“My job is to be irrelevant.”
This week a founder I admire told me that his job is to be irrelevant. Being irrelevant is one of those statements that sounds counterintuitive. Yet, being unneeded is regular advice among leaders I admire.
This topic deserves a larger unpacking, but here's my quick take:
The most entrepreneurial thing we can do is create an opportunity for someone. For many entrepreneurs, including me, letting go and inviting others in to help can feel laborious. It means giving up ownership.
But it's not the financial ownership that matters, in my opinion, the numbers are beside the point. The harder part is a mindset shift.
The less we're needed for something to work, the more proof we have that it's actually working. And have you ever noticed that it's easier to view something objectively when it isn't yours?
I think it's a fallacy that we can work for ourselves. Value is only created when we're in service to others. The more ownership we give away, the more we're forced to be in service - this is also called scale.
In the documentary Shangri-la, Rick Rubin states that his job is to be invisible. The music and the artist have more room to shine when there's less in the way. I think this is true for anyone working on anything.
Have a great weekend,
✌️Mike
Upcoming Events 🎟
VC Perspectives: The State of Early-Stage Startup Ecosystems
The ecosystem surrounding early-stage VC and early-stage startups is always evolving. With COVID acting as an accelerator, we find ourselves asking the question, "what will the new normal look like for the startup ecosystem?" How will early-stage investors, studios, accelerators, and other institutions evolve to support early-stage founders in a post-COVID world? With the world going remote, will geographically-focused ecosystems become less relevant? And what will founders do to overcome the challenges they face as they launch new businesses, and what will they be looking for in partners, investors, and communities?
In a panel discussion co-hosted by The New Company and Day One, we'll be joined by three of NYC's most active early-stage venture ecosystem builders -- Heather Hartnett of Human Ventures, Charlie O'Donnell of Brooklyn Bridge Ventures, and Danika Laszuk of Betaworks.
Join the conversation on Wednesday, July 29th at 5 pm EST on Zoom.
Featured panelists:
Heather Hartnett, Human Ventures
Charlie O'Donnell, Brooklyn Bridge Ventures
Danika Laszuk, Betaworks
Hosted by:
Andrew Hutton, Day One
Michael Saloio, The New Company
Companies we're supporting 👷♀️
Skylum
Skylum is using AI to empower the next generation of photographers and image creators. A bootstrapped, growth-stage company, Skylum creates AI-powered software tools for photographers. The company was started by a passionate team of technologists and photographers to create a better tool than they could find through Adobe's software suite or elsewhere.
Skylum is looking for a marketing person to support them with outbound campaigns, including social and email marketing. Email me if you know someone great.