Wow, 2016 is here and my life is already going 100 MPH.
There is so much to do already: hiring, scaling processes, strategic planning, intelligence gathering, sales optimization, etc. Although I don't have to do all things by myself a lot of it still falls on me for the initial stages.
For those of you in business, I think it goes without saying that college can't possibly prepare you for business, much less start-up life.
So what in the world does college do??!
Here are 5 things I've personally learned:
Stats 101. In start-up life we talk about "hacks," which is a way of doing things faster and more effectively. One of the key strategies I use is testing my methods via experiments. I remember learning about experimental methods back in college. These principals helped me understand the power of data. I use my stats skills EVERY SINGLE DAY.
Psychology 101. Business is 10% technical skill and 90% people skills. How so? Dealing with people is the primary means of driving business forward. This year alone I've conducted over 50 face-to-face meetings, over 500 phone calls, and 10 or so interviews! The basic principals in psychology apply: what is the buyers true motivation? What is the root of their fear? Heck, I even throw down a Likert scale survey... "So on a scale of 1 to 1o" -- it works, folks!
Speech 101. I do a lot of talking. Some might even go as far as saying that I talk for a living! One of my biggest take aways from college was learning how to speak to large audiences, small teams, and personal relationships. I learned theories of conflict communication, as well as family communication theories that have helped me understand to a small degree why people talk the way they do!
Health & Wellness 101. Anyone that works at a start-up knows that work can have a toll on the body. It's not good. The weight gain, lower back pain, hurt wrists... ring a bell? I remember talking a wellness class in college that taught me principals of health, including stretching, proper posture, and breathing techniques. I don't think I would have picked up on these so soon if I didn't have to put these in practice for class!
Theology 101. Start-up life can be chaotic to say the least. In theology class I learned to think about chaos vs. order -- good vs evil -- beginnings and ends. Those nights when I think about work, life, and the universe, I'm glad I have a basic framework to work with. Something to help navigate the big questions. What about you? Any big take aways from college that you apply in business / start-up life?