What happens when you don't have a vision : Michael Bay and the Transformers debacle

I wrote this blog a fair while ago - and never published . The timing just didn't seem right.

Transformers : The Last Knight is terrible.

There I said it.  As a die-hard fan (since childhood)  the movie was painful to watch, excruciating to dissect afterwards, and in a last cathartic attempt to get some value out of the dollars spent on a 3D IMAX ticket ... I am throwing down some thoughts and lessons for business owners and entrepreneurs.

I've written a full review which I may never publish, it is so vicious and unrelenting in it's criticism. Yes, that's how much, I , a lifelong fan of the franchise disliked this movie.

The Main Bullet points are this :

  • The editing is shockingly bad
  • The story-line is disjointed, lacking a single coherent narrative
  • The script is so bad, I'd be tempted to say they filmed on Improv Night right after legalising good ole M-J
  • The "Strong Women" ( a la We're so Over the sexist 90's ) are ham-fisted and clumsy.
  • The only female 'baddie' is a sexy-as Great Deceiver. Very telling boys, very telling.

The real question is what this has to do with business owners ?

The business of running a business

The latest transformers is a chilling, and blunt example of what happens when there is no vision at the top ( i.e. from the founders) .

We have a couple of possible scenarios

  • Michael Bay and the Producers had different visions for this movie
  • Michael Bay and the Producers had a vision but didn't communicate it properly
  • Michael Bay didn't have a vision for this movie

In the context of this movie, The Vision would a single compelling story-line.

Whichever of the above are true doesn't really matter much - because the outcome is the same. A big messy movie, with gaping plot holes, terrible editing, horrendously disjointed scenes that don't propel any kind of coherent narrative.

In the world of business - you pretty much have the same deal to get around. Your vision is your internal narrative, from which springs the narrative that feeds and informs your pitch, your marketing, your business stories (you always have multiple stories, especially in sales) - and - the language and tone of your communications, in real human terms, with your clients.

You need to know it.  You need to own it. You need to live it. You need to breathe it.

You also need to coherently, succinctly, repeatedly, and with a great amount of grace and sincerity - communicate that single vision and story to your team members, your clients, your partners, your vendors, and anyone else that comes into your sphere of business.

Yes - you can run a business without giving this vision stuff much thought.

 

Yes, you can make widgets and sell them cheaply, and cut costs and get operational efficiencies --

You can never, however,  achieve the dizzying heights of Facebook, Amazon, Google etc without having, communicating, and inhabiting your vision. Your vision should infest and inhabit every single aspect of your business operations.

So how do you go about this whole process of infesting your business operations with your vision?

2 things really, and they sound so simple. But don't be fooled, they are as difficult to do as they are easy to write.

First up - you need to Be the vision.

This is not the same as telling it. It's not instructing staff on what to parrot back to clients when they ask about service. It's not sticking up signs around the the office saying "Our vision and mission .... ". Although that last one is pretty helpful as an affirmation and lends itself to beautiful social media fodder.

You also cannot hire a consultant to define the vision for you. You can hire a consultant to help you identify it, but they can't do it for you. It's also why your vision absolutely cannot be "Make Money". If your internal narrative is all about money. Well, we know what the world thinks of those types of people.

Making money is a given. Working towards profitability is a given. Unless you're a charity, in which case making money is a necessity,  to sustain the ongoing ability to Do Good.

Every other business needs to make money in order to continue existing. There is nothing unique in that.

You are the vision of your company;  in every word you speak, and every piece of work that leaves your hands. If that is consistent then it will infect and spread through every single bit your business. You can tell people WHY you do things, but if you show them with your actions that it is true; that is so much more powerful and credible.

The second thing is you need to write down HOW you want things done.

In corporate speak - you need to have processes and procedures.

Sounds like an onerous task. Well, it can be if you do it the corporate way. It doesn't have to be.

Once you have settled on a process for something, then write down 3-5 steps of WHAT to do. No more than 5, no less than 3. If you need more steps, it's either too complicated, or more likely, you're jamming in more than one process into a single document.

Take each WHAT step and expand out sub-points of  "how to do this step". Include things like how you want clients to feel, and the tone of voice to use in communications. If you want people to do things the way you would, you need to give them an instruction manual. Otherwise they will do it the best way that they see how, and that may not match the vision of your company.

So there it is.

Be the vision of your company, and show the world your "Why", by your everyday actions. And make sure that vision is trickling down every single damn day so that you are not the next Transformers disaster.


Just Do it ! And test, test, test ....

This is a quick post , being written on a train , at 7:52 am on a Saturday.

Yes - I'm on a train to the city before 8 am on a Saturday morning - welcome to the life of an entrepreneur ! Why I'm on the train , is another story for another post ...

This post is about a wee bit of testing I did recently for the Network Buddy app and service that I am developing.

There are 2 pieces of advice startups and new business owners with new ideas will hear over and over,

The first , is just do it. Get started. Don't wait, don't keep your idea secret and work on it alone, tell everyone and anyone, and get started. Want to know if someone will buy something at a certain price point ... sell it to them.

And the second , is to test, test and test some more. Never stop testing assumptions, never stop testing your idea, and never stop testing the advice you get from people.

And to help you understand how you really and truly can do this , on a shoestring budget, for a new idea in it's infancy - here's a real world example from the life of Steph ( it's like the life of Pi but without the amazing CGI, or a tiger. It's more like the Life of  Brian actually.... )

So about 6 weeks ago ( give or take) I decided to take this idea I had for being a Network Buddy / consulting mentor/ networking helper - and turn it into a scalable tech business .

It didn't just happen by itself, I had several conversations with some amazing women at the Fishburners Female Founders Hackathon in Sydney . And I had several more conversations with lots and lots of people subsequent to that weekend , as I attended every single networking event I could lay my hands on to test the hypothesis.

And here's how it went.

I put up a website , with a landing page - briefly outlined Network Buddy as a service/app to connect people for the purposes of mentoring/buddying each other at Networking events.Thus far , this has cost me nothing but time, and a small fee for shutterstock. I'm using a free AWS micro instance and a wordpress install with a free launch page template

At the first networking event I went to , I had nothing printed with me, I just talked about the idea,and mentioned the website . I had 8 signups in one night.

I then put up a facebook page - and asked the amazing secret society of awesome women that I belong to ( you know who you are *wink wink*) to give me some feedback on the landing page. They did, and it was good constructive feedback . Some even signed up. The page hasn't changed much publicly (mostly because the launch page template I used doesn't lend itself to too much customisation) - but all that awesome feedback has been taken in and will be used for the final release of the website.

Then I attended a networking event which was all about networking. ( duh!) And to that event I took with me pamphlets, which I designed and ran off on my home printer.

Home printed Pamphlets ???

They were not perfect, or professionally printed. But that wasn't the point. I didn't have time ( or the budget) to have 1000 pamphlets printed . I need 30. and this is why.

I printed 2 variations of the pamphlet , so only 15 of each .... they looked the same, but had slightly different content .... I placed them on the table at the entrance to the event in 2 piles , right next each other.

At the end of the event , I had 3 left of option A , and 14 left pf option B . A very definitive result for my test.

Option A - all about finding a Network Buddy, being too shy to introduce yourself , and not knowing where or how to effectively network at an event.

Option B - All about becoming a mentor and the Network Buddy - helping other people to find their feet , and raise money for the charity of your choice at the same time.

 Photo of Homemade pamphlets showing 2 piles with sightly different content
Option B at the top - lots of leftovers
Option A underneath - only 3 left ... much more effective

My theory going in, was that at that specific event, I would likely find a lot of people looking for help and feeling unsure , and probably not more than 1 or 2 Buddy Mentor people.

Knowing this - I have tailored the actual content and design of the brochure to speak to people who need help, and will be sending it off to a graphic designer imminently for that professional touch.

I just received my first batch of 50 business cards -- and have commenced dishing them out to test reactions to the design .... watch out for the results of that test in future posts.

 

 Photo of Network Buddy Business Cards - first draft from and back
The test cards ... (ps I do love them myself)

So - there you have it - for the cost of 30 sheets of A4 paper , printed on a home printer - I established very firmly what type of content and style I needed for my brochure , and I also established a very firm need for the idea as well.

Test, test and test some more -- just do things - don't wait until you have the perfect design or the perfect budget. People will not be able to tell you about something that they cannot see , so if you need to know which content works better, or which image works better , print up something and hand it to people, and watch their reactions . Far more accurate than asking them outright what they prefer or think about your idea or how you should market it.

Rocking Rose  over and out for another day of hustling.


Sixto Rodriguez : life, winning and what success really is.

I think by now, we all know the story of Sixto Rodriguez. A poet, a songwriter with lyrics like Dylan, haunting melodies, infectious music that digs into your soul and never leaves. Forgotten by America, loved, adored and worshipped in South Africa. Or so the Oscar winning Documentary goes.

 

I grew up straddled across the end of apartheid. Half my childhood happened before it ended, and the other half happened in a bright new Rainbow Nation struggling to find its identity without imploding on itself.

Photo of Steph with Family in South Africa in 2015 - picnic venue
My Crazy Family (missing a few peeps who couldn't make it) - this is winning in my book.

For me Rodriguez was, and always will be a superstar. I reckon I could sing the words to “I Wonder” before I could talk in full sentences. My parents loved his music, my grandparents loved his music.

 When children grow up as digital natives, they do not comprehend a world where you have to wait to phone someone for any reason whatsoever, similarly for me, it just never occurred to me that there could be a world, where “Sugarman” was not as big or as popular as any song from the Rolling Stones or Beatles.

So, finally in 2012, when I watched Searching for Sugarman from my home in Melbourne Australia, I was blown away.  I could not immediately and fully process the fact,  that the man I had thought of, and known as a mega-superstar, was completely unknown in his home country until recent years.
I was using my iPad while watching the DVD to google the director and producer of the movie, convinced that this was some elaborate hoax.
And since then, I have watched as he has finally been recognised as an artist in the USA, and across other parts of the world.
I had the opportunity to see him perform live in 2014. And I was not disappointed.
There are no pyrotechnics in his show.  He has none of the trappings of being famous normally associated with musicians his age. He is also a bit frail, and reportedly suffering from eye issues, so had to be escorted onto stage.There are no props, dancers, or any other extra bits normally associated with a live performance.
And yet - it was the best live show I have ever seen. Hands down.
Rodriguez' talent is humble, and great, all at once. He stands on stage, plays his guitar, sings his songs, and for everyone, it is enough. In fact is it more than enough, it is everything.
Rodriguez teaches us, that fame corrupts. That success is a matter of opinion. And what makes us happy, gives us meaning, and fills our souls, is what we should be doing with our days, our lives and our work.
And while it sounds like the enthused ravings of an obsessed fan, just stop and consider the brilliance, sincerity, and timelessness of his music.
He has new fans now, because the album is amazing. Not because we all feel sorry for him. Empathy alone could not translate into sold out shows across the globe. Facebook likes don't pay the bills or fill stadiums.
We will never know how badly disappointed he really was all those years ago, but all of us that have tried and failed know exactly what it is to put your life-blood into something and have it come to nothing.
We all know the heartache of making something that has every bit of our soul poured into it, and then finding out that actually no-one wants it.
So finally – what Rodriguez teaches us,  is about failure. And how it's never the end.
We learn to pivot and be happy, there is always another market, a different space, and sometimes the problem is timing.
So while many people focus the sad and "lost years" of non-fame in the USA. I prefer to ponder the joy of his later years.
No matter what your age, when you pour your soul into creating something, be it music, art, a company, or a product, there is always a small part of you that will find satisfaction in the recognition of your work.
I for one, take heart from Rodriguez, that somewhere, sometime, what I do will matter, and I will make a difference. It will come.

 

In 1971 the USA lost out on a great talent, but it’s never too late for an American Dream apparently, and so, at the “south side of 72” in 2014, Rodriguez has finally won.

My first (failed) business.

I remember very clearly the first business I ever started.

It lasted about 6 hours I think, possibly a bit shorter than that.
I couldn't have been more than 9 or 10, definitely younger than 12 because it was in our first house , the one I was born in, until we moved when I was 12 going on 13.
It was a handmade greeting card business.
Now, I'll be the first to admit that I am not particularly arty. I have lots of creative ideas, but not too skilled in the delivery department. But I knew I could make a mean greeting card, plain and simple, Some birthday messages, congratulations,  even plain cards for your own words.
So, I tinkered around the house, appropriating card stock, cutting it down to size, writing with my koki pens ( that's a texter if you're Aussie) . Drawing and even gluing pictures from magazines on the front of the cards. I even had a range of tasteful, executive postcard sized thank you notes planned for a future expansion of the business.
When I was happy that had sufficient stock, I made a sign, and stuck it on the front gate of our property facing the road.
A couple of hours later. My mother came home from work, and my sign was pulled down. The business was over before it even made its first sale, thanks to Government Interference.
I was gutted. What? My mother couldn't see the benefits of me being financially independent ? I mean seriously. Who would want to do chores for pocket money, when I could have my own business ? The earning potential far outstripped my pocket money, which was ( in my mind ) limited by my parents willingness to part with their Rands.
In hindsight, and knowing that I grew up in the middle of the demise of apartheid, my mothers actions make sense. A little girl alone at home for a couple of hours after school, it's not the place you want to be inviting strangers in.
As I have grown in my various jobs and career path, I also see very clearly that I have always had that independent, I'll do it my way attitude. Thankfully it has not been conditioned out of me along the way.
And I have learned over the years to focus on what I am good at, instead of any random idea that might work, if only I was able to deliver the product.
If I had to give my 9 year old self any advice today, I'd tell her to rope in her arty friends to make the cards, buy them wholesale ( at a fair price) and sell them into the wealthier suburbs of Johannesburg for a good markup, get a table at one of the markets.
To any parents reading this blog :  Take heed - when your child starts making up a business, be involved,  and guide them in the market forces that surround your home. And be happy, because a 9 year old entrepreneur is inevitably going to grow up to do great things in their own life, if not the world around them as well.
Most importantly let them fail, if the idea is bad, or they have gaps in their abilities. Failure is a vitally important lesson in the entrepreneurial journey, and the sooner they learn to deal with the disappointment of not having an immediate success, the more resilient and the less entitled they will be as adults.