Recent Thoughts: Motivation

The Heart of the Entrepreneur

Written on February 9, 2011 at 6:24 pm, by wills

“In point of fact the three actions of perceiving, determining, and responding were sequential; but so infinitesimal were the intervals of time between them that they appeared simultaneous.” – Jack London describing Buck, “Call of the Wild”

This constant call and preparedness for action reminds me of what I see at the core of successful entrepreneurs; a hardened mindset that assumes roadblocks and obstacles ahead as a given; an attitude that wastes little time dwelling on or becoming frustrated by the size of the problem that surfaces; and a preparedness for problem-solving and adaptability that makes the development process look fluid and constantly advancing.

Evolving Motivations; Valuing Talent and Fostering Engagement

Written on January 6, 2011 at 8:44 pm, by wills

Patient capital (Acumen Fund), crowd-sourcing (Kickstarter), socially-focused businesses (TOMS), new avenues for volunteerism (Catchafire), ‘B’ Corporations, forums and message boards with volumes of free and constantly updating content making you your own expert (Hacker News, StackOverflow, Everything Longboarding), university-quality blogs and educational tools (SteveBlank, AVC, Khan Academy)… There is an undeniable evolution taking place affecting what talented people feel motivated to do.