Meeting with Joe!

Yesterday, I had the opportunity to speak with Joe where we discussed different topics varying from entrepreneurship to startups to life in general.

Joe has over 35 years of work experience in the industry working especially in small companies. He has also worked on some turnarounds and now sits on the board of multiple companies. Since the beginning of his career, he has liked working in small companies.

Three important lessons I learned from the call are as follows:

• Be problem obsessed: If you aren’t obsessed with the problem you are trying to solve, you have lost the battle already. There will be tough days on the road and you need to have that obsession that will help you sail through rough days. It will act as a motivating factor and help figure out solutions to unsolvable problems.
• Don’t do a startup for the sake of doing it: If you are doing a startup just think that you will have less work and more time. You are at the wrong place buddy. It takes everything out of you.
• People’s skills: We often underestimate the power of influence. You may have financial, marketing, and strategic skills. But if you don’t have people skills, you go around and make sure your co-founder has that skill. Moreover, it is of utmost importance to treat your co-founder as a partner not as an employee.

Lastly, luck and circumstances play a crucial role in life. It can change the complete track of your life.