There’s been a lot of conversation about Steve Jobs passing on the ex-NeXT email list (the former employees of NeXT Computer, Inc.).  I shared the following perspective in response to Steve sometimes being a harsh person to deal with. I think that in some ways, this harsh background was part of my training ground for being an entrepreneur.  Given that this perspective has been helpful for me, I repost this set of thoughts here to thank my teachers, whether they were on the martial arts mat, or in the office.

——–

I’d like to share a whole different perspective- maybe that will be useful.

A handful of us that worked for Steve Jobs in the past were quoted in this article at Mashable.com

I have great gratitude for the opportunity to work with Steve and everyone else at NeXT Computer from 1989-1993.  Thank you Steve for instilling in me the belief that a small group of us can change the world for the better.

For more info see these post:

Prelaunch of a network of entrepreneurs in Antofagasta (in Spanish)

A report of tonight’s activities with support from Leonardo Maldonado, Estuardo Robles, Bijoy Goswami, and Steve Golab

You might know of the work that I started in Chile in 2003 – which was to become the basis of Tech Ranch Austin- the “Enterprise Teaming” (trademark!) framework that I originally took to Chile so many years ago.  Well the Tech Ranch Austin has been growing, and we’re starting to duplicate this framework and our more polished insight back to Chile. Last year, I was in Antofagasta, Chile for the launch of Region Fertil- a project that has been started to invigorate innovation and entrepreneurship in Antofagasta.  I’ll be working with my colleagues from G&L and Gulliver- and am looking forward to seeing many of my friends in Chile.

Given as we’ve been unpacking at the new Tech Ranch Austin (we moved a few weeks ago) and we launched the Austin Startup Bazaar with 30 startups presenting, and over 350 people in attendance, I am getting this info out late about my travel plans, so I’d figure I’d share it directly here – for coordination purposes.  Here’s generally my schedule- let me know via twitter, email, or US phone or Chilean phone at +56.9.9.871.5077 to coordinate getting together while I am in Chile.

Sep 25th: Sunday Austin – Santiago

Sep 26th: Monday Meetings in Santiago

Sep 27th: Tuesday Santiago – Antofagasta- Meetings in Antofagasta

Sep 28th: Wednesday Antofagasta

Sep 29th: Thursday Antofagasta – Santiago

Sep 30th: Friday Meetings in Santiago

Oct 1st: Saturday Fun around Santiago

Oct 2nd: Santiago flying out in the evening

Oct 3rd: return to Austin in the morning

What are we working on? We’ll be following up on building teaming opportunities between networks of entrepreneurs both in Antofagasta, Santiago, and Austin.  (We’ll be showing off some of our results at SXSW2012 by the way).  Here’s to strengthening entrepreneurship by working together.  I’m excited to return to Chile, for that’s where this whole process began for me.

In the workplace as in many parts of life, I have found that there’s a simple distinction that guides what I tell many a new entrepreneur into their first startup.  This distinction is conformity versus discipline.  Being an employee requires that the individual conforms to someone else’s directions. Day by day activities are directed by someone else.  Results are beget from following structures set up by someone else… and at the end of the day, or a 40 hour workweek, many times the employee may step away from work, leaving behind whatever results have been achieved, and thinking about other things.

The entrepreneur has a different scenario.  Many times there are no structures that have been set up by anyone else, requiring the entrepreneur to set them up.  It takes discipline to set the directions that a startup will go. It takes discipline to get up in the morning, especially when demotivated because of present results, to go at it again. It takes discipline at the end of the day to somehow quiet the voices of undone task, doing one’s best to mentally walk away from work that needs to be completed for that day’s rest. It takes discipline to not allow success to go to one’s head, but instead, maintain a humble approach that keeps the entrepreneur’s eyes open for the next opportunity, or the next threat.

Either way, choosing the path of conformity or discipline, there is a choice that must be made, and a willingness to pay the price of that choice.

One of the biggest issue that every entrepreneur must face is dealing with the “down” times… times when something (possibly) negative has happened, that distracts him/her from the key objective that they were focused on, to dealing with the unexpected.

The recent Tech Ranch Move, which was unexpected, is exactly that.

Yes, we had a year extension on our lease. We’d negotiated so that it was possible to keep our present location (which was not perfect for us by any means, because of many limitations) for at least a year longer.  Then we were told that the group that we were subleasing from had their lease terminated.

It was “tragic” and “distracting” and many other words.  It was ill timed. Not what I wanted to focus on. Yet now, on the eve of signing a new lease, I see it as a gift.  Perhaps some greater consciousness (or whatever) telling me to “grow the Tech Ranch Austin” up.  It was time.

The present location that we’re at was not working for the Tech Ranch Austin for quite a while. We’d have Campfires of 65 people that just did not work at our present location.  The AC didn’t work good enough.  Everyone was cramped.  And it was  a hard location to find.

But at this point, before I announce the new location, I can tell you, the process of being forced to focus on something that I really was not ready to focus on has been a net positive.  We’re moving, and no matter which of the locations that we pick to move to, we’re going to be moving to a better place.  A place that we’re going to be able to handle our mission so much better than before.  Each location that is on the top 3 locations is massively better than where we’re at now.  What’s so interesting is how blind to how much better it could be that I was.

So as I write this, I say “Lemons, meet lemonade”.  Life’s lessons in entrepreneurship have taught me that “change” is not so simple as “good” or “bad”.  I am thankful for the help that you’ve all given to me as I’ve looked to finding the next Ranch location.  All I can say at this point is that I am excited, for it is looking very good.

It is through the community that the faithless have become the faithful. Thank you for your support! (and thanks for continuing to make our mission possible!)

Interesting to read the following article- given that so many young entrepreneurs get press for high flying Internet startups- but quietly in the background older entrepreneurs are building high growth, heavy innovation startups.  See the following for details:

According to the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor, people over the age of 35 made up 80 percent of the total entrepreneurship activity in 2009. That same year, the Kauffman Foundation conducted a survey of 549 startups operating in “high-growth” industries — including aerospace, defense, health care, and computer and electronics — and found that people over 55 are nearly twice as likely to launch startups in these industries.

via People Over 35 Have Recently Launched 80% Of Startups.

The following article talks about how certain entrepreneurs affect how “lucky” they are in business success.  Its a really interesting read, with a simple meditation (see the quote below).

They are the people who say to themselves: I am humble enough to say I don't know how to make better/perfect happen on my own; I am curious and courageous enough to ask questions that might help make something closer to perfect; and finally I embrace the “glass half-full” optimism that the end result can always be improved, so let me act towards that objective.

via Why Some People Have More Luck Than Others.

May we all learn to create luck in our startups.

• Solve a Customer’s Real Problem: one that actually exist:  ”If you can’t see what John Brown needs through John Brown’s eyes, you can’t sell what John Brown buys”.
• Constantly Question and Modify Plans
• Hire the Best. one can never have too much talent.  you can only make 10-15 decisions a day. hire the right people to make more.
• Hire an Experienced Management Team. There’s no time for “learning on the job”.
• Stay Focused. It’s too easy to stray.
• Learn Something New Every Day….. your competitor is…  What did you learn today?
• Ultimately, You Must Make a Dollar.  Sooner is better than later.
• Build and Protect your Reputation…  you will be considered for many opportunities and never know it. Executive intelligence: cultivate it.
• Good Communications Skills: this will raise your chances of success. Listening is as important as talking (its not just about speaking). Get out of your office… and do “Walkabouts”.  Manager meetings on Monday 7:30 am. What happened last week? What happens this week? Now go communicate this to the rest of the company?  Listen to the unspoken.
• Great Company Culture.  This will solve attrition and retention issues. You can not create it, you must have it evolve.  Create risk compensation plans for all. Develop your own “bell” [e.g. for ringing when there's a sale].  Create an opportunity where people get to contribute beyond their direct responsibilities.
• Leadership…. the glue that holds it together.  Camelot Rules: “we’re in this together”. Situational Leadership Rules- don’t treat people all the same- they’re all different.
• Being Lucky Helps. Where opportunity means preparation.
• Successful business leaders recognize opportunities, pursue the right ones, overcome obstacles, manage potential risk.  People don’t trip on mountains, they trip on small rocks.

Great event today, and great closing keynote, with great wisdom.  Glad to get to participate today.

Many have asked me what’s brought me to Chile this time.  As I sit here in Antofagasta, Chile, I wanted to share this recent New York Times article that frames in the discussion.  Power in the 21st century is about networks. Over the next 10 years.  The individuals, companies, and nations that have the strongest networks will define the age.  Its critical to continually build these networks. I am in Chile to assist entrepreneurs in Austin, Antofagasta, and Santiago to connect, create strong relationships, and do business with each other… and through this, transform each location.

Opportunities come from all over the world.  In my business, I’ve known this since I started my first company, for my “first dollar earned” was actually a peso from Mexico.  As we forge and create into the future, the world we’re building as entrepreneurs will be about being connected together. Its not just a naive vision of the future, its good business, especially given that $40 billion will be invested in Antofagasta over the next 10 years.

Over the last few days I have come to believe that the system is broken.

Some of you know that I was assaulted last February 2009. The last year and a half has been a healing experience for me. Its also taught me to be patient as I thought the court system would move forward with bringing my attackers to justice. Today, and over the last few days, I’ve come to realize, though, how the court system is broken.

Here’s the story:  on June 21, 2010, one year and four months later, I was witness to a car wreck. A young girl ran her Honda into the back of a truck at the intersection of Andersen and Mopac.  I was the first on the scene; called 911, and spent some time with her, trying to calm her nerves as well as help stop some of the bleeding.  It was a graphic situation, so much so that I wrote a thought about it here, not knowing what else to do to express what had happened. Other than the girl’s injuries, no one else was injured.

Its four months later, and the Travis County Courthouse has called me in with a subpoena requesting that I be present at her court case as a witness to what happened.  Here’s the rub: how is it that the courts can get to a DWI case so quickly, when there’s a criminal assault case, with four attackers, including one that’s already been detained by the police that’s now over one year eight months old?  How is it that our Travis County Court can pursue the DWI case on a young woman (that I don’t know if she was intoxicated or not, but I see no previous criminal intent on her part) yet the system has not aggressively pursued the gang that had criminal intent?

Some photos that you might not want to see for they are graphic.

Self photo after the attack.

Photo after surgery.

APD knows who the attackers are; they stopped one of them, yet let him go.

(The attending physician at Breckenridge said that the cut and bone fracture on my nose happened because I was hit with a piece of metal- brass knuckles or a ring).  Its important to share as well- I’ve not been reimbursed yet for my medical expenses, and I am still chasing this down as well through a very slow State of Texas system. (By law, criminal victims are entitled to be reimbursed for medical expenses while the Court pursues the criminals).

Thankfully I was able to walk away from the attack. With the lack of the Court’s actions, though, you have to ask yourself who this gang has since attacked, and why is it that the Court has not aggressively pursued criminals while it has time to pursue a young woman that didn’t have criminal intent.

“Without justice, there can be no peace. He who passively accepts evil is as much involved in it as he who helps to perpetrate it.” Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

It doesn’t take much time to profoundly impact science and the world.  Dr. Konstantin Novoselov devoted 10% of his time to “crazy things that probably won’t pan out”. One of these experiments did… that he’s now being recognized with the Nobel Prize.

The style of Geims lab which Im keeping and supporting up to now is that we devote ten percent of our time to so-called “Friday evening” experiments. I just do all kinds of crazy things that probably won’t pan out at all, but if they do, it would be really surprising. Geim did frog levitation as one of these experiments, and then we did gecko tape together.

via Konstantin Novoselov Interview – Special Topic of Graphene – ScienceWatch.com.

Its hard to ever know how seeds once planted will grow.

This and next week represent an exciting reconnection of my work with Chile.  For context, in 2003, I took an early version of what was to become the blueprint of Tech Ranch Austin to Chile.  I was convinced that I needed to open the next door of my life, in not just starting yet another tech startup, but instead, starting a platform, some might say a revolution , of startups working together.

Its exciting to see how these seeds have grown. Two really quick areas that I’ll mention here.  This next Thursday, Paige Brown, Founder and CEO of Tripeezy heads to Chile, as one of the winners of Startup Chile.  Startup Chile is a program where the government of Chile is investing money in her startup.

Secondly, three executives are coming from Chile- two from Antofagasta- where the major copper mines of the world area, and another long term colleague and friend coming from Santiago.  We’ll be talking about specific technologies that the executives from Antofagasta are looking for.  Moreover, we will explore ways to shape the innovation culture of Antofagasta in specific, and Chile more generally.

I am excited because the work that originally took me to Chile, including perhaps the simple concepts, and my naive understanding of these concepts and my work has now blossomed into a much bigger opportunity that includes many businesses and early stage entrepreneurs.  Feeling like a proto-entrepreneur for the Startup Chile program (before there was a program years ago) its exciting to see doors open where there were once walls and a bunch of dreams.

Entrepreneurs…. this is a call as a reminder… there’s no small game to play with regard to being an entrepreneur.  I’ve often been told of the following quote from Marianne Williamson (often attributed to Nelson Mandela) where Marianne tells us flat out to stop playing a small game.  In the words of a spiritual butt-kicking, here’s her quote.

Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won’t feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It’s not just in some of us; it’s in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.

Now there’s another side to this… and anyone that’s been a successful, reflective entrepreneur knows that this is true.  There’s no place to hide when it comes to not playing small.  Whether or not you get the spiritual side to this quote above, there’s the cold hard facts, in a business context, that if its to be, its up to you, the entrepreneur.

Building a business, or a socially focused non-profit, or whatever your venture might be… there’s no place to hide whether or not you get there.  I’ve often thought that this could be a perceived downside to the quote above.  Marianne is calling us to a higher level… yet, if an entrepreneur doesn’t make it to his / her goals, there’s a litany of reasons that they did not make it… but the buck stops with the entrepreneur.

Listen to Marianne. Reach for the skies.  Pull out all of the stops.  Your playing small does not serve the world.  And realize that if you make it, or not, is your responsibility.  Show your light. Don’t hide it. Be willing to risk not making it.  Be willing to be responsible for whatever happens, good, bad, or ugly.  Once you’ve felt the power of the stretch feeling of going for it, then and only then will you understand as well the power of being responsible for making things happen. And once you’ve felt this feeling, you’ll be drawn to turn your light on even brighter.

A recent discussion around the Bootstrap Austin Network is worthy of sharing here, for it rings true for every entrepreneur trying to make a difference through his/her venture.  An entrepreneur was contemplating legal action on an issue that was not core to his business.  Several entrepreneurs got into the discussion. Barry Thorton, founder of Clear Cube and several other successful companies, admonished though to “keep your eye on the Prize”.  Be true to the core of the business you’re building, and blow off all other issues that are not core to the business (especially in the case of considering legal action on something that did not protect the core of the business).  Here’s a small excerpt from his statement:

This story of yours suggests that you have guided yourself far afield from your business.

I always push the MLK saying  “Keep your eye on the Prize”.

I would suggest that you have drifted far from that Prize and you are now asking others time to join you in that pursuit.

You know what your Prize is, you have been pursuing it for years.

Does this seriously threaten that Prize?

How much time have you spent on this and how has it gotten you closer to the Prize?

Relax, tend your field, it is your Prize.  Don’t get distracted, it will only cause pain.

Good luck, Barry

I think that many of us as entrepreneurs, as we are passionately slaving towards a goal, loose sight of the prize that we’re working towards.  As an example, around the Tech Ranch Austin, recently I recognized that one of our entrepreneurs, who is passionate about serving persons that have diabetes, was talking about how to go get investors here, and investors there… yet had yet to just serve the constituency that he is passionate about.  He’s now has the first 10 diabetics that he is serving… and the business has taken on a whole new tone of possibilities.  It does not matter what the distraction is… anything that is not core to the business can distract you from the Prize (as it has me too). Keep your eye on the prize.  Build your business.  Create success for yourself, and those that you serve. And through doing this, you’ll be making the world a better place.

There’s a recent article that several people have forwarded to me given that it rings true to what I am talking about around the Tech Ranch Austin all of the time…  Called Getting your startup out of Starbucks, James Reinhart has a point that he’s singing to the choir (me) about.

The whole point here about this idea is that although certain entrepreneurs might be able to be successful in working out of coffee shops 100% of the time, I’ve seen a need that for tech entrepreneurs that are building companies (not just freelancer businesses) need a dojo / community of practice / incubator to really make things happen fast in their businesses. Working in at a coffee shop alone (or just working out of their houses) limits what’s possible for the company.

I am going to take my own spin at James’ list of four points, and add three that I see a specific spin at around the Tech Ranch Austin.

1.  Not as productive.  Distractions abound in a coffeeshop or at home.  Either way, if you are constantly being distracted, you’re not going to be able to get into the deep concentration that you need for thinking and cranking in building your startup

2. Virtual tools are poor substitutes to the office. Humans have been getting together working around specific physical locations since the beginning of history.  Humans have evolved to work together. As James points out, virtual tools are poor substitutes for face to face interaction. Use virtual tools as supplements, not substitutes to having a real office.

3. Separate work from play. I love my work around the Tech Ranch (and many of the startiups that I’ve been a part of over the years)…. Yet, I’ve learned the hard way that its critical to separate work-play from just the play of being at my home or being at a coffee shop for just having a cup of coffee with a friend.  Make sure to separate your workspaces from your pure playspaces, and your brain will have more capability to produce.

4.  Cheaper than a $4 latte. So anyone that reads my twitter feed knows that I love mochas.  Yet in trying to work at a coffee shop, buying a bunch of lattes or mochas, you’re going to spend more money than you will for having an office or access to one of the new type of incubator or co-working spaces that are developing around Austin or around the world.  And if you are at the Tech Ranch, you’re sure to get caught up in some strong biases towards even higher quality coffee than you’ll get at many coffeeshops!

5.  Leverage the community. Heard of the “water cooler effect”?  That is, at a larger company how stuff happens around the water cooler where two people randomly run into each other and then some new idea comes out of that interaction?  These types of interactions can happen anywhere… but in an environment like at Tech Ranch, we’ve wired the place to produce daily random productive interactions.  Community members around the Ranch know that creating the water cooler effect is one of the reasons that they are there…. and so its natural that we see interactions every day that are producing results that would not have happened any other way.

6.  Leverage experts. Around many of the accelerators like YCombinator or Tech Ranch we’ve collected experts that have a lot of scar tissue… who’ve been there, done that, and perhaps they’ve learned the hard way… An environment like Tech Ranch might just create the right conversation with the person that’s been there and screwed it up before so that you, in building your startup, can avoid the pitfalls, and learn from their mistakes without having to make your own mistakes. (and I say this as an entrepreneur that’s been screwing up things since 1994.  Let me tell you- I can help keep your startup out of some of the screwups that I’ve done).

7. Leverage both. Ok, so as I write this, I am sitting in a coffee shop, having a mocha, and enjoying having a slight different change of pace.  There’s no reason to have a strick either or decision concerning being in an incubator / accelerator and enjoying a coffee every once in a while for a change of pace.

The real challenge is moving as quickly as possible with as few resources as possible in building out your company.  Come try out the Tech Ranch and see how it effects your progress on your startup. Or, if you have one of these places in Central Texas or around the world, initiate a conversation with us.  We’re putting together the playbook that shows how to take these interactions to the next level. As well, for the entrepreneur at the Tech Ranch Austin we’re fairly liberal about making the risk and barrier for entry low (we ask for 30 days notice).  In 30 days at one of these locations, you’ll notice a major positive difference.  That’s my commitment to you at the Tech Ranch.  Building a company alone and isolated is hard.  Come crank on it with others to really make things happen fast on your startup.

One of the great things about being a connector is that I get to listen in across many different people- what they are saying, what they are finding interesting, and if there is any correlation among these topics of conversation.

Recently, there’s been one meme that has gotten tweeted and talked about by quite a few people, that till now, I did not think had any connection to each other.

And what this meme represents is what I believe is the first shot in the next American Revolution.

No, I am not talking about some group trying to send someone to some new political office.  As you might know, I was (and still am) in support of the choice I made in supporting President Obama…. yet, there’s something much more fundamental happening… and this represents the start of something revolutionary.

To steal a phrase from John Robb: “an aware citizenry can defend itself“.  Up to this time, every time some issue has come up, there’s been a question of turning to the government for a solution.  Yet, given what’s happened in the Congress for so many years, whether a Republican or a Democrat in the Oval Office, the citizenry I believe has now come to learn that the government is in itself fundamentally broken.

And by broken, what do I mean?  From John Robb’s article:

• Median male incomes today are the same as they were in 1974 in the US (and likely all over the western world).  No progress has been made despite a doubling of productivity and massive top line GDP growth. Worse, given that female incomes aren’t on par with male incomes yet, the typical American family makes much less per hour worked than in 1974.
• All of the requirements for entry into the middle class are now private expenses.  From health care to a college education, if you can’t afford the minimum (let alone high quality versions), you aren’t allowed entry.  Worse, those expenses are spiraling out of control at rates many times the rate of inflation.  Nothing is being done to address this.
• The system is geared to make us fail.  Not only has outsourcing/off-shoring just started (everything that can be moved offshore to take advantage of the arbitrage opportunity in wage disparities between western and workers in developing countries will be) we are being laden with un-repayable debt. To wit: there’s been NO job growth in the last decade (despite tens of millions in population growth) and total debt from all sources is still near ALL time historical highs.

Whethere the  mishandling of healthcare reform,  security theater in the airports, or spending billions on companies that shouldn’t be bailed out, or trillions on a war that should have never been started, Americans are starting to speak out in a way that we’ve not done for a long while.  And recognize its the aware populace that’s been taking care of business. The genie is out of the bottle.

Although I might not be happy about the waste by our government, as an entrepreneur, and an American, I’m excited that some of my fellow Americans are waking up and starting the process that will reform, dare I say revolutionize this country again.   It is time to take up web browser, account ledger, and social network and remake our country.  There’s too much at stake, for “every revolution begins with the power of an idea” and this is an idea who’s time has come.

Looking back to 2009 many great things happened with the concepts that I’ve been calling the Enterprise Tribe, with the most exciting being Tech Ranch Austin.  2009 was all about transition, transitioning from a handful of theories to actual startup success at the Ranch.  2010, though, is about growth.  That is, taking what we have to a whole new level.  While reflecting on 2009 and 2010 with my buddy Damon Clinkscales about how I needed more time to just get stuff done, he pointed out “you need to switch more time to becoming a maker, not just a manager”.  Spend more time making things, less time interrupted through out the day managing things.  Paul Graham, of Ycombinator wrote a blog post about this- about how its hard to make things if you get interrupted through out the day with meeting after meeting or other interruption:

When you’re operating on the maker’s schedule, meetings are a disaster. A single meeting can blow a whole afternoon, by breaking it into two pieces each too small to do anything hard in. Plus you have to remember to go to the meeting. That’s no problem for someone on the manager’s schedule. There's always something coming on the next hour; the only question is what. But when someone on the maker’s schedule has a meeting, they have to think about it.

What’s happened for me is that as a Founding Partner of the Tech Ranch, I need time both as a Maker (getting things done for the Ranch and our portfolio companies)  and a Manager (involved with the Tech Ranch community).  Having those moments to work in without interruptions really makes a difference- say to review a spreadsheet, or respond to a strategic plan, or even to just handle email… As Paul points out:

Each type of schedule works fine by itself. Problems arise when they meet. Since most powerful people operate on the manager’s schedule, they’re in a position to make everyone resonate at their frequency if they want to. But the smarter ones restrain themselves, if they know that some of the people working for them need long chunks of time to work in.

This year, as one of my new years resolutions in order to grow the Tech Ranch I am going to have to spend more time on a Maker’s Schedule.  I am sure that it will take some time to work out this type of schedule, and at first, I am sure that its going to feel different for some members of our community…. but I see spending more time in a Maker’s Schedule essential for me to build our community.  Its not just about building out the Tech Ranch, but about creating situations that end up long term making the community itself stronger through seeing that our companies get to move farther and faster.  All I ask, in echoing Paul’s words, is that everyone understand the need that we / I have in spending more time as a Maker. I will still be available for meetings, and am really interested in interacting with the community in depth (as I always have been and always will be).  Spending more time on just getting things done is essential for 2010′s growth.  In order to create more hours to be a Maker, I’ll be setting up office hours. And I am open to other ideas as well.  Please let me know if you have other ideas that I should pursue.  Through this I am looking forward to serving our community farther than I could in 2009, and I am hoping that we together can take many of the Tech Ranch companies to a whole new level together.

As I make this transition to setting aside more time as a Maker, I ask for your patience with how I start to manage my schedule, and I hope you see what I am aiming for in bringing our community much farther than before.  Thank you for the support in 2009; Its now time to grow and strengthen our community together in 2010.

Over the last few months, we at the Tech Ranch Austin have been supporting entrepreneurs in launching their ventures.  With the following announcement, we’re taking it to a whole new level.  See details below about the Venture Forth program.  Its time to start the venture that you’ve been thinking about.

Do you have an idea for the next insanely great product or service? Are you having a hard time figuring out how you can step away from your current gig to launch your venture? Have you launched your venture and are now trying to scale it? Are you looking for the right team to make your venture pop? Do you need up to $100,000 in pro-bono services and expertise? If so, read on.  Tech Ranch Austin is excited to announce our next program for emerging technology entrepreneurs: Tech Ranch Venture Forth. The Venture Forth Program is all about accelerating venture success with a goal of getting your idea to the market as quickly as possible – testing and correcting along the way.

This program is the next generation of our successful Employee to Entrepreneur seminars.  But this time, we have kicked it up with up to $100k in free services and access to experts for each startup in the program.  The next Venture Forth program starts in late October and your venture could be generating revenue before the end of 2009!  We’d love for you to join us or share this information with someone who is itching to get their startup accelerated.

You can read the details, watch a video from Kevin and Jonas, and sign up for one of the 15 available slots here: http://techranchaustin.com/ventureforth

If you have questions, comments or ideas, please respond directly to us directly either through the comments or via email at info@techranchaustin.com

Best of luck in your venture!

Today’s Austin American Statemen has an article honoring the contribution that Betty Sue Flowers has been making to Austin and the world- especially as she takes on her next adventure- moving from Austin after 45 years of being here, to be with her love, former New Jersey senator Bill Bradley.

Betty Sue Flowers had a fundamental impact on my life. Many of you have heard the story of my trip to Chile, and how it was fundamental to the path that I was taking in devoting my life to supporting entrepreneurs.  Because of her connection to Joseph Campbell, and my awareness that I was about to take on a hero’s journey, I contacted her to see if she would give me advice on what I should do in preparing and creating a model for supporting entrepreneurs.  I still remember her saying to me… “If you are serious about this, you should go to Chile. You should meet Senator Fernando Flores.”  I don’t think that I was ready to hear those words… but she said them, I think three times…. “If you are serious about this….”.

What is amazing is that those words and my year spent in Chile in 2003 opened up doors of awareness that I can not imagine any other way that I might have found.  Thank you Dr. Flowers. And only after years do I feel comfortable in saying “Thank you Betty Sue”.

The following letter is somewhat personal, but in in honoring her, I repost it here, for she has had a fundamental impact in my life, and I want the world to know of my gratitude for her:

Betty Sue,
I’ve been meaning to write you as soon as I heard on the radio and today in the newspaper that you are moving to NYC. I want to say thank you from the deepest part of my heart for the doors that you have opened for me.  Our conversation in 2003 has sparked adventure after adventure as I follow my bliss.  I am sorry that I have not told you over the years about how the door that you opened as fundamentally shifted my life.  Going to Chile continues to pay dividends through the awareness that I gained by being there- an awareness I can not imagine having happen any other way.

Let me share some of the openings that you have created through me.

We’ve launched Tech Ranch Austin, a technology venture accelerator, where we support entrepreneurs in launching their ventures.  Since November 15, 2008, over 100 entrepreneurs have gone through our “office hour” program. We’ve engaged 12 startups in their earliest steps of growth. Two weeks ago we launched the “Employee to Entrepreneur” Program, with our first class of 12 students- (many of these guys were laid off, and now are starting ventures).  One of our companies is proceeding to the third level of the Texas Emerging Technology Fund. Another of our companies was funded $4.2 million in Series A funding.  We held an Entrepreneur Town Hall Meeting of 80 entrepreneurs from across the City of Austin in March, and now the Economic Development Office of the City of Cedar Park is paying us to launch an Entrepreneur Town Hall Meeting there. Also for Cedar Park we will be forming an “Enterprise Tribe”.  (Enterprise Tribe is what I now call the model that has developed out of what I originally took to Chile).

Its been a remarkable six years since our meeting.  The first years were hard as I stumbled around trying to understand what life was telling me to do.  I now feel a clarity, and have an ease of movement towards the vision that we talked about so many years ago- its funny what time and practice, and helpers along the path have opened up to my eyes now.

I’ve often times held back in telling you how much I greatly appreciate the spark that you shared with me- the opening of the door to Chile- which, by the way, I still stay in contact with several of the four guys that Fernando put me in contact with.  Thank you for the gift you have given me.

I am excited in reading that you are about to open yourself up to the next adventure with your move to New York City.  Please let me know if there is anything that I can do for you.  I do hope to get to connect with you again before you leave… or at some point in the future.  Is there any way that I can be of assistance?  Also, let me know if there is time that you have for a coffee or lunch.  I understand that with the move, you will be very busy- but please know that I would greatly enjoy connecting with you as the time permits.

Also, do let me know if you change your email address- I would like to stay in contact if at all possible.

Thank you very much.

Take care,
Kevin

This is Kevin- I am doing ok. By now, you might have heard that I was attacked on Friday night. All is good. I was able to walk to the emergency room after the attack, and for the most part I have been in really good spirits since.

The attack was senseless, and I don’t know why I was picked.  There was no provocation, and it seemed that the four guys that attacked were not after money, only violence.

During the interim it has deeply touched my heart to see the outpouring of people that have reached out to me. Thank you for doing so, for this has really meant something to me.

In between taking care of my health, dealing with a criminal case, and doing what I love- helping entrepreneurs through building their businesses at the Tech Ranch Austin, I might not be able to get back to you really quick.  I do look forward to connecting with you soon.

Here’s the KVUE news story on what happened.

We’re going to be rallying the community around some new ways of making Austin safer. If you are interested in being a part of making Austin safer, please let me know.

I’ll blog some more about what happened in a coming blog post.

Thanks,
Kevin

Randy Komisar of Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers shares insight in this short clip on how to find your passion and how to pursue it.  Key insights:

• Don’t look for a specific passion, but build a “portfolio of passions”, and then map them into the opportunities in front of you
• Use your values and what you care about as a compass to make sure that you are headed the right direction.
• When confronted with a decision, ask the question “How does what is right in front of me sync up with my passion?”
• Realize that for every one decision that you make 9 doors are going to close as you walk through that tenth door… but as you walk through that tenth door, ten more doors are going to open

Its interesting to see how knowledge from our past experience prepares us for the future.  Over a year ago I wrote about a complementary currency system coming together to create greater opportunity between entrepreneurs. I never envisioned at the time of that writing that the economic conditions might just present themselves where such a system could become necessary.  I am not fully convinced that the time has come just yet, but it is noteworthy for me to share an update.  Although we did not fully launch that previously mentioned system, the insight that I gained about complementary currency systems specifically, and economics in general, has been very valuable.

Complementary currency is, as the name suggest, a monetary system for conducting business between individuals that can live along side a nation backed currency system (e.g. the US Dollar).  Complementary currency systems allow individuals to conduct trade / business without having to use money backed by a central government.  That is, as an example, I could do business with a graphic artist who in turn does business with an engineer with in turn does business back with me.  Instead of just “bartering” between us, the complementary currency system allows me (like when using dollars) to not have to intimately know who I am doing business with, for the currency (whether dollars or complementary currency) tracks the transaction.

It seems, that with the current economic conditions that the US and the world has been facing that there is even greater interest than before in this method of conducting business by a more general crowd than I had previously found when I was looking into complementary currency in 2006/7.  This article by Kevin Kelleher on the Gigaom blogging network speaks to how a wider crowd of individuals might be looking to use complementary currency in the coming year(s).   Kevin writes:

[Chris Anderson, writer of The Long Tail,] imagined this excess ability expanding as unemployed workers engage in labors of love for free, if only to do something valuable with their time and/or advertise their skills.

…

I wonder what kind of creativity could be unleashed by workers who, though deprived of a steady paycheck, are freed from such tedious tasks. Some could come up with new ideas that help vault the web to a more advanced stage. Others may make micro-contributions that are equally powerful in aggregate. Such creativity could then foster an entirely new generation of startups, which would eventually lure away some of those who had remained at steady jobs all along.

I believe that complementary currency has the chance of expanding something that ends up being much more resilient than just filling the gap in an under-employed market.  I believe that we could see the rise of not just a reputation system that tracks who did what, but a deepening of the currency system in general, where we have an environment that makes it possible for more former employees become entrepreneurs, exploring their capabilities, talents, and passions… ending up not just looking for a job for when the economy recovers, but in establishing themselves in businesses that the traditional monetary cost of capital would have been a barrier to them before.

So, for the Austinites following my blog- what became of this local complementary currency system?  Although it did not take off in the direction that we all expected, there is notable work being done here locally… led by one of the guys that taught me about it in the first place- Tom Brown.  Tom and Rich Vazquez are writing about these concepts at the Open Source Currency Blog, and have a full blown complementary currency system running at the Austin Time Exchange.  In fact, they just had a meeting talking about the “Next Economy”.

Its uncertain about what will be happening with the US and world economies- but it is good to know that there are alternatives that are being explored for entrepreneurs here in Austin.  Keep me appraised of what you are seeing out there as well, and I will do the same through this blog.

As a part of today’s Tech Ranch Austin announcements- We have been selected by Microsoft to administer a program to give access to technology startups to the full suite of Microsoft tools for free.  Read further details here about the program, and apply through the Tech Ranch Austin website.

There are two important events happening in the Austin startup ecosystem this week and next:

Austin Business District’s Open4Business Conference- November 11- with five high impact tracks including Sales & Marketing, Finance, Human Resources, Business Law, Sustainability

UT Austin’s Ready to Commercialize event November 17th and 18th- reviewing technologies that are coming out of the University of Texas System.

I will be at both events representing TechRanchAustin as we continue to look for tech entrepreneurs to join us on the ranch.  Please let me know if you will be there- I look forward to connecting.