Next Matters Most: Cheers to the last 10 years, on to the next 10!

This is an article about reflection on the past decade, and encouragement to others to be excited and as optimistic as ever about the next 10 years. Let’s get dialed in, let’s get crazy, and let’s change the world! 

Here’s my story - 

I did what many people do towards the end of the year and the holiday season- get crazy busy, get overwhelmed, get through the end of the year, catch my breath for two seconds, and get excited and motivated to get back to work in January. In that process, however, I failed to really take a step back and think about the year that has past, and more importantly the decade that has past. If there exists a possibility to have a moment of doubt- which will inevitably happen because we can all doubt ourselves from time to time- this reflection has and will continue to bring me back to focus on the possibilities and potential for what is to come. 

“We overestimate what can be done in one year, but we underestimate what can be done in 10.” 

I will forever love this quote, which has multiple attributions including the likes of Bill Gates and others. Also, this is 1,000% perfect for where we are today, at the beginning of 2020.  

10 years ago I was practically a newlywed, my wife and I lounging around the house being homebodies on weekends….Today, we have 3 amazing children who are wired and fired up at all times, now ages 8, 6, and 3 (shout out to mother/wife/business person of the year Emily Jordan). Weekends are no longer exercises in apathy, time at the gym, and/or channel grazing. They are now FULL. Our personal life is full and we have a sh*t ton to be thankful for….we certainly underestimated that. 

10 years ago I was in between companies. My last product startup had run its course. We blamed the 2008 financial crisis for not raising money, and without money we could not scale and without scale we would never 10x.  Blah blah blah, but we also just didn’t hit our milestones, couldn’t get escape velocity, held on as long as we could with zero gas in the tank, and finally let it go. My bank account was on fumes and probably deeeeeeply in the red. I was working on gigs with people I met through my startups. I helped other innovators craft their strategy and value prop for tech and software product ideas.  My motto was ‘we bring ideas to life on the web’. I loved applying my entrepreneurial spirit to help other innovators get up and running and start building, designing, and developing products…..but I did not think it was a sustainable business, I thought it was just a side hustle until I stumbled upon “the next big thing”.   

At some point in 2010, I came to the realization that helping others was a calling, and that doing work that I love could also be a business. Smashing Boxes was born. In ten years, there have been many challenges, but also many accomplishments including but not limited to: 

General Business Stuff

• Got a real office @ American Underground, got another real office at Diamond View 3, bought a building. 
• Had no employees, got up to over 60 employees at one point, settling in at between 40 and 50. Whether it’s 1 employee or 100, being responsible for other peoples well being is a huge deal. 
• We started a Code School, the triangle’s first
• 2x Winner of Inc 5000 Award for Fastest Growing Companies in America
• 2x Winner of Most Entrepreneurial Companies in America by Entrepreneur Magazine 
• Winners for Leadership in Diversity by the Triangle Business Journal. 
• My team and I run workshops for groups at leading institutions like Duke, UNC, RTI, and more. 
• We speak to classrooms, judge pitch events, formerly mentor young startups, and continue to invest into our ecosystem with a give first mentality. 

Client Accomplishments

• We engaged, and still do, with enterprise clients with a market cap totaling over $1 Trillion dollars.  That was from more than 10 clients with market caps over $1B. Will you be next?! 
• Over 60 startup clients went on to raise follow on funding after working with Smashing Boxes. This includes venture financing, private financing, and grant funding. 
• We have invested in over a dozen companies that are still active and growing, and hoping for our first IPO this year. 

Community Accomplishments 

• Partnered with community building tech organizations focusing on topics ranging from the value of open source, to the ever important need for inclusivity and awareness. Organizations include but not limited to:  All Things Open, Women in Technology Alliance (WITA), Rails Girls, RailsBridge, CodetheDream, MADEINDurham, and more. 
• Partnered with community building arts organizations such as Moogfest, The Carrack, Full Frame Film Festival, and more. 
• Partnered with community building non profit organizations such as Habitat for Humanity, EarthShare, YMCA of the Triangle, and more. 

10 years ago I did not have a company or a startup that I was excited to work on, my network was small, my impact was minimal, I was struggling to get my phone to ring and for someone to answer an email. 

And what about now? Not only have I seen myself and the people around us grow to become leaders in our field, but also in our community. This is a role that is to be taken seriously as we continue to invest and grow our ourselves, our businesses, the ecosystem and our community.  In 2020 and beyond, we are poised and primed to do more, make more of an impact, launch more businesses, and change the world for the better. 

In closing, after taking some time to look back, I am amazed at what has transpired, personally and professionally, and am more enthusiastic then ever to see what comes next. 

I hope you are too….Cheers! #NextMattersMost