I recently had a conversation with an aspiring entrepreneur. She’s passionate about an idea and has the technical training to execute it. She asked my opinion on various things, which I happily gave. But she still wasn’t quite sure what to do next. I asked, “What’s the single most important thing you can do right now?” She named something. I suggested she start by taking action on that one thing.

As we talked, I thought about my journey as an entrepreneur. Early on, I was full of ideas and didn’t know where to start. When I was working with others, we could talk endlessly. Sometimes the sheer number of possibilities felt paralyzing. Indeed, sometimes I was paralyzed. Over time, I learned that one thing matters: action. It was action that would change a situation. It was action that would turn my vision into a reality. It was action that would separate us from others. At a certain point, I had to stop talking and start doing.

That lesson took me years to learn, but I’m glad I did. Taking action on something, even when the way forward isn’t 100% clear, has been my key to progress. It changed my life.

I’m encouraged by the positive conversations we’re having as a nation about race and police brutality. They’re overdue and they’re helping us gain the understanding of one another that we so badly need. As you have these conversations, consider asking yourself a simple question after each one: “What action am I going to take now?”

Today marks my ninetieth consecutive day of sharing my thoughts in posts. (I previously described how this started.) I recently spoke with a peer about my experience. He’s considering doing it too and wanted to ask me a few questions. By the time we finished chatting, I had had an epiphany: I understand things better when I share my thoughts widely.

I tend to think deeply about things. I try to understand by identifying connections that aren’t obvious. I used to ruminate and perhaps talk with one or two people very close to me. That approach was flawed. It didn’t help me achieve my ultimate goal: understanding.

It was a mistake to not share my thoughts or to do so only with a few like-minded people. I avoided opening up to others with different perspectives who would test my thinking or point out my blind spots (we all have them). I wasn’t really trying to understand, because I wasn’t talking to people who would be likelier to disagree with me. Naturally, I saw things only through the lens of my life experiences. My reality. I would come to understand an issue, or think I did, but since I looked at it only from my own narrow angle, I ended up missing things.

Sharing my thoughts broadly invites feedback. It sparks great conversations—opportunities for me to listen. I get glimpses of other people’s realities. I see things from their angle! I’ve learned that truly understanding something means getting as close as possible to a 360-degree view of it. The more people I talk to who are different from me, the closer I get to that goal.

Sharing my thoughts daily has illuminated all of this. Sometimes my initial thinking is wrong. (Whose isn’t?) When I share my thoughts with the world, I’m inviting others to help me acquire true understanding. Each person bridges a gap in that 360-degree circle.

I didn’t envision understanding things better as a benefit of sharing when I began posting every day, but it is, and I’m thankful for it.

I encourage everyone to share their thoughts more widely. It doesn’t have to be through writing; do it in a way that works for you. When you get feedback, listen. You’ll understand things much better.

This week, I shared some lessons I’ve learned with Startup Summer School attendees. One of the biggest was how important a cofounder is. I started CCAW as a solo founder. Even though it worked out—CCAW was a success—it was painful. Our progress was slower than it could have been and I was stretched super thin. I’ve thought more about why a cofounder is so beneficial. One word sums it up: accountability.

I often hear “not having to report to anyone” and “being my own boss” as top reasons for being an entrepreneur. But the most successful entrepreneurs are accountable to someone: a board of directors, cofounders, investors. Accountability leads to success. No accountability can prevent or slow your success. Why is that?

Accountability means that you’re expected to deliver on commitments by taking action. Others are relying on you. If you don’t deliver, there are clear repercussions for yourself and others. Translation: you can’t do whatever you want, whenever you want.

When you’re accountable to no one, you don’t have to commit. No commitment means no clear repercussions. Translation: you think you can do whatever you want, whenever you want. Entrepreneurship is all about taking action to meet a goal. But when you’re not accountable to anyone, you tend to take action when you want to, not when you need to. Over time, no action or slow action hinders you. And you shortchange yourself and everyone who works for you but doesn’t have the power to hold you accountable.

If you’re starting a company, try not to go it alone. And whatever you’re doing, find a way to make yourself accountable to someone.

Today I had the pleasure of teaching an Atlanta Tech Village (ATV) Startup Summer School course over Zoom. It was the first Intro to Entrepreneurship course. The turnout was great—kudos to the ATV staff for organizing everything.

I enjoyed the experience, and I’m appreciative of the opportunity. Here are some of my takeaways:

• Zoom – It felt weird not seeing the audience as I presented. I wasn’t able to gauge whether it was going well. Based on the questions at the end, I think it did, but I was flying blind before that.
• Gaps – Entrepreneurship is fraught with unknowns. Courses like this one can accelerate your trajectory by filling your knowledge and relational gaps.
• Flashbacks – I was in their shoes years ago, but I’d forgotten how helpful it is when fundamental questions are answered. It connect the dots. Sometimes the little things make a big difference.  I was reminded of my aha! moments as I learned from more experienced entrepreneurs.
• Focus – Preparing the material, I realized how much information is out there for new entrepreneurs. I tried to help them focus on the things that matter most at this early stage.  
• Interest – I was surprised by the number of attendees. Apparently, many people want to become entrepreneurs, which is great.
• Nervousness – I was nervous before I started talking, which felt odd. After a while I settled in and relaxed as I spoke from experience.
• Hindsight – The things I discussed seem simple, looking back, but to new entrepreneurs they feel hard if not impossible. The view is different from the top of the mountain—something to look forward to!

I was pleased with how the course turned out, and I hope the information was useful. Without others helping me early on, I would have failed. With that in mind, I want to continue helping rising entrepreneurs and giving back.  

Startup Summer School is a nine-week bootcamp with weekly courses taught by instructors who volunteer their time. Check out the ATV schedule and sign up if you’re interested.

I’ve been thinking deeply about what’s needed to see us through these troubling times. I shared some things I’ve learned in yesterday’s post. Today, as I sorted through my thoughts, I read a quote that resonated with me:

Try to understand men. If you understand each other you will be kind to each other. Knowing a man well never leads to hate and almost always leads to love.

                                                                ~ John Steinbeck

The best way to understand someone is to listen to them—to not just hear their words, but to pay attention to what they believe and what they feel. When we understand each other, we can relate to each other. When we relate to each other, we can appreciate our differences and love each other. If we don’t listen, or we let their words flow by while we formulate our rebuttal, or we mindlessly dismiss them, we will not understand them (and we will give them no chance to understand us).

So where do we start? No one knows what the solution looks like. That makes it hard to know what to do. As an entrepreneur, I’ve learned the power of taking a step in the right direction even when the path is nearly invisible. Often, I had no idea what I was doing, but I sorted it out as I went along. Always, I kept my eye on the outcome I hoped for. I see our current state of affairs as no different.

If you want to take that first step, here’s my suggestion:

Reach out to someone with a background different than yours—someone with a perspective on life that you might not understand. Ask them if they’re OK and if they want to talk. If they say yes, just listen.

This act is simple but powerful. Anyone can do it. You might be interested in this short video about one person who did it and how it affected the person he struck up a conversation with. If many of us do it, we will open lines of communication that will lead to what we sorely need: an understanding of each other.

Be part of the solution.

As CCAW grew, I had to learn how to lead. It wasn’t always pretty. At times, I was very uncomfortable doing it. Leaders have to make tough decisions. Unpopular decisions. Sometimes you do your best, but you get it wrong anyway. Like all leaders, I experienced self-doubt. Eventually, though, I settled on a style that worked for me.

I’m not lively or outspoken, so being a boisterous leader was out. It just didn’t feel right. But that was OK. I chose to lead by example instead. It’s subtle but powerful, effective, and authentic. I communicated how I envisioned CCAW operating (fairly, respectfully, and ethically) and was deliberate in aligning my behavior with that vision. I tried to hold myself to the same standard that I held everyone else to. I wasn’t special or exempt. The team noticed and followed my lead. They treated everyone they interacted with as they would want to be treated and we became known as a well-run, upstanding organization.

No one is perfect and I’m sure I had my days, but I tried to always be deliberative. Of course, I did make bad decisions sometimes, and here are my takeaways from them:

• Owning it – Acknowledge your mistake quickly. I tried to reflect and share what I learned from a bad decision. I wanted my team to know that it’s OK when things don’t turn out as planned as long as we learn from the situation. They appreciated it.
• Doubling down – I lost my team’s respect when I refused to own a mistake and instead doubled down. Don’t throw good money after bad. Once respect is lost, it’s difficult to regain it. And it’s impossible to win the war if the troops stop following.
• Letting go – Leaders can’t make all the decisions. It’s impossible to know everything about a complex organization. I learned to acknowledge my gaps and defer to others who had more knowledge in specific areas. Empowering people motivates them.
• Listening – Sometimes people just want to be heard. Everyone is entitled to an opinion and their own perspective. It’s OK to disagree with someone, but it’s disrespectful to them when you refuse to listen. And sometimes you learn something by being open to what others have to say.

We can’t expect perfection from anyone. But leaders should hold themselves to a high standard—one that’s at least as high as the one to which they hold their team. If they don’t, their lack of integrity will erode trust and divide the team over time.

What have you learned from your mistakes as a leader?

There’s nothing new under the sun. What happens today is the past with a twist. Think of a remake of a classic movie. Same storyline, new cast, better technology, bigger budget, a few plot tweaks.

Why am I talking about this? Simple . . . knowing it’s true improves the likelihood that I’ll achieve my goals. Being aware of the past improves my decision making at critical junctures. I’m less likely to make fateful decisions at forks in the road that jeopardize what I’m trying to do.

I’ve embraced history more than ever before. It never excited me in school. In fact, I hated it. Now, I enjoy it. It’s a vast trove of experiences to draw upon. The more I learn about history, the more clearly I see the present and understand what I need to do today and in the future.

I think that entrepreneurs should study history—at least the part of it that’s most relevant to them. History is full of great entrepreneurs who built amazing companies. Their stories may not make or break your journey, but they will inform it . . . inspire it . . . add interest to it.

Next time you’re in a difficult situation, consider: “What is this a remake of?”

Founding teams have been on my mind lately. I’m curious about what traits increase their chances of success. I’ve heard many opinions on this, but the Hipster–Hacker–Hustler concept kept coming up. I decided to look into it further. Here’s what I found:

• Hipster – The Hipster focuses on the product being desirable to customers. They think about things like user experience and product design. They tend to be in tune with what’s trendy and cool. They have a unique customer-driven perspective.
• Hacker – The Hacker is the builder. Building new stuff excites them and they can focus intensely on it. They are driven by data and logic. They see the world as black and white and may not have as much charisma.
• Hustler – The Hustler makes sure that things get done. They relate well with people and are persuasive. They can hold people accountable to results, sell to customers, and rally people behind their vision.

I think this is a great template for a founding team. It probably won’t work in all instances, but it’s a good framework to consider.

I’m a Hustler for sure. I’m laser focused on achieving the desired result, enjoy talking with people, and take psychological ownership of what I say I’ll do. As I kid, I convinced neighbors and classmates to become customers. I bootstrapped CCAW from nothing to eight-figure revenue. All by being a Hustler. At times it was painful, but I learned a lot about others and myself. I can see now how a Hipster and Hacker could have added a lot of value and accelerated CCAW’s success.

I encourage rising entrepreneurs to consider the makeup of their founding team. Being a solo founder can work against you. So can having a team of founders with similar expertise and perspectives. Diversity is important and can lead to amazing things!

Over the past year, I’ve become more intentional about helping rising entrepreneurs, mostly in Atlanta. Without the wisdom of seasoned entrepreneurs and the camaraderie of peers, I would’ve failed. So, I’ve been doing more to help others by mentoring, making introductions, etc. After all, I was in their shoes not long ago.

When I started CCAW, there weren’t many resources available to help entrepreneurs in Atlanta, or in the southeast for that matter. Because of the financial crisis the world was in survival mode, so that makes sense. Today there are in-person and virtual accelerators . . . meetups . . . coworking spaces . . . start-up labs. Entrepreneurs don’t know what they don’t know, but they do know they need help. These resources bridge gaps. They do a great job of introducing startup concepts, creating peer groups, and helping entrepreneurs establish relationships with knowledgeable people. Without a doubt, they are a valuable part of the Atlanta ecosystem.

As I’ve worked with more entrepreneurs, though, I’ve noticed that there’s still a chasm. Some capable founders aren’t able to cross it and get to the next critical phase of the journey. They end up in what I call early-stage limbo. Their idea may be great, but they’re unable to acquire customers or get meaningful traction. “Thanks, but what do I do now?” I imagine them asking. They feel stymied, so they revisit the same resources in hopes of jump-starting their business. This usually doesn’t work. The next thing they know, two or three years have passed.

It seems to me that resources are lacking to help entrepreneurs acquire enough traction to transition from early stage (idea or mvp) to product–market fit in Atlanta and other southeastern cities. My thinking on this is preliminary. I’ll try to crystallize it, but I think there’s an opportunity to fill this void and help more founders successfully navigate the entrepreneurial journey.

I’d love to hear your views (good, bad, or ugly) on my observation.

A friend called me once wanting to discuss a business idea. He’d had a successful corporate career for 15 years. He’s smart, resourceful, and a natural leader. I was super excited about getting to hear about the problem he was focused on, his solution, and his perspective on the space. We agreed on a time to chat and I asked him to send me anything I should read beforehand. He asked me to promise, in writing, to keep the idea secret. I talk with a fair number of people who have ideas and I thought this was odd, but I agreed.

We eventually met and I described my experience building CCAW. Early on, I was like him—hesitant to share my idea. I worried it would be stolen, and also I didn’t want to be questioned about it because there were lots of things I couldn’t answer. My reluctance to share hurt me. I didn’t lose customers, but my progress was slower than it could have been.

As I matured and settled into entrepreneurship, I became more confident and knowledgeable through experience. I began to open up and share my ideas with credible people. And I listened to their feedback. The result? My ideas got better and my company flourished.

Ideas are great, but they’re honestly not worth much. Everybody has ideas. It’s ideas that are acted on that are valuable. The hard part is figuring out how to turn an idea into reality—that is, a company.

After sharing my experience with him, I encouraged my friend to talk with as many credible people as possible about his idea. Sure, someone might try to steal it, but the chances of them executing on it and having success were slim to none. On the other hand, it was quite likely that he would fine-tune his idea or be introduced to someone helpful. My big takeaway: The upside to sharing ideas (with credible people) far outweighs the risks. Share your ideas and be open to feedback—even if you don’t like what you’re hearing. The more you do, the better your ideas will become.

How has sharing helped accelerate your progress?