An Entrepreneurs Journey

6 years ago I was in New York with my friend Aydin Caginalp of Manatt Phelps & Phillips presenting Linius at the Digital Music Forum east, an almost halfway point on a 10 year journey for me so far.

There has been lots of highs and as many deep deep lows, and the always confronting pressure of

1. : commercializing the idea and bringing a return to investors
2. : keeping those that believed in me and the idea, still in a position of faith
3. : making sure we would continue to make progress on the product
4. : continuing to make sure we had enough capital to continue
5. : making sure we continually had the right resources and team
6. : understanding that I never know what tomorrow looks like.

It takes vision, drive and faith.

Starting a business is hard, but inventing a technology that fundamentally changes the way the world works with video, then trying to get the worlds biggest companies to change based on your idea is almost impossible, but almost, means there is always a chance.

Realising that in order to make that chance more realistic you need to step away and allow a bigger entity with smarter people to take over your idea and turn that idea into commercialised reality was difficult for me but I knew it was the right decision.

On reflecting today after seeing this memory on facebook, I feel incredibly proud, proud of the people turning that idea into a reality, proud of seeing an idea that started in a hotel room turn into a publicly listed company on the ASX, working on projects with some of the biggest companies in the world, it helps re enforce just how good the people are that I have and have had around me on my journey, and the people making Linius a reality today.

So like any good story, what is the moral of the story?

If you have a dream, follow it, no matter how big that dream is, for others also have dreams, and when people’s dreams intersect the journey becomes much more enjoyable.

99% of people may tell you you’re crazy when you want to do something different, but that leaves 1% that might not, and that 1% might want to be part of your journey, for it fulfills part of theirs.

Three of the biggest lessons I learned on my journey of being an Entrepreneur.

1: Learn what you’re not good at and find others to do these things, investors don't want you wasting time on things you waste time on.

2: The pain, not the glory is the true catalyst in reaching your goals for pain makes you confront and deal with problems, or it makes you give everything away.

3: Like Nike says “Just do it” stop procrastinating, learn as you go. Do not suffer from paralysis by analysis.

If a unemployable, non conformist, curious, school dropout, guitar player can do it, so can you.

Hiding from pain has an effect similar to treading water, being lost and bobbing around in an ocean of opportunity with big ambition going nowhere.

The Linius Journey has not yet concluded but I put my faith in those running the ship and from what I understand they are doing a stellar job.

So to wrap it all up.....

We have a limited time on this planet, go make your mark and know when people tell you you’re crazy it could be a sign that you are onto something special, just something they can’t see.

The End