October 3, 2004
silicon valley startup
I have this idea for a Silcon Valley startup.
It’s not really a startup. It’s just some crazy guy with a laptop, a cellphone, a stack of blank business cards and some drawing pens. Applying The Hugtrain to real life, helping out other startups express themselves better to the world.
From a recent e-mail I sent somebody, who described himself as a “Creative Futurist”:
“Creative Futurist” is no bad place to be. I’m more creative than futurist, sadly, but that is quickly changing.
Technologists, for all their skills, have one weak spot. They want all problems to be technological problems. That way they can fix them.
But there are also cultural problems with any large company, or with any large tech implementation. Tech alters values and value chains. The techie might be able to install for us the most amazing e-mail program, but if we hate each other’s guts, it’ doesn’t matter how good the program is because we’re not talking too each other.
Techies think that if you install the right tools, the Cultural Alignment will happen by itself. It doesn’t.
That’s where I think our space could be useful in years to come.
Obviously, this doesn’t apply to ALL technologists… some more than others etc.
Talking to Doc Searls (again) on the phone yesterday about this. West Coast, here I come. Time to join The Revolution etc.
For a while now I’ve been ranting on about blogs being a great way to make things happen indirectly, especially in the job market. Finally, I think people are beginning to get it. The New York Times just quoted me: (From Page 2 of the article, last para:) “That’s the advantage of blogging– if you do it well and have interesting things to say, people pay attention.”
Speaking of Doc; from about 5 years ago in The Cluetrain:
A powerful global conversation has begun. Through the Internet, people are discovering and inventing new ways to share relevant knowledge with blinding speed. As a direct result, markets are getting smarter and faster than most companies.
True. But once you stop thinking of your company and your market as two seperate things, that problem goes away.
Hey Hugh, that’s another great idea, a Hugtrain… move beyond cyber-contact to some serious physical contact
No wonder the NYT talks to you!
Hugh — I like the way you’re doing things. Via blog. Via cartoons. But reading your blog would be a lot more interesting if it was from the heart. As it is right now I think you’re trying too hard to appear erudite and employable. If you added a liberal shot of the personal to all this marketing/branding/blah I might actually believe what you’re trying to sell. Hell, maybe I’d even offer you a job in Toronto.
Personal stuff?
(*Sigh*) That is so 2002.
“Once you stop thinking of your company and your market as two seperate things, that problem goes away.”
This is a really nice observation, though hard to achieve. Would like to read more on how to achieve this as a brand strategist, either personally ( if thats not too 2002) or as an organization.
100% on the mark. person to person is the only way to gain the trust. I so hate the work ‘USER’!
Thank you — I love Paris too
Vic