In working on Grasshopper New Media (called GNM for brevity’s sake), I come face to face with all the things I don’t know. For instance, I’m learning about contracts, revenue sharing models, and all kinds of things that have nothing to do with talent and podcasting and love. The beauty is, there are ways to learn this before it becomes painful not to know what I’m talking about with regards to GNM.
Practice Building Consensus
I’ve been writing and speaking for weeks about why GNM Networks is a good business model for all involved. It will reduce friction and improve connectivity between audiences and their entertainers (us). It will provide fatter targets for sponsors and advertisers. It will permit flexibility for consulting and podcast-building for others, and it scales by way of a constant-talent-recruitment philosophy.
I say a lot of the same thing in different ways to dozens of people. What I’m getting back from this experience is honing of message. I’m hearing the negatives. I’m getting all the “devils advocates” out of the woodwork. I f-ng hate devil’s advocates, but they’re part of the process.
But here’s another thing: consensus, especially when one’s a disciple of Covey as I am, involves trying to build synergy instead of compromise. It also means knowing where the borders of the idea end. I’m learning that I have little patience for explaining the passion. I SHOW you the passion, and show how the passion can benefit things, but I’m not going to tell you how to get excited about the project. You either get it or you don’t.
Consensus Comes from Understanding
Perspective is everthing, not perception. I was talking with a small business owner in Boston about PodCamp. He’s already on board to donate valuable goods and money to the event. I’m asking him for more. (Part of my new Ask+ philosophy.) He had lots of great questions back and I had to really turn my head around to his business and intentions to answer his needs. Luckily, I’m sure we can be beneficial to his business. We’ll drive lots of word of mouth and lots of potential sales revenue opportunities (we don’t close business, we introduce prospects). I think we’ll get along great.
The venue for PodCamp has its own set of needs to be met. So do all the major sponsors. The attendees and participants need to feel important and loved and valid as well.
It’s all a matter of understanding all the parts.
Raising Money
I’ve been asking people for money to support PodCamp. The cause is good because it’s free learning for a community of 200. It’s not like any of my religious friends, who use their money to feed people and rebuild burnt down buildings. But part of what PodCamp will do is help those types equip themselves with other ways to get their message out, and help drive money to their worthy causes. So maybe that’s my angle on that?
Asking for money started out hard. I felt really squirrelly doing it. But I’ll tell you: in requesting money, merchandise and more from potential sponsors of PodCamp, I’m feeling that I understand how to ask for money a little better each time. (I imagine this changes a great deal when you ask for millions). Here’s one thing I learned right away.
Steve Garfield and I were talking yesterday. We agreed that an important skill to master in life (is it a skill?)– maybe a concept– is that people are people. (No, not Depeche Mode- Stop it). People are just the same as you and me. They have feelings. They are richer or poorer. They are just people. You can approach them. You can talk with them. It’s okay.
On the flipside of that, people are people, and you can’t just be rude, or treat them like a human Automatic Teller Machine. If you’re looking for money or support or advice, remember that you’re addressing someone with feelings and wants and concerns.
I ran into that on PodCamp. I accidentally slighted someone of great importance to podcasting and to the New England scene in general. It wasn’t intentional, but it came over pretty poorly, and I felt bad about it. I forget to consider people’s feelings sometimes, because I think that everyone has the same feeilngs as me. Ethnocentricity? Is that the word used when you impose your autobiography over someone else’s situation? I’m guilty.
One thing I’m finding when I ask for money is that I’m immediately concerned with how I’m going to show the person my thanks, and how I can help build their equity back in some way. I hope that goes far in trying to assemble something.
People are the Engine
Another Steve Garfield line: “I subscribe to people.” How damned perfect is that? We were talking in terms of shows and branding and all that, but the new internet methodology means that we can cross-over much easier. It’s the person inside the company that makes the brand now. Scoble is a brand that moved from Microsoft to PodTech. Jason Fried is 37Signals. David H-H is 37 Signals. Dave Gray is Xplane.
I want to keep that foremost as I’m building out GNM Networks. There’s nothing more than a fat guy doing a podcast without all of you passionate cats. (No, I never say “cats” in that context – I’m just funnin’ you.)
Work is afoot. I’m building out two shows at once here, all while growing the business as a whole, laying rails, and putting framework together. One problem I have is keeping this all put together. I think I’ll use Foldera as an organizing system.
I think I need an impassioned, energetic, has-a-few-hours, Chief WordPress Officer. I’ve got some great people offering me help when they can. I need someone as mental as me running the build-out of those blogs that instrument the podcasts. Hmm.
Practice
The premise here is practicing skills related to your next business is a great way to learn how to operate your business. I think this scales in other ways. What do you think?