A few days ago someone compared our trajectory to that of an old fashion popcorn popping experience.
Popping popcorn the old fashion way consisted of dumping the kernels in the pot, turning on the stove and waiting, waiting some more and waiting a little bit more. Just when you waited so long that you felt like it was time to just do without popcorn, you hear a pop, and then another, and another and another, until the entire kitchen comes alive with popping sounds.
I think it is the perfect analogy for a start-up. You put in so much time into getting the business ready, and aside from a few very lucky companies, results don’t happen soon or fast afterwards. Rather you wait, and you keep chugging along, until you cant wait any longer, and all of a sudden one good thing happens, followed by another, which leads to another, and before you know it things have picked up.
So if you are just starting or thinking of starting a business, bear in mind that the road will require patience. If you are already in the game and nothing seems to be working initially, don’t give up, it never happens right away. And if you are hearing popping all around you, congratulations, there is no greater feeling in the world!
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September 3rd, 2006 at 2:57 pm
[…] I love this analogy, from Start-up CEO. Popping popcorn the old fashion way consisted of dumping the kernels in the pot, turning on the stove and waiting, waiting some more and waiting a little bit more. Just when you waited so long that you felt like it was time to just do without popcorn, you hear a pop, and then another, and another and another, until the entire kitchen comes alive with popping sounds. […]
September 4th, 2006 at 3:36 pm
I agree, this is a great analogy … mind if I steal it and pass it on to my clients?
Another part of skillful leadership as a marketer is to know how long and at what temperature the pot should be. Also, to understand before you start cooking that there will be some kernels left over at the end that are simply never going to pop and that isn’t necessarily anyone’s fault.
Isn’t Labor Day supposed to be a day off?
Or is that just for our employees ….