About a month ago, I decided that it was time to test the independent waters. Instead of just going after another job, with another company, where invariably I was a mid-sized cog on the corporate wheel, I was going to use my powers for good. Or something like that …
The folks at Hypebot (Bruce Houghton … you’re a good man!) posted a link to this site and blog, and I sat back to see what would happen. The results were quite interesting. A few people wrote back and said they wanted to discuss their own companies with me. Others mocked the personal ad approach to employment, and still others just offered a “hey, you seem cool … wish I had a place for you” message.
What became readily apparent was that it was a steady stream of start ups that were the most interested in me. It seems that the start up is actually the conscience of our industry.
In my personal life, keeping a clean conscience has always been tantamount to personal happiness. Strangely, it wasn’t something that I looked for professionally. Instead, I went after a solid strategy, good business model, and expert leadership. Why I would settle for less professionally than personally never occurred to me. ‘Til now.
How so? Easy. There are a LOT of companies out there now that call themselves start ups. For the purpose of this discussion, if you’ve got $30 million in investment money, don’t delude yourself into thinking you’re a start up. Similarly, if your sole mission is to generate enough whatever to sell out to some huge company, you’re not a start up. You’re just some corporate shill looking to make a few bucks. And quite honestly, I question anyone’s intentions if they include an “exit strategy” in their business plan. If you go in with the sole purpose of finding a way out (and a pocketful of cash), then should you bother going in to begin with?
Then there are businesses that’re so “all-in” with what they’re doing, that it’s harder to change direction than to improve the process. While these companies may have started out with the best of intentions, they seem to drift off when the dollar signs start getting too big. When the revenue slows, what’re you left with? Apparently you can’t go back to those idealistic days — not when you’ve got payroll to meet, and you’ve already screwed over a whole lot of good people.
I made a conscious decision to have a conscience. If I’m going to work in the music biz, then I need to know that whomever (proper use!) I choose to align with is putting the needs of musicians first and foremost. That’s not to say that I don’t want to make a living, and live well, but if your walk and your talk don’t come close to matching, then again, I have no interest.
So here I am. I surround myself with great people who are doing great things. And I don’t look back for a minute. Clear conscience, lofty goals, and no regrets …
