Author: Peter Cauton

Entrepreneur, startup advocate, writer, speaker, and HR guy. Husband, father to 6, worship leader, unabashed follow of Christ

FORTY STRONG

Peter Cauton

Okay! We’re 40 strong on Tuesday for the first ever JUANGREATMEET!!! (I couldn’t say no to the 5 additional people). I had to put my foot down at 40 people – the venue cannot accomodate it.

So – Arnold, Melissa, Dennis, Glen, Gep, Ian, JP, Carlos, Jonathan, Jonathan’s business partner, Johann, Mrs. Johann, Joey, Robbie T., Artie, Jeff, Sherwin, Andrew, Kathy, Ryan, Chey, Cesar, Roy, Ansyl, Lauren, William, Macky, Reggie, Irene, Erica, Gigi, Raffy, Kiyo, Martin, Peter I, Brenda, Robbie G, Alex, Sharon, and RG, see you all on Tuesday!

I’ll be sending you guys a quick survey in a while, kindly please answer and email back to me. The survey will help me prepare better for Tuesday. Again, please don’t flake!!!

For those who didn’t make the 40, don’t fret – I’ve learned my lesson here and will get a bigger venue next time.

I’m totally psyched to meet everyone and learn from everyone on Tuesday!

Seeya in Astoria!

Bizkitchen Startup Recruitment Event

Peter Cauton

Hey everyone!

I know this is short notice, but if you’re interested in joining a startup, our Startup incubator / community, called Bizkitchen, is holding a Recruitment Event on THURSDAY March 22, 7pm at the 28th floor, Union Bank Plaza, Ortigas Center, Pasig City. The event will consist on a short talk on startups, a primer on all the companies which belong to the group, as well as an idea as to what kind of openings there are.

Do email me at pcauton@yahoo.com if you are going so I can reserve a slot for you.

Please don’t confuse this event with JuanGreatMeet which is occurring the week after, on the 27th. Juangreatmeet is about FORMING startups. This Bizkitchen event is about JOINING one.

Do tell me if you are interested in going!

Peter

How 2 Powerful Words Can Help You Sidestep Fear

Peter Cauton

I remember years ago when I was congratulating my friend Jigger Galvez for the opening his BreadBag Pandesal store in Ortigas Home Depot. (which by the way, has awesome, original food – the roast beef pandesal is divine)

He said something which made quite an impact on me. He said “Try lang.” He was referring of course to the whole entrepreneurial endeavor.

Try lang.

The way he said it was almost apologetic, conveying a sense of – if it works, it works, if not, don’t blame me for trying. When you think about it, it’s a bit funny that he responded to my “Congratulations!” with a “Try lang.” But this attitude is totally understandable. We all have a fear of failure. So when we put something out there for the world to see, it’s a risk. Jigger put an original-themed restaurant smack in the middle of Ortigas. It’s only natural to feel a bit of trepidation. I can totally relate.

I remember when I finished my very first blogpost for Juan Great Leap. It took me around 2-3 days to finally publish it. I remember dilly-dallying about the design, and what widgets to put. But I was really dilly-dallying because of fear. Never in my life had I blogged before. What if no one visited the site? What would people think? Who am I to blog about startups? What if I run out of things to share? What if they think I’m a hack?

These are the times when telling myself TRY LANG is so powerful. TRY LANG demystifies the oftentimes large mental barriers we like to erect for ourselves, barriers that often paralyze us from doing even the smallest of actions. TRY LANG subtly puts our fear in its place – by the side.

Okay, I’m afraid of what people will think and if it will fail, but hey, I’m just trying here. 

You’d be surprised at what a little “trying” can do.

There are also times when we worry too much about THE FINISH, and we ask ourselves questions like: would I really have time for this on a day-to-day basis? Would this be profitable enough to get me to leave my day  job? Who would I hire as my GM? Would my company find itself in NASDAQ?

These are important questions, sure. But these questions might be too early, and could be debilitating if asked right at the start.

Just start. See what happens.

Try lang.

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5 EXTRA SLOTS for Juan Great Meet, March 27, Astoria Plaza

Peter Cauton

The 30 original slots for Juan Great Meet on March 27, 2012, Astoria Plaza are now filled up.

We’ll be allotting five (5) extra slots for those who still want to go, so please send me an email at pcauton@yahoo.com to reserve your slot. We cannot allow anymore slots after this because of venue capacity.  Again, for those who confirmed, I trust you, so please don’t flake 🙂

I’m excited to see everyone!

VIDEO: Why You Will Fail To Have A Great Career

Peter Cauton

This a great companion piece to the last post, serendipitously sent to me by a friend (thanks Jan Castro).

Larry Smith hits it out the park with equal parts pathos, passion, and persuasion.

Watch it here.

Enjoy!

Are You a Victim of the Diminishing Dreams Syndrome?

Peter Cauton

When I was in high school, I dreamt of someday owning a huge firm.

Then I entered college.

When I was in college, only the ones with the highest grades were given the most recognition. So I figured, only they could one day “own a company.”

So, from thereon, I dreamt of becoming a high-ranking corporate employee – perhaps a C-whatever-O!

Then I joined a corporation.

I came in as an entry-level HR Officer. The more I learned about my field, the more I realized how incredibly difficult it is to overcome my chosen corporate function and make truly strategic decisions.

So, from thereon, I dreamt of becoming a “Head of HR” one day.

Moreover, I also saw that in corporations, the best managers were often given “car plans” or “company cars.” Of course, I wanted to be the best.

So, from thereon, I dreamt of getting my own car – a FORD ESCAPE if possible, because I thought it looked good.

More than once I thought. “Hey, I’m not really happy! I can’t wait for the week to end and the work is getting repetitive.” But then when I asked around, everyone else felt the same way.

So, from thereon, I thought, “That’s life.” And then I just forced myself to chug along, day after day after day after day after day.

Then, one day I was the Head of HR for an entire firm. My salary was higher, so naturally, I quickly got a loan to purchase a FORD ESCAPE (which I eventually loathed because it was such a gas-guzzler) The monthly loan payments were debilitating, and in truth I could have used the money for more important stuff. But hey, who cares?  I had my car, right?!!!

Then, after some time, I got a bit confused. Wait, so what was left to dream of? I dared not dream of being a CXO. Owning a firm was even more laughable.

So, I instead “dreamt” of just getting higher pay, year after year. Maybe get a job outside the country to earn higher currency. That’s it. I figured, nothing wrong with that right? Everyone I talked to dreamt of the same thing, and talked about the same thing.

In around a decade’s time, society and corporate life had subtly diminished my dreams from “owning a firm” into “receiving a higher salary increase next year” and “owning an Escape.” At one point, these two were my professional dreams. DREAMS. Egad.

My friends, our dreams should be saved for bigger, much more meaningful things. God placed us on this earth for far greater things than a nice car and nice pay. Our dreams fuel our hopes, which in turn, fuel our souls. We should take great care of our dreams. 

Buy hey, you know, my dreams include the really big things, like having a family and travelling to Europe and stuff, they don’t involve work. Work is just work.

Stop thinking this way. Work is such an important part of our lives. It is where MOST of our waking hours are spent. A person who feels broken about “just work” is simply just a broken person. I was.

What, so inspiration, meaning, and feeling great are just reserved for the weekends?

When I took stock of where I was, and I made a conscious decision to follow my younger, more childlike dreams, I noticed something very different.

My dreams grew.

My initial dream was to “just earn enough to get out of corporate.” And I did (with a great leap). Then I figured we could “grow this baby” into an industry leader. We did. Then I figured I could use the experience to create more startups. I did. Then I figured I could use everything I learned to help people create more startups. This is my passion dream now, and it excites and burns within me furiously. I would do this for free. And when I think of it, I think it’s an aspiration worth being called a dream.

Are your dreams getting less and less worthy of being called a “dream?” Are you a victim of the Diminishing Dreams Syndrome? If you are, then this recognition alone can prove to be a monumental asset. Get out of this downward spiral, fast.

It might be good to take a long leave. But don’t go to Boracay with your friends first. Retreat. It might be tough to see the forest from the trees, so take a step back first. Take stock of who you are and what is meaningful to you. Pray. Consider. Be open.

Then ask yourself this question: what do you REALLY want to do?

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ADDENDUM: Learn How To Build Your Startup By JOINING One

Peter Cauton

Here’s an interesting thing I realized when I was thinking of the previous post :

From my stint in Chikka, I know around 7 people who have developed (or are developing) startups upon leaving the firm.

In my own startup, STORM, a company of around 12-15 people at any given time, 2 people who’ve left the firm have formed their own startups (hello Kiko Loseo and Ope Linchangco!).

Knowing how sparse Filipino startups are, this is no coincidence: working for a startup prepares you to run one.

Learn How To Build Your Startup By JOINING One

Peter Cauton

If I had not joined erstwhile startup Chikka Asia back in 2004, I most probably would not have had the inspiration and mindset to start my own firm. Back in those times, I only had one mindset – climbing the corporate ladder. My experience in Chikka broadened my career horizons and got me thinking, “hey, maybe I can do it!”

Previous to Chikka, I was working with companies which had really “corporate” cultures, where we had to go to work in ties and all. As I started in Chikka, I quickly noticed some differences, such as:

1) a hatred of formality (yep, it’s a strong word, but I’m sticking with it)

2) there were no special rooms for “Management,” everyone had the same table and chair like and with everyone else

3) there were interesting perks (beer after 6, lechon feasts during birthdays of founders, etc…)

4) LOUD meetings

5) approvals were A LOT faster

I mean, some of these might seem run-of-the-mill now, but during that time, and especially with my very corporate-conservative background these were all NEW.

And I loved it. I thought the lack of formality made for a more creative atmosphere.

Most importantly, I sucked up the entire experience like a sponge, paying attention to stuff like: how the CEO thought,  how the COO just EXECUTED, how quickly ideas were turned into action, how problems were handled, how employees were empowered, how ambiguity was handled, how open the Management team was to new ideas, and very importantly, how the company grew from its very humble roots.

Actually, when I joined Chikka, I was already talking to Pao about forming STORM. In retrospect, joining Chikka was precisely what I needed at that time – I needed to understand firsthand that a Philippine startup COULD work. (thank you, God) My experience in working for a startup solidified my intention in building one. If I had joined that apparel company which also gave me a job offer, I remain convinced that I wouldn’t be doing what I am doing now.

If you are hesitant to dive headlong into starting a startup, joining one provides a very strategic bridge. Startup life and corporate life are SO dissimilar. Corporate life does little to prepare you for the challenges of running a startup. Joining a startup can provide you with a great way to experience startup life with minimal risk (you still have a salary). You can ask some of the founders to mentor you (If they are open. If they are not, then that might not be the right startup for you – startup founders are typically quite enthusiastic with mentoring newer startups). At the very least, I can almost guarantee a great learning experience.

(7 slots remaining for JuangreatMEET on March 27! Do email me at pcauton@yahoo.com to reserve a slot!)

Juan Great MEET: 7pm, March 27, Astoria Plaza

Peter Cauton

Okay. I’ve postponed this long enough.

Let’s meet.

I know a number of you have wanted to meet up – I’m so sorry if I haven’t replied with a definitive schedule on a coffee talk just yet, as my schedule’s been crazy. I pray you’d be okay with this in the meantime.

Let’s not complicate things. I’ll just give a short short sharing of My Own Startup story, we’ll have a Q&A portion, and then it’s Mingle Time. I’ll invite a handful of other entrepreneurs and founders who want to help out so the learning experience and exchange would be at a maximum.

It’s going to be free, of course 🙂 Sagot ko na muna. 

If you’ve been sitting on your behind just reading posts and don’t know where to start, this might be a great way to kickstart your process.

If you’ve recently founded a startup and have some questions, then it might be a good venue to get some advice, network, and even help out.

If you’re in the process of starting up, then it might be a good place to find a support group who will listen and help out.

I’ve reserved a room for around 30 people, so the atmosphere would be more intimate and comfortable. Obviously it will be limited seating. So if you are bringing friends, please bring people who are seriously interested in startups. You can leave your significant other just this once, so we can maximize the slots for truly interested people (assuming your partner isn’t a startup enthusiast like you).

Also, if you are say you are going, please don’t flake. I trust you and I will reserve a place for you if you are among the first to reserve.

No need for a Facebook event page, I think. Let’s again make this simple. If you want to go, shoot me an email at pcauton@yahoo.com ASAP and tell me how many you will be. First 30 people get in. That’s it.

WHAT: Juan Great Meet

WHERE: Chelsea Room, Astoria Plaza, Escriva Drive, Pasig City

WHEN: Tuesday, March 27, 7:00 pm – 9:00 pm

WHY: Ultimately, to LEARN

Seeya!

Quick! Try looking for an unhappy startup founder!

Peter Cauton
Have they all taken the happy pill?

Earlier today I talked to a startup founder who told me his startup story – he made A TON of money in corporate, decided to retire early, and then one day he woke up thinking that he just had to start something. So he created a company he ran from his living room, which grew by leaps and bounds over the last three years. Now he runs a sizeable tech startup operation at Fort Bonifacio. I was just in their office, which looked just AMAZING. He’s also very evidently pumped up.

On the other end of the spectrum, I know more than a few founders who are struggling. They scrap and hustle like crazy to make ends meet and barely make it. And you know what? They, too, are having the time of their lives.

Some of these guys make it big. You see them in the news. Some of these guys will experience moderate success. A bunch of these guys will not make it. You will see it in their Linkedin accounts, where you see 1-2 years of “President and Owner, ABCD Company” in between corporate jobs. Talk to these guys. You will learn a lot. None of them it seems regret the experience, and in fact, most will say it was the best learning experience they’ve ever had. Most will say they had the most fun in that stint.

It seems that startup success IS NOT a determinant of founder joy – just jumping in seems enough. 

Interestingly, most of whom I’ve talked to who’ve founded startups which have folded are raring to do it again. They might have gone back to corporate, but a number are just biding time to cook another idea. I would love to work with entrepreneurs like these – failure is almost a pre-requisite in startup success.

Try looking for an unhappy startup founder. You won’t find one. You could have a number of frustrated ones who are stuck with a problem. Or struggling ones. Or poor ones. Or confused ones. ALL of them though, I can almost assure you, are having the times of their professional lives.

There is a different joy your soul experiences when it is fed with the pursuit of its passions.