Live Truly

I finally got out of programming and went to learn how to sell. The job is as front line selling as you can get. Outside sales. Following Kiyosaki’s footsteps–almost too closely. It was a bit tough to get out, but at the moment, actually for the past few months (not including the months of debate), I think it’s the right decision. We’ll see how things turn out.

After months of postponing the decision, I realized I really needed to build my sales skill set and that I just wasn’t growing in my current position. The projects were interesting, but instead of learning how to run a business, I was learning how to code more efficiently. True, there are many things one can learn from managing one’s time, from pulling all-nighters, and from dealing with unrealistic deadlines, and live coding, and it was interesting to watch how the business developed and contribute to it, however I felt that I just wasn’t learning enough interaction, deal-making, selling, and actual business. I think the greatest part wasn’t actually realizing I needed to change direction, but was making the step and leaving the team.

When I finally made the decision that it was time to act, I found the perfect job on craigslist. It was an outside sales job, lots of training, and pretty close to my home too. I went and interviewed in the morning. It worked out really well because the company VP was there on a visit, so I got all my interviews done in one day. It was a huge surprise getting back the acceptance call and the offer. I asked to delay the start-date as long as possible so I could close all my projects and later that day told my boss the news.

It’s really strange in that there wasn’t anything I had to complain about about my current position–well yes there was, but that wasn’t my reason for quitting. So when he asked if it was pay or office relations or hours, the answer was no. I was grateful for the experience, the team, and the interesting projects, and responsibility, but I feel I need to learn an entirely different skill set.

I’m really excited, wish me luck and learning =)

The past two weeks, especially the last one, were insane. I had almost half a week of allnighters all the way up to this Monday.

I learned quite a bit though. Cleaning up an online store and gui and adding new parts to the product at the same time. It’s been a bit overwhelming because on one hand I’d love to make it look as nice as our artist designed it, but on the other hand I have programming projects which are a lot higher priority riding me, violently. The greatest challenge though as in communication. Responding through text and emails is vital, just letting the rest of the team know what’s going on, even if projects keep jumping on your shoulders. This is definitely an area I will improve in.

I also found something I absolutely love doing. The design and the GUI. It’s so much fun and it’s so rewarding to make a part look better. It’s up there with drawing. I’d like to work on things like this more in the future, I’d love to be able to finish cleaning up our sites. But I’m not the boss and we have different priorities. Hah, maybe the way to do it is to clean up my portfolio and take a few gigs on craigslist…. when I make the time (and whether or not any of that goes to other gigs, I need to make some time soon)…

Work has completely taken over and as much as I love what I’m doing, I really miss being able to sleep enough, to dance with my friends, and just to have a day off to relax. It actually got to a point where I turned down some late night invites because I was just too tired from work! Not healthy. The part that really gets to me is that I’m working crazy hours and yet it seems like I get nothing done. I really want to either build up my speed or find something I’m better at. I know I’m a thousand times faster than I was before, but its still sad seeing my pace compared to what I expect.

During this past week I’ve been listening to some pretty cool motivational cd’s. If not for them, I don’t think I’d be in as good a mood right now.

I’m exhausted, but very happy to have my first semi-weekend in two weeks.

Selling the Invisible by Harry Beckwith is my first marketing book (outside of search engine marketing). It has a lot to offer. A few of its many new concepts:

Better strive for “excellent” rather than “best” - people don’t believe “best”
If you want to sell… raise the price - you’ll have to listen to the cd for the full explanation
Give one compelling reason - don’t try to satisfy everyone, focus on ONE good thing (fantastic example with an airline)
Keep people informed of your work - if you don’t want your clients to forget or regret, keep them in the loop
You owe your clients - they risk giving you work, they risk their reputations on you, and they think you owe them, and they’re right
Keep your promises modest and clear - try promising a report by 1pm and delivering it by 11am
Brands “replace” warranties - in services there’s no product to return, but people want a to know they’re going to get a good service and the closest thing to this is the brand

This week was pretty crazy. To be exact, an offer from the dream workplace place and the promise of pay negotiations at my current place. On one hand I have a chance to work in a fantastic environment, surrounded by hundreds of people my age who are enjoying what they do, I save forty minutes on a commute, get free meals and all sorts of cool perks, the ability to get home before late at night, with my job left at the job, and a decent wage. On the other hand I have a chance to grow as a programmer, carry more responsibility, help build a new company, work on a very promising, interesting, new product, and see firsthand what it takes to build a business, and most importantly help the team. On one hand I think my boss is among the most interesting, intelligent, and inspirational people I’ve ever met, and I feel indebted towards him for giving me a chance to learn and grow there. On the other hand, I wonder if I’m growing in the right direction; all my friends who work at the other place (I actually have quite a few), have time and energy for pursuing other dreams. This is a problem, it’d be better to devote all your time (including work hours) into pursuing your dream, but I’m scared that I’m not getting anywhere closer to pinning it down yet. Decisions decisions.

My boss pointed out an important fact not mentioned in Rich Dad, Poor Dad: in the Silicon Valley, when you join a company, you also become an investor. It’s not the salary, but the stocks that build your wealth. They are your assets. This is the advantage of joining a start-up. You own a large percent of the company, and you’re taxes on it are on the money you invested (if it’s a founder’s stock). So when there is nothing and you buy your parts at $0.001, that’ll be what you’re taxed on. The other side of it is the company uses this to keep you in, you don’t get all your shares transfered to you right away. They come with a percentage each year. So, if you leave right away, the company can buy back the shares not transfered to you at the old price. It’s kind of a leash thing, but it’s something that Rich Dad never gave the people working at his stores.

So why do companies do this? Why give away a share? Because when a person actually owns part of something, she becomes a lot more productive. She has an interest to succeed, and an interest to stay.

Other things, joining established or not? Here’s the gamble, on one hand it takes luck but on the other without taking this risk, it’s hard to ever get passed regular income. Joining a small starting group or starting your own thing means a very high investment of time and energy and it might not succeed. If it does, you’re set. If it doesn’t you’ve lost time but learned a lot. On the other hand, say you join a big company, in fact an ideal working environment by Good Business : Leadership, Flow, and the Making of Meaning standards. You get paid a nice salary, are gauranteed a steady, and secure life. You also get stocks, but at such a high price, the exponential growth point has most likely passed (although it did grow a lot this year).

This is the tough choice. As someone just starting out, and very eager to make my first hundred thousand and go to Thailand to study (yes, that’s part of the plan now, once I make my first first hundred thousand, I’ll study for all those pesky certifications and exams in Thailand, it’s a good motivation to get myself to make it fast), I wondered if it wouldn’t be just easier to join the simple happy job, instead of working like mad and risking not getting anything. However, seeing yesterday’s events and seeing how a real passive income generation works and how a business starts to take off, I got really inspired. It may be harder right now, with little income coming in. But I’m determined to break out of the rat race. I know that a person cannot depend on an hourly wage to truly live and I want to build something, whether it’s a real estate empire, an invention, or a product. For a while, I was getting really tired and annoyed, but yesterday inspired me. I’m more eager than ever to finally get this project done, and I’m really annoyed at myself for having taken this long and for not really appreciating how great an opportunity this is.

I have an interview with the big established company next week. The phone interview was a disaster, but I guess my resume and writing helped a bit. I don’t know. I’m actually not that interested, which makes the whole idea of interviewing kind of fun. For the position and for the long term, they’d have to offer something really creative. Perhaps they will. I’m just curious at what it could be. Nearly half a dozen of my aquaintances work there right now, and they love it, and the lure of having that steady income sounds really nice when you don’t have it. But I’m just checking it out. I’m determined to finish this project first and hopefully get the chance to grow where I’m at right now.

So much going on right now: project, tutoring, real estate class. As the The ABC’s of Building a Business Team points out, now is the time to develop character. I have a few goals, very little spare time, and very little sleep. We’ll see how it all turns out.

I’ve been working from 2-10 and studying from 7-11. Commute is less than an hour. Where do those extra two hours disappear?!
Very drained. Very excited about things at work. Coursework is interesting too. Very busy. Very drained. A bit tuned out. But strangely alive.
I’ve become numb. Kind of crazy. I have to finish this project. This is the moment where people either get stronger or snap.

Yesterday I applied for what seems like a dream job. As in a job where I get to learn about every aspect of a business I’m really interested in. Decent pay, but amazing experience. I couldn’t wait to hear back from them. I was so excited about it that I’d be happy to take it even if it meant a big cut in pay.

Well surprise, surprise. I guess this is what happens when you get ready to move on. Today my boss lets me know that our start-up just got more funding and that I can finally expect to start making some of it. This presents an interesting situation, on one hand I know that there’s more opportunity and pay in this field, and a wider reach, and more creative and complex work. There’s also an amazing team and every day I feel lucky to be around such bright people. On the other hand, I’ve been saying I’d like to get away from the field for the last few years. The people and work is great, but I come home at eleven, dead and drained. In the morning I’m eager to do everything, study, anything, except go there. I feel like I’ve stopped growing and I feel like I’m losing my life there. When inside that little office, I just want to rip out my hair and run away. My main motivation for working is because I want to finish the project so I can move on and away. But now, with promises of different work and better pay, I wonder if maybe it is worth trying and I’m feeling bad because these things are negotiated with investors. At the same time, I just want to get as far away as I can, stick with my goals and plans, try other fields, and maybe spend six to eight hours in front of a computer instead of eighteen.

I’m really not sure which way to go. Both the dream job and my current place are a lot of hard work. In my current place, I’ve gained more experience than in my entire university education, and I have a chance to work and learn from top notch programmers and entrepreneurs and simply fascinating people. It’s super small, so we’re all one to one. This really is building something huge, true business, and it’s the opportunity of a lifetime. At the same time, I feel no flow at this job or with what I’m doing and want to move and try another professions to know what to really pursue. Not because of self-doubt or laziness, but because I’ve been saying this to myself for the last few years and I’ve finally started the process. Tough tough choices in the next few days. In any case, I’m determined to finish the current project. We’ll see where things go after that.