Most businesses self destruct Jason 13 comments Latest by John

A few weeks back I was invited to speak at a TiE Event here in Chicago. The panel included Lucas Roh, CEO of Hostway, Mike Domeck, CEO of Ticketsnow, and mysef. It was moderated by Matt McCall of Portage Ventures.

I really enjoyed being on the panel and learning from the other panelists. We all have different backgrounds, different businesses, and different ways of running our businesses. Lucas and Mike are sharp.

Out of everything that was said, one thing really stuck with me. When Lucas was asked how he deals with the heated competition in the web hosting space, he said, and I’m partially-paraphrasing, “We just do what we do best. We focus on our business, our customers, and our vision. Most businesses self destruct anyway so we just make sure ours doesn’t. Focusing too much on what everyone else is doing is a sure way to run your own business out of control.” I really loved that.

He’s spot on. Most businesses self destruct anyway. They focus on the wrong things, they chase the wrong ideas, they fight the “more more more” cold war. The only company that wins the cold war is the one with the most resources. Everyone else loses. Who wants to fight that war? Kathy Sierra touched on this a few days ago.

Yes, you have to pay attention to what’s going on out there, but I’d argue you need to pay more attention to what’s going on in here. In your own company. In your own products. In yourself and your own vision. Are you delivering your products or your competition’s products with a different coat of paint? Believe in what you’re doing, deliver on that vision, and chart your own course. Don’t worry too much about everyone else. Be a great chef and deliver your own signature dishes — don’t just deliver another burger. Maybe you’ll be right, maybe you’ll be wrong, but it’s certainly a lot more satisfying than losing the expensive, frustrating, dangerous cold war.