It’s good to stand for something in life and in our start ups.
We hate hummers at rentoid.com
We’re happy to offend hummer lovers. We don’t care. We don’t have to.
We’ve also created a conversation.
Category: startups
Why people hate banks
People hate banks for lots of reasons. Too many to mention here. But here’s one: They pretend to care.
Why shock, horror; I actually had a pleasurable banking experience.
Upon opening a couple of business accounts at the Bank of Queensland in Yarraville and the staff actually did care. We even shared a joke or two.
The clincher was with a simple statement: When asked how many monthly transactions I’d need at the branch and I replied with I’ll do it all on the net, they replied;
“That’s a shame, we’d like to see you come in. Remember we’re here if you ever need help or want to come in and discuss any issues.”
It wasn’t corporate training speak either. The body language and tone told me it was real. We humans can sense these things. Funny how the things that cost nothing, add the most.
If any local business colleagues ask me about banking, guess where I’ll send them?
Ego
I recently bought the book below. I have read this book before, and yet I felt the need to purchase it and add it to my library.
Yes, I will read it again, but that’s not why I purchased it. In fact it was a $50 impulse purchase.
On close inspection of the photo above you’ll notice this hardcover version of the book has beautiful embossing and a soft silken fabric cover. It’s tactile and premium. This book was an ‘ego’ purchase.
We normally associate ego purchases with items which are on display: Fast cars, haute couture clothing, funky sunglasses, golf clubs, Euro design kitchens and bathrooms, flying first class et al. Places where our consumption choices are on display. However, The Prince by Machiavelli will not be on display – only in my house and head.
The lesson for start ups is this: Our ego can be leveraged in any category. Even boring stuff like books. We’ll often pay more (which I did, more than double) because our ego isn’t an external thing, ego is about self importance, whatever that means to us.
Let’s hope
That if we achieve our startup dreams. Our legacy is far greater than conspicuous consumption or a large trust fund for our kids.
If you make bank, don’t become a jerk or ruin your kids.
Failure = Success
The choice between opinions & objectives
Our experiences shape our views. Maybe even define us as a person.
We have opinions.
Occasionally these opinions might hold us back from the ‘discovery process’. The process which leads us to our objectives being achieved.
When our opinions conflict with our objectives we must choose. Choose which of the two is more important to us. Do we want to hold onto our opinions, or achieve our objectives?
It’s rarely a simple choice. Often one of ethics. Sometimes one of admitting fault, changing direction, making mistakes, or possibly stepping on others. There is no right answer, just an internal choice.
A starting point may be taking the course that will help us sleep at night when we’re 84.
As seen on (TV) Google
As seen on TV Google…
Back in the halcyon days of the TV industrial complex, an oft used selling point was the fact that something was actually on TV.
The thinking went something like this:
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TV advertising is expensive
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They (brand X) are advertising on TV
- They have the money to make this investment
- So people must be buying this product
- This product must be good
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I will buy this product
It built a sense of trust. Trust that evolved from assumed scale.
Guess what? It’s back! Only this time it’s ‘as seen on front page of Google’.
The new thinking isn’t too different:
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Google knows everything on the web
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It’s on the front page of Google
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Google has done the sorting for me
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Lots of people must be using this site
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Lots of sites must be linked to it
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I can buy from (trust) this website
The cool thing about this for start ups, is that it really only takes an investment in time and thinking to get there. Not a big media buy.