I started a business. It made me want to drink copious quantities, smoke myself into oblivion and hit my head against a brick wall. Instead I wrote a blog.
Site Launch Day: 33
User Count: 54
Going right: Beat and exceeded all guide KPIs
Going wrong: One month passed by too quickly!
Comment: Too many cliches. Tempus Fugit?
August is named after the Roman Emperor Augustus. Like me, he was adopted. Unlike me he was adopted by someone already dead - Julius Caesar as it happens - although according to Mark Anthony, Augustus earned the adoption through sexual favors. Apparently this happened a lot in Roman times (posthumous adoption, no comment on the sexual favors part although doubtless this was also more common); nowadays they do more checks; adopters have to be alive and not paedophiles. Augustus also lived at the same time as Jesus who must have been less important at the time, cos he only got a day named after himself whilst Augustus got a whole month.
2000 years later.
First month top three achievements on a professional level:
- We relaunched the new business model of Investment Impact ahead of schedule, overall impressions from users very positive. Quite a lot of engagement from users (although not with each other yet).
- We've met and exceeded the initial goals of beta testers, conversion rates for clients and consultants. Traffic highest ever on last day of August. Hurrah.
- We are now regularly published in The Huffington Post and The Urban Times. Don't think I'll get over the coolness of that any time soon.
First month top three learnings on a professional level (yeah, yeah I don't use the word failure)
- Did not manage to get third party validation yet outside of some blogs. PR desperately important and v. difficult to get. Especially in the technology field - I need some cool clout to stand behind this project (either that or quick critical mass)
- Seems that there is a barrier for folk to upload their work for scrutiny - and part of Investment Impact's proposition is a demo of consultant work to instill trust in the virtual nature of the service. Need to make it easier.
- Too many decisions made by me; seek to form an advisory board to sound off? Will probably require a lot of nasty power point.
On a personal level -
- Marveling and slightly scared that am only 7 months away from being a mother of children, not just child.
- Pleased as punch that I beat my little bro in Pig Shot (still laughing at the whole farting pig thing)
- Can't quite believe that I've taken to blogging so easily with no prior experience.
Two days ago I had an argument with my boyfriend - it started about the size of a pan I was using for pasta of all things. And that night I blogged about it. But my boyfriend is part of my life and this blog, so before I published it I asked him to read it to make sure he was ok with it. He looked terribly unhappy when he finished it and I said,
"If you don't want me to publish it I won't. I want you to feel that you have the power of veto."
I was of course hoping that this power would mean he would allow it. It was 11pm in the evening and I really didn't want to rewrite the blog.
"But we must surely have some limits as to what you write about. This argument written down just makes us both look ridiculous."
See, I have no problem looking ridiculous. Because most humans are ridiculous at many points in their lives and plenty of people have seen me in many ridiculous situations. You only need to give birth to get over that particular hang up. But I took his point. He wanted to be proud of himself and of me and of our relationship in this forum. In any case, I didn't publish it and in NOT publishing it, I learned at least two lessons (Lesson: there are lessons everywhere if you care to see them). Thank you universe!
Firstly, that there was no point in giving him the power of veto if I didn't stick to my word, or worse made him feel guilty about it. Sticking to your word, even when it's difficult is ultra, ultra important in my book. Our relationship is improved because it has been garnished with another dollop of trust. I think it's also very important when a website is your primary sales and marketing vehicle (read my take on ethics here)
Secondly that writing things down makes you see patterns and holes that you wouldn't have otherwise seen - extremely relevant for business plans and ideas. Write it down and get someone to review it. That's a service we provide by the way.