post trade secrets and internal documents online. This applies to honest online interactions. In fact, this doesn’t ONLY apply to social networks. It gets at the heart of what Tracky does with social collaboration. When you’re all working together on a project in a platform that allows you to get everything done, it eliminates the need for excuses, passing the blame, CYA, etc… Your transparency is the the final product you create and the steps it took to get there.
Disney really is a magical place.
I left Orlando with a sore back (darn you diaper bags) and a reminder of the power of children. Watching Baby K and thousands of other children interact with unabashed glee really did something to the ole ticker. I feel more inspired today than I have in a very long time.
p.s. No, not every post from now on will be about my new career. It just so happens that it’s my FAVE thing right now. We’ll get back to the FAVES format, stat.
