WHAT: JUAN GREAT LEAP NOVEMBER EDITION OF OPEN COFFEE
WHERE: CENTERPOINT FUNCTION HALL, 3rd Floor Centerpoint Building, Garnet corner Julia Vargas Streets, Ortigas Center, Pasig City
WHEN: Saturday, November 30, 2013, 9:30AM
If you haven’t reserved your slot for OPEN COFFEE this Saturday morning, then click that red button on the left and reserve your slot now.
Whether you’re a veteran or a new entrepreneur, someone who wants to be, or someone who just wants to check things out, there will ALWAYS be something new to learn from open coffee.
One of the things I had promised myself was that I would always say “yes” to entrepreneur speaking engagements whenever I would have the honor of being invited and if my time permitted.
A few weeks ago I was asked by Ateneo MBA students to be one of the speakers for their culminating event, “Night with Entrepreneurs.”
I hesitated in saying yes because the weeks preceding January 1 are always the busiest for STORM – it’s when our current clients renew and when new clients are added.
Not wanting to begin compromising what I promised, and realizing I could make up the work I’d be missing, I said yes.
I’m glad I did.
Why?
Well, first off, I got to hear and learn a lot from my co-speakers.
Being around mostly tech-related startups, it was a joy hearing entrepreneurs in other fields (for a change):
Dencio Catienza is a dive-instructor-turned entrepreneur, founder of Planet Dive. It was a thrill hearing about his journey from being a skills teacher into what is essentially a real estate developer and investor. It was great to see how he thought globally, and how he knew his numbers – how big the tourism market is, what exact piece of the pie each country had, and how we had so much to improve on.
Caroline Cua went next. She founded a company called Tamang Timpla Foods, Inc, concept which was developed straight from the Ateneo SOMBA incubator program. From Somba, her team proceeded to join and win different business plan competitions. It was interesting to hear the story of how she had basically taken the startup leap from college and continues to develop her startup years after graduation, without ever having been an employee. Look, people! It IS possible to make the leap from college! Go get em Carol!
Chris killing it with his talk
Chris Angeles, founder of kulayful.com, started out by explaining the concepts of his favorite book, The 4-hour Workweek. I think Chris is the best possible example I can think of someone who actually approximates the lifestyle Tim Ferris suggests. Chris employs a Manila-based, fifteen-man startup which sells (nothing but) wristbands (surprisingly, Chris told me their mostly a B2B firm) in the US. They’re killing it. The interesting thing is that Chris developed his startup largely to be free of his operational involvement. He just works 2-3 hours a week. What does he do with most of his time?
Travelling. (and he’s got all the pics to prove it)
Each entrepreneur got a few minutes each to talk about his/her journey, and some of the best lessons they’ve learned. I thoroughly enjoyed listening to both the emotional side of things (the journey, the war stories), as well as the intellectual side of things (the business model, the competitive advantages).
Then, it was Q&A time.
Me? I loved the whole thing. Loved it. I think it reminded me of something I’ve known about myself for a while – I’m really a teacher at heart.
Thank you again for the Ateneo Entrepreneurship MBA class (EJ in particular – you were very helpful!), and their esteemed professor Jorge Saguinsin, for inviting me over. Till next time!
Me receiving a plaque from Prof Jorge Saguinsin
(want to meet more entrepreneur-minded folk? Get a slot at JGL’s Open Coffee session this Saturday before they run out!)
We’ve heard it so many times for entrepreneurs – how you have to know how to fail in order to succeed.
I wanted to dissect how exactly this is so.
How exactly does failure help you succeed?
My first instinct in answering this question is to look at my own entrepreneurial journey.
Has failure helped me?
When asked this question, my reply is almost immediate – yes, it has helped me tremendously. It’s not just because of the sheer learning that happens afterwards (though this is big as well, and is the basis for the lean startup movement)
The great thing that failure has given me is the stomach for it.
Having failed so many times before and knowing first-hand what the consequences are, I am mostly unafraid to try things out for the first time. I think this is where I get one of my strengths as an entrepreneur.
I would ace the question:
“when was the last time you’ve done something for the first time?”
Recalling just this year, I could easily name 20 things I’ve done for the first time (entrepreneurially, at least).
But thinking about it, this wasn’t always the case.
I remember a time when I was deathly afraid of failing, when I would rarely step out of my comfort zones.
So how did my paradigm shift come to be?
I remember after my college graduation, I decided to teach for a year. All my college friends went corporate. Naturally, I had the lowest salary in our group. Sure, I told myself it was the noble thing to do and I got to practice my speaking skills, but in truth, this bothered me. Knowing what I earned, I remember my friends would sometimes offer to pay for me when we went out. Inside, this killed me.
Upon transferring to corporate, I got a much larger salary. But then, tragedy struck as my family went through a big financial problem (which would drag on for a long time). Of course, I volunteered to help out and put in my share on the table.
So for a good number of years thereafter, I would work hard, get salary increases, and then see a chunk of it transferred out of my account. I had to find a way to make do with what I had.
In retrospect, these events transformed me.
I knew what swallowing pride was like. I knew what losing money was like. I knew what working very hard and not getting rewarded was like. I knew how to scrimp and live simply to make ends meet. I knew what failure was like.
So when faced with a decision where the risk involved failure? (a potential loss of money, reputation, comfort) As long as I found the reward side worth it, I would find myself taking the leap.
There was one particular instance in the founding of STORM where I think this all came to a head.
Back in 2005, Pao and I invested 30K of our money incorporating STORM. Ignorantly, we went (almost) all-in with one strategy: we spent most of the money arranging Flexible Benefits learning seminar. We thought we could pull in a few clients from the event.
The seminar was quite packed, but was a failure. It was a failure because when we met with the customers, we found they were expecting a fully working online platform.
Where were you in 2005 Eric Ries?!
We estimated it would take us a full year to technically develop the necessary system with our resources. The problem was, we only had a month’s worth of salary, since you know, we spent it buying food and wine for our guests in the learning seminar.
That would have been it. The decision WAS the wrong one and we dealt with failure and its consequences.
I never really considered folding right then and there, which, in retrospect, I now find interesting. (we had ONE MONTH runway left and had NOTHING)
Instead, Pao and I had that fateful meeting in that small cafe in Renaissance and did a pivot. We designed a new product in that meeting (an online survey tool, predating all the online simians), which Pao (incredibly) developed in a month. That became the basis of a very profitable business line which we rode until our Flexible Benefits services were profitable.
It wasn’t exactly smooth sailing after. We failed so many times after. I remember that time when I was praying to God and I felt so sure we would land that big account we were putting most of our eggs in. We didn’t. I remember putting up startups which failed and lost money. Or when people I trusted would lie to my face and betray me.
I know failure. I’m still afraid of it, but since I know I can take it, I don’t mind taking risks, or doing something for the first time.
My advice in all of this: don’t spend your days avoiding failure. There are tremendous advantages of knowing failure directly.
These advantages are quite evident in the stories of practically all successful entrepreneurs I know. This is why it’s very easy for entrepreneurs to share “war stories.”
In our time now, we see winners lauded like never before (and failure more scrutinized than ever before) We see comfort and pleasure being considered as THE primary objectives for a lot of people.
I think this is dangerous, because it leads to a life when the easy path is always chosen. This is NOT the path to any kind of success. We have to get used to taking leaps.
Sort of like this guy.
(Want to hear from like-minded people sharing war stories and ideas? Why don’t you check out JGL’s next Open Coffee session? You can register here!)
Just for this edition of Open Coffee, we shall be slightly increasing the entrance fee to P200 (we usually charge P100 for venue and simple snacks). The extra cash shall be given to Yolanda typhoon victims. You may give more than the P100 extra if you wish to do so of course!
While of course, you may pitch ANY IDEA under the sun if you want, we also highly encourage people to pitch new ideas on how to further help out the Yolanda victims. We’ve seen ideas be funded in Open Coffee before, so why not get your Yolanda idea out there for possible support?
There are limited slots, so I advise clicking HERE now to reserve your seats.
Still not familiar with Open Coffee? You can check out these posts to learn more about the awesomeness that is Open Coffee 🙂
When I arrived home Sunday night to watch news on what happened with the super typhoon, I was in shock. The first few aerial pictures of Tacloban were coming in. It was utter devastation. Worse, there was a blackout on how people actually were on the affected islands as all communication lines were down.
It was getting ominous.
News over the next few days confirmed our very worst fears. Thousands dead. Cities, literally wiped out. Lives destroyed. The next day, Inquirer hailed it as the worst Philippine disaster. Ever.
As media started descending on the island, the footage veered from bird’s-eye onto man-on-the-street.
I’m not so sure if anyone watching could hold tears back as you listen to the stories. People wailing as they tell gut-wrenching stories of their last moments with their beloved. Parents burying children. Children burying parents. Families watching each other slowly starve to death and beg for food on the air.
It’s almost too painful to watch.
I think we have to continue on watching though. We have to continue letting ourselves tear up while listening to the stories. We have to let ourselves be incredulous as to why the goods aren’t getting where they should go. We have to feel.
These are our people, after all.
This IS actually happening. Thousands HAVE died and hundreds more are sick, hungry, and desperate, all fighting for their very lives as the relief efforts unbelievably are having a hard time reaching them.
These are our people.
We have to keep watching.
We have to keep feeling.
The coverage has elicited an unprecedented response from people watching.
We all know about how much international and local aid is pouring in. By now, I know a number of you reading have already volunteered your time in packing and sorting relief goods. I know a great number of companies doing their own drives. Individuals have become quite entrepreneurial and creative in their efforts to raise money. Children in other countries have set up lemonade stands to raise their own funds to give.
The response has been heartwarming.
The thing is, we all know this fervor WILL die down in perhaps a couple of months. The lemonade stands will close shop. The company programs will cease. There will be considerably less social media attention devoted to the victims.
This is where the wheat shall be separated from the chaff.
Post-fervor, will you be one of those people still helping in your own way?
If you were watching footage, reading the stories, staring at the expressions on the unforgettable images – then you must have felt your heart get tugged.
Here’s my challenge: why not respond in a permanent manner?
The last few days, I’ve largely been a bit quieter than usual. I’ve been on some kind of existential self-questioning.
OK, if I know that I DO want to lead a life where I am involved in nation building and helping out, then is this the line of work I really want to do? Is what I am doing ultimately helping out my less privileged countrymen? Can I do more?
Perhaps we need to let Yolanda disturb us to our core. Perhaps we need to let it float serious questions within us about our current lifestyle and career trajectory.
We all want something good to come out of all this, perhaps we should start with our own hearts.
Let Yolanda change you.
(If you think people would resonate and appreciate this article, be a blessing and share 🙂
Okay, so you’ve given both money and items in kind.
You’ve volunteered your time and helped packed goods.
Chances are though (especially if you’ve seen the gut-wrenching footage), you’re still asking:
WHAT ELSE CAN I DO WHAT ELSE CAN I DO WHAT ELSE CAN I DO?
Perhaps one thing is to do what this blog advocates.
Be an entrepreneur.
Being an entrepreneur is all about problem solving. It’s all about finding new, better ways of doing things in the harshest of conditions.
Yolanda has brought about all sorts of grand problems in the most unimaginable of conditions. Rebuilding – both immediate and in the longer term – will REQUIRE entrepreneurial thinking.
Amidst all the carnage, I see a lot of very inspiring, creative, entrepreneurial problem-solving that is happening.
Like using crowdsourcing here:
Or getting programmers to rapidly develop useful disaster-management apps…
Or even big companies doing something fairly unique by relying on their own strengths…
They’ll actually be flying volunteers into the affected areas for free!
I also see a lot of very inspiring “entrepreneurial” activities on social media: from individuals leading and organizing their own fund drives, to people trying to solve very specific problems (a friend of mine posted an emergency need for a plane/helicopter – she got it 🙂
We need more of these!
Let’s help in all the usual ways – of course. But let’s also dig deep and channel our entrepreneurial sensibilities towards this Grand Canyon of a problem set:
What problem areas aren’t being focused on? What are Blue Ocean solutions?
How can we maximize our limited resources to achieve the biggest impact?
Which set of people can I help out? Which can I target?
How can I best help out, calling to mind my own strengths and passions?
How can technology augment current solutions which are being utilized?
What are the long term ramifications? What strategy can I pursue or advocate which best serves the would-be status quo? How can long term solutions be sustainable?
How can jobs be built for the people in the affected areas?
(Be a blessing and share if you think this can be helpful to someone!)
Coming from a weekend retreat, I only recently saw footage of the utter devastation wrought by Yolanda. For a good hour, my wife Pauline and I were just silently watching, with a hand on our mouths. I’ve never seen this kind of footage from Ondoy, Habagat, or even the recent 7.2 Bohol earthquake.
It was heartbreaking.
I have some friends with families in the regions affected who still cannot call to confirm whether or not their loved ones are alive or not.
It was also particularly shocking to see our countrymen resort to looting. I think this is the very first time I’ve heard of this happening, even if we seem to be hit by a disaster every quarter. This is one proof for me why Yolanda is unprecedented.
(this morning’s Inquirer headline confirmed this: The Worst Disaster To Hit PH)
I don’t think we’ve ever been hit this way. Not like this.
So you know what?
Let’s respond with something unprecedented.
Let’s respond radically. Let’s give till it hurts. (because a massive amount of people are hurting at an unimaginable, exponentially higher rate)
Here are some ideas:
STOP CHRISTMAS SHOPPING
Instead, give them cards that tell them you’ve donated in their name. Better yet, give those “I donated ______ to Typhoon Yolanda in your name” cards NOW as an early Christmas gift. Then, very importantly, encourage them to do the same.
The gifts you DO get during Christmas? Donate them. Better yet, tell your family and friends now NOT to give you a gift and donate the proceeds instead.
Perhaps we can all spend Christmas in a humbler, more austere way. (you know, like Jesus did)
TELL YOUR BOSSES YOU WANT TO DO MORE
Is your company doing enough to help out? If not, stop being a silent mouse and tell your boss. He should listen earnestly and at least hear you out. If not, then this is your big sign that YOU SHOULD RESIGN. You can suggest ideas like calling work of for a day to volunteer, or asking employees to donate a day’s wage.
GIVE ACCORDING TO YOUR STRENGTHS
Think like an entrepreneur and play according to your strengths. If you have a lot of money, then by all means, give until it hurts. But one can give so much more than just cash. Are you a gifted writer? Then write and stoke the hearts of hundreds to give even more. Can you cook well? Then cook simple food with flair (say, fancier-than-usual lugaw) and organize a charity dinner at P2000 a plate at your house. Do you have a great social media network? Then help your friends the writer and the cook. You can be creative with your giving.
DO A COMPREHENSIVE HOUSEHOLD AUDIT
I’ve never seen an efficient house which optimally everything it contains. Go around your house and do a quick audit. All the clothes you’re not using (and yes, when you do lose those 20 pounds, just reward yourself and buy new clothes), all the kitchenware you’re not using, all the toys who are Toy-Story-Dreaming to be played with – don’t give yourself time to think: just pack them in a box and donate them.
THINK LONG TERM – DO NOT FORGET ABOUT THE CORRUPTION
There is one sick set of people who actually might find this carnage good news – the ones who would want us distracted from the recent whisteblowing going on in the government, especially concerning the recent Napoles hearing. This has EVERYTHING to do with our disasters.
Time and time and time and time again, we something like “the disaster could have been minimized if we had better infrastructure.” Unfortunately, as long as Rolexes and Porsche’s are being bought instead of bridges and buildings, we cannot hope to maximize our level of preparedness. Do not forget. Exhaust all means necessary to prevent corrupt people from taking office. Exercise your right to vote.
PRAY UNCEASINGLY
If you typically pray mostly for your own problems, then it’s a very good time to start praying for others. Pray for those who passed. Pray for those who survived them. Pray for those who have no one to pray for them. Pray often. Pray like you’ve never prayed before.
Remember, this time, RESPOND UNPRECEDENTEDLY.
(Be a blessing! If you found this post and the ideas it contains to be helpful and you think they will be helpful to others as well, then SHARE unprecedentedly!)
Recently, I took a picture of the weekly FLEXIBLE BENEFIT products we received in our office and now had to deliver to our clients:
There were hundredsof items ordered in a span of a few days.
It was the very first time I’ve seen this many orders made in our system. We had to find a room to keep all the items secure.
The problems we’re facing in STORM now are very different from what we’ve faced over the last few years. Before, we would just be consumed mostly by sales and developing the technology further.
(and you know, startup stuff like “where the hell do we get the money for next month’s payroll?!”)
Now, while the above-mentioned things are still supremely important, we find ourselves worrying about corporatey stuff, like inventory, supply chain, financial ratios, and high-grade efficiency.
By the end of this year, we would have something like 12,000 corporate users. We’re aiming for much larger things in 2014.
I then reminisce about how STORM started some years ago, and I find myself feeling quite blessed to have ended up choosing a TECH idea.
Soft Spot
Yep, Juan Great Leap is all about GENERAL entrepreneurship. It’s all about taking the leap and the process of being captain of your own ship – regardless of the type of ship.
As a tech entrepreneur though, I guess I’ll always have a soft spot for tech startups.
It is after all, what I think is the great equalizer.
In almost any industry, you would need to spend a fortune to build an industry leader. Want to get into retail? You need to invest millions in machinery, R&D, and the right supply chain infrastructure. Want to do a resto? Yep, it would require a ton of capital as well. Want to build a benefits firm? Without tech, you’d be looking at creating a new HMO, or a new insurance firm. Again, millions.
Technology changes everything though. It disrupts.
Technology has allowed a nobody like me to START FROM SCRATCH, and build what is now the largest local flexible benefits provider.
You got a laptop? Internet access? Some programming skills (you or a partner)? Then guess what? Armed with the RIGHT business model, you too can create a scaleable startup right out of your living room. Like we did.
Startups. Some time ago, these guys were also building their businesses in someone’s living room.
Yep, the PSIA member lists reads like a who’s who of Philippine tech entrepreneurs.
You can tell.
Because this group is breeding even MORE startups.
In the room adjacent to the main conference room, they had an exhibit of 20 or so startups that PSIA was helping develop in some way, shape, or form.
Main Startup Exhibit AreaPerxclub!Sked.ly
I found this to be a joy, an inspiration, and really logical, all at the same time.
A joy – because I just LOVE seeing people go for it.
An inspiration – because I found some of the ideas (and more importantly, the execution) to be brilliant.
Logical – because the one thing that you can’t stop true entrepreneurs from doing is to be themselves. Some of our most successful entrepreneurs are STILL going after new ideas.
Panel
Moderator Action Shot!
Moderating the startup panel was a great privilege for me, because it was a who’s who of some of the biggest names in the Philippine startup ecosystem.
It was also quite literally the biggest panel I’ve ever seen. So it was a challenge for my moderator-powers.
The panel discussed the state of the Filipino Software Startup.
Startup Panel from Softcon.ph (the tall man panel) (from L-R) So that’s towering Ron Hose (author of the Phil. Startup Report), me, Rio Ilao (founder of Perxclub), Sulit founder RJ David, Kickstart’s Christian Besler, Ideaspace (and Meralco CIO) Marthyn Cuan, Payroll Hero’s Stephen Jagger, Plug and Play’s (based in Silicon Valley) Jojo Flores, Mon Ibrahim (DOST-ICTO Deputy Executive Director), TechTalk’s Tina Amper, and PSIA’s Spring.ph Co-founder (and Seer CEO) Joben Ilagan
We talked about a lot of interesting stuff, but the main takeaway I want to share with you?
It’s early. The Philippine startup ecosystem is in its veritable INFANCY.
TRANSLATION: Take the leap NOW people!
Opportunity Everywhere
Last week, I pitched an idea I had to a well-known Filipino entrepreneur (free, courtesy of a cross-country Skype session – technology is amazing if you think about it!) to get some input.
He gave a lot of very useful advice.
Then, I finally asked him to summarize: wait, do you think it would work?
His answer: “I think it’s a good idea. Though now there are good ideas everywhere if you just apply technology to an old concept. The key really is how your execution will be.”
TRANSLATION: Take the leap NOW people! Sniff out those good ideas, because he’s right – they are EVERYWHERE if you know where to look and train your eye
My quick advice: think long and hard about doing a TECH startup. If you have a non-tech idea, think – how can I I apply technology to it?
I’ve been in the Philippines for almost exactly a year now.
Oh, what an incredible ride it has been so far. Within the year, I’ve had so many different experiences from starting things up with JGL to a brief stint at co.lab to being part of the launch of Ashoka Philippines. Life has been unpredictable. I’ve been exposed to so many new and different ideas. So many different people. I’ve gained a sense of belonging in a country that has opened my eyes to the world.
The year has really been such a gift and a strong driving force of change for me.
I remember the days when I only had one peso in my pocket. I remember the days when I was so desperate for blog content that I would write about playing board games with my nephew. I remember the days when I’d use the term social enterprise at least once a day. I remember the days when everything seemed so new and fresh…when every opportunity that presented itself seemed like a great one. I remember the days, as if it were a distant past and as if I were a different person.
Why do I feel like I’ve changed so much within the last year?
I guess it’s the feeling of being challenged because of people. For example, a two-hour conversation with a passionate and well-informed changemaker would turn my world upside down. From learning about problems in our healthcare system to peace conflicts to education reform, I felt as if I were learning something new everyday from individuals who were really immersed in the world.
I don’t know which direction these reflections are taking me…but I guess that’s how development works. One starts something, learns from it in an ever-changing environment, and works towards progress.
I am developing in my work and my thoughts, as a young person and would-be entrepreneur. I urge young people to soak in everything that the world is willing to teach them.
Never be afraid to speak your mind in hopes of understanding your life and the world that you live in. It is a helpful exercise that will help you get to that aha moment.
Thanks JGL for giving me a platform to start and grow. Cheers to a full year in the Philippines!
There’s a lot going on now with two of my startups, STORM and STRATA.
People movement, scaling, fire-fighting, creating processes, client meetings, projects, you name it, we’re doing it right now. For STORM specifically, we usually do systems implementation around this time in preparation for the coming year. Plus we’re also renewing with all our current clients. These next few weeks leading up to the first quarter of 2014 will be quite taxing for our team.
I wish there were two of me sometimes.
November marks the 2nd year anniversary of JGL’s first post. While the blog has been growing and our events have been successful. There’s so much that I’ve wanted to do in JGL which we didn’t get to do.
Two of the things we were ABLE to do was launch two projects, two concepts. In lean startup parlance, these were two “experiments.”
The first one was Startups Unplugged. The questions it wanted to answer: can a musical-chairs type of entrepreneurial event attract people?
It did. It attracted 20 of some of the best entrepreneurs in the country.
It also attracted hundreds of people. We filled up a big venue. The event was free. It was paid by sponsors. It made a little bit of money.
The second experiment was Pitchcraft (joint project withy Hybridigm). The questions it wanted to answer: will people pay for to learn entrepreneurial concepts in a classroom-type environment? Can the JGL platform attract enough people for it to be sustainable?
Yep, people paid. That event made almost 6 figures net.
I was supremely excited. The vision for me was getting clearer – JGL was to be primarily an entrepreneurial education and advocacy play. We drew up a lot of plans. A startup “school” with both classroom and online features. Perhaps a startup or two could be incubated in the process.
There was one problem.
Me.
Since this was my passion and my “baby,” I was really hesitant in ceding any control or equity (I’ve been burned a lot of times in the past). So everything was on me – veritably doing yet ANOTHER startup, this time by myself, going against a lot of the very things I’ve written in this blog.
Since my time was taken up by my other responsibilities in my other startups, none of the other JGL plans transpired.
This was frustrating.
So the past few days I’ve been pondering and praying.
Do I keep things as is, or do I try to change things?
Conclusion: I want to go after that vision. And I want to do it more aggressively than before. This will mean changes.
I would need two very crucial (and familiar) things: funding and an entrepreneur.
JGL IS RAISING MONEY
I’m going to be raising capital. I’m thinking of raising it from 4 individuals, ideally representing 4 very different areas of entrepreneurship. (maybe one from tech, one from social enterprises, etc….). They will also serve as JGL’s advisory board. The capital will go mainly to hiring 1-2 people who will be on the ground and as capital to set up the first few courses. There’s also an online content strategy I want to pursue.
What’s in it for the investor?
1) First and foremost, you get to help Philippine entrepreneurs. Call me corny, but this for me should be the primary motive of the investor. I won’t partner with anyone who doesn’t share the same passion for the Filipino startup ecosystem and the country as a whole.
2) Second, yes, this will monetize. (see “experiments” above)
3) Third, networking. First crack at getting to know up-and-coming entrepreneurs and startups. I think this is a huge thing. There’s now a growing number of entrepreneurs who have acquired funding from JGL events.
Note: I want this process hopefully done by this year, so JGL can “relaunch” at the start of 2014. I will be approaching investors from my circle as well, but I would like to talk to as many people as possible (as this is VERY important to me, and I want no stone left unturned).
Resident Entrepreneur Needed
So, because of the update above, obviously I would needing someone to help me run JGL. I was thinking of what the official job title should be – GM? Operations Head? Business Manager? CEO?
I thrashed all that and ended up what I thought was the most functional one-word description.
Entrepreneur.
The key elements of what I think an entrepreneur should be are: used to uncertain environments, used to risk, creative problem solver, maabilidad (there is no english translation), and a great sense of urgency.
Because of the nature of JGL, I would ideally love it if you would be: a good writer, used to online content management, can handle events, has charisma.
One thing I’m REALLY going to take a look at: integrity.
Man, I’ve been burned so many times by not screening for this enough. (if you KNOW you don’t have any integrity, please don’t bother reaching out to me)
So there you go. I thought long and hard about making this public. Obviously I’m going to approach people in my circle (and I have already) for both these needs. But I wanted to make this public here as well so I can cast a wider net. (Stealth sucks.)
Interested in helping out? Send me an email at peter@juangreatleap.com
JUAN GREAT LEAP 