Avoiding "Starving Architect Syndrome"

I was on Twitter the other day, and I saw a tweet from someone who said, “I think I should start my own design firm”. The responses that came cascading in were overwhelmingly negative.

Why would you do that?

You're never going to make any money.

You're going to be working. Constantly.

Architects are irrelevant.

Blah blah blah blah blah

It absolutely burned me because all of these people took this one guy's dream and basically threw it in the toilet. What really, really upset me, I think, was the conventional wisdom everybody had that if you are going to be an architect, you're going to be starving. You're going to be overworked. You're never going to make any money.

That's a context. That's a lens through which we see the world. And it really bothers me that everybody has bought into this idea that if you start your own firm, you have to starve. You have to be poor. You have to constantly be exhausted and overworked.

It's not true.

Now, yes, there are people out there who are struggling. They're working too hard. They're not being successful. But there are a lot of people who've started firms who are being very successful.

So I want to give you some tips based on my experience and that of the people that I work with and spoken to. Tips for how to be successful and avoid “Starving Architect Syndrome”.

CHOOSE THE APPROPRIATE BUSINESS MODEL

If you want to run a successful design firm, choose the appropriate business model for you. If you want to be a traditional design firm, then go for it. But there are also other options such as design build, which frequently do offer more opportunities for lucrative income. Some design firms offer affiliated services like interior design, FF&E specification and procurement, zoning analyses and pro formas, etc.

There are lots of different ways to organize your design firm. So choose the model that's appropriate for you that you think is going to be the most successful for what you want to accomplish.

DIVERSIFY YOUR PORTFOLIO

The most successful firms I’ve seen diversify their expertise to minimize exposure. The most successful architects I've seen have not been solely focused on one specific sector of the building and construction industry. They might specialize in one sector (like residential or commercial work), but they develop fluency with other sectors as a secondary focus. Spread out your offerings as best you can, become familiar with different sectors and start to diversify your portfolio. Not only does it expand your knowledge base, but it makes you far less subject to economic fluctuations when they hit one sector disproportionately. 

TIER YOUR SERVICES

One way to avoid Starving Architect Syndrome and foster financial success is to create different products and entry points into your business. I know many architects who are always submitting comprehensive proposals that include every possible service, soup to nuts. They are constantly chasing only the big job and getting underbid – thereby losing the whole project.

They're constantly putting out proposals and frequently getting turned down because the client sees the big number and they completely freak out.

You've got to get your foot in the door. And the best way to do that is to foster a relationship gradually, build trust, and give the client a taste of what you can deliver at an affordable price point. 

So start off with a very, very basic, low barrier to entry set of offerings that can introduce you to the client but also earn you cashflow. This takes care of that cashflow giant while you get yourself in the door and earn a reputation for being somebody who delivers. Once the client knows you at this level you can upsell, build to the next level and start expanding upon those basic services. This is a great way to generate income, build relationships, and gradually become the go-to person for that particular client.

HIRE THE RIGHT PEOPLE

One way to avoid Starving Architect Syndrome is to take an inventory of your gaps and partner and hire the right people to address those gaps and fill in for you where you aren't as strong.

Sometimes we're not the best businesspeople. Make sure that you've got a really great accountant. Make sure that you've got a really good lawyer who’s looking over your contracts. Make sure that you're bringing in a great IT person to help keep your office running and smooth. Those things are really critically important and they’ll free you up to focus on what you do best – DESIGN.

FIND A MENTOR

Also bring in people who have done this before! Talk to your network and find yourself a mentor, somebody who has successfully done what it is you want to do. Sit down with them, build a relationship with them. Interview them, get advice from them as to how you can move forward and do it powerfully.

PARTNER UP

Always work with business partners whose services can add to yours. So whether it's a contractor or a developer or an interiors person or people with whom you can partner, whom you can feed work to back and forth, those are going to be ways to bring in more business and also raise your credibility with your clients because you're offering wider services and you've got more competency and credibility in different areas. Of course, you need to carefully vet the partners you choose. You are known by the company you keep. Make sure it’s a quality team you surround yourself with.

OWN THE GAME YOU’RE PLAYING

Finally, please take responsibility for your own vision. You are the person who is going to make this happen, and you have to believe in yourself. Don't listen to these naysayers. You get to choose how it's going to go.

And you get to say what success you have.

Now go out and pursue your dream. We need you.