It's 15 questions to change your life and more...

This is something I haven't done in a while. It's a version of what I have got 100's of start ups founders to do. It's 15 questions to change your life. 

This  version is from http://thinksimplenow.com/ 

And... an extra idea from Seth Godin to - if I can find it... which when it came out almost 5 years ago - no one really tweeted it much ;) 

Simple Instructions:

• Take out a few sheets of loose paper and a pen.
• Find a place where you will not be interrupted. Turn off your mobile.
• Write the answers to each question down. Write the first thing that pops into your head. Write without editing. Use point form. It’s important to write out your answers rather than just thinking about them.
• Write quickly. Give yourself less than 30 seconds per question. Apart from Q 10 and 11....
• Be honest. Nobody will read it. It’s important to write without editing.
• Enjoy the moment and smile as you write.

15 Questions:

1. What makes you smile? (Activities, people, events, hobbies, projects, etc.)

2. What are your favorite things to do in the past? What about now?

3. What activities make you lose track of time?

4. What makes you feel great about yourself?

5. Who inspires you most? (Anyone you know or do not know. Family, friends, authors, artists, leaders, etc.) Which qualities inspire you, in each person?

6. What are you naturally good at? (Skills, abilities, gifts etc.)

7. What do people typically ask you for help in?

8. If you had to teach something, what would you teach?

9. What would you regret not fully doing, being or having in your life?

10. You are now 90 years old, sitting on a rocking chair outside your porch; you can feel the spring breeze gently brushing against your face. You are blissful and happy, and are pleased with the wonderful life you've been blessed with. 

Looking back at your life and all that you’ve achieved and acquired, all the relationships you’ve developed; what matters to you most? List them out.

11. What are your deepest values? Select 3 to 6 (See list of words - thanks to Think Simple to help you) and prioritize the words in order of importance to you.

12. What were some challenges, difficulties and hardships you’ve overcome or are in the process of overcoming? How did you do it?

13. What causes do you strongly believe in? Connect with?

14. If you could get a message across to a large group of people. Who would those people be? What would your message be?

15. Given your talents, passions and values. How could you use these resources to serve, to help, to contribute? ( to people, beings, causes, organization, environment, planet, etc.)

Your Personal Mission Statement

“Writing or reviewing a mission statement changes you because it forces you to think through your priorities deeply, carefully, and to align your behaviour with your beliefs”
~Stephen Covey, ‘7 Habits of Highly Effective People’
A personal mission consists of 3 parts:

• What do I want to do?
• Who do I want to help?
• What is the result? What value will I create?

And from Seth Godin... 8 questions and a why

Who are you trying to please?

What are you promising?

How much money are you trying to make?

How much freedom are you willing to trade for opportunity?

What are you trying to change?

What do you want people to say about you?

Which people?

Do we care about you?

(and after each answer, ask 'why?')

And one final thought...a quote from RWE.

“The purpose of life is not to be happy. It is to be useful, to be honorable, to be compassionate, to have it make some difference that you have lived and lived well.” 

― Ralph Waldo Emerson

Can you sum up your idea in ONE sentence ?

Something which is really well timed as researching a new company to start.

All in the mobile marketing area. We think...

So a great article from The Next Web - all about the power or the need to be able to sum up your idea in ONE sentence.

The hard part for me is choosing the one sentence. I know what massmob is about. I know the idea behind it. Gamifaction for the nation. But this is more of a strapline or a marketing angle - rather than an explaination.

So I have come up with a few - what I am going to do next is market research (shock horror again) to see which one rings true for people.

Here's the article.

Here’s a pro tip that’s extremely obvious, but often completely ignored by entrepreneurs everywhere: You should be able to explain your startup in one sentence. That’s it. No exceptions.

Beyond the obvious rule that founders should never start a company just because they really like calling themselves “CEO,” being able to explain what you do in as little as one sentence is perhaps the absolute best way you can prepare yourself for success. It means your company actually exists for a reason, because you realize your purpose at its very core.

This isn’t even about saving busy VCs time or the declining attention span of society. The truth is, saying something in the fewest words possible eliminates confusion and fluff, so there’s no way to dress up a terrible idea as something worthy of more than a trash bin.
What not to say

When it comes to as finding the perfect words to say while crafting your short and sweet pitch, this is the second way most startups and PR firms end up doing it wrong.

Here’s a mind-numbingly easy guideline : as soon as words like disrupt, stealth, rock star and gamification are used, all is likely lost. As for words like network, social and platform, try to be careful.

This is ideal - as it get's rid of my strapline even before I have used it!!!

Here’s another warning: If you can’t describe your company without talking about another company, you should probably hit the drawing board again. Joking about a Microsoft Kin for Tech Incubators is always fun, but when you’re wrapped up in a vision, it’s surprisingly easy to lean on the crutch of familiarity. It’s also tough to navigate this problem when providing add-on services for another service of piece of software. All you can do is stay cautious.

I may just happen to have a problem with things ending up too meta, but tech blogging about tech blogging and startups servicing startups makes us all start to look like idiots. Maybe this is a benefit or a curse of living outside The Valley, but after a certain point, people need to realize that tech startups don’t actually comprise the entirety of the world economy.

We’re a major piece of the puzzle and deserve attention, but we aren’t the center of the universe, either. Having some context about how you and your company fits into the world helps you make something that everyone needs — not just another gadget or service that only the trendiest of bloggers and early adopters can use. Honing in on a target market is fine, but for god’s sake, get some fresh air.

The beauty of the tech industry is its promise for brighter days, new solutions to problems that plague our lives and fast-acting ideas that can change the world. It’s not without its poisons, but that’s life.

If you’re focusing on making something genuinely interesting or useful in a way that leads to real progress, no matter how big or small, you’re starting off in the right direction. In that case, pitch me here in one sentence: harrison@thenextweb.com.

If you’re only looking for an exit or heard that apps are the trendy thing right now, please go elsewhere.

I just returned from SAScon. And met with some very cool and clever people.

I just returned from SAScon. And met with some very cool and clever people (and some fools too)

The below are comments from a former rather than latter i.e. a clever person - called Barry Adams who is the senior internet marketer for search at Pierce Communications in Belfast.

When he’s not helping his clients achieve online world domination, he writes blogs for State of Search and Search News Central as well as the occassional rant on his own blog www.BarryAdams.co.uk

Here are his SAScon Six…

Don’t follow hypes

Whenever you read about the latest app, new social website, or exciting new technology to hit the internet, always put things in perspective before you eagerly jump on the bandwagon.

Put your client first

The first thing you should be contemplating whenever you want to use a new channel or tactic is ‘what’s in it for the client’? Never do something just for the sake of doing it, even if it’s the hip & trendy thing to do.

Distrust industry ‘thought leaders’

The people who are most famous in any industry – especially SEO and social – are usually the ones that have a vested interest in being and staying famous. That means they usually have something to sell. Keep their commercial interests in mind whenever you read expert advice, and you’ll soon be able to spot the gaps in their logic.

Try stuff out

Don’t just use tried & tested methods. Don’t stick to ‘best practices’ because someone else told you to. Try stuff out – preferably on test sites rather than client properties – and see for yourself what works and what doesn’t.

Break the mould

Following the rules religiously is rarely the most effective method for achieving success. The biggest winners are those that are willing to do things differently.

Get drunk

Or, more specifically, get industry veterans drunk. Catch them at a post-conference social event and buy them a few beers. Chances are they’ll share interesting tidbits with you that would otherwise never be shared. ;)