Pave the roads when nobody is driving
It seems like every CEO is coming out with a message about how they are responding to the social distancing measures that are impacting their businesses and a message about how they can help. I’d like to flip the conversation on its head to encourage my fellow startup founders to double down on their product while business is at a standstill for most.
I have spent more time running outdoors (while maintaining at least 6-feet of distance from passersby) due to gym closures and not being able to enjoy the outdoor activities I love most. One of the things I noticed almost every day is the amount of road work and maintenance being done on roads and parking lots at several of the local beach parks nearby in San Diego.
It got me thinking … “How does this civil infrastructure work translate to startup infrastructure?”
One of the things we are laser-focused on, outside of startup runway, is making product better and eliminating tech debt. This is the first time in our company’s history that our engineers can devote 100% of their time shipping new product/features, without the burden of having to put out a fire or support normal platform activity.
It also got the creative juices flowing.
Now is the time startups should be spending more time than ever on creativity. Whether its messaging, marketing, or new product features -- inaction is not an option. What surprises me the most is how many companies are silent, almost frozen in time…
These businesses are wasting the most precious and limited time by doing nothing.
Startups have the ability to be nimble and react and adjust to a new reality. Temporary or permanent, we should all be using this time to think of new ways to create value.
At Wrapify, we are doubling down on refinements to our ad platform, evaluating new revenue channels and finding new ways to put even more cash into the pockets of the 280,000+ drivers that work with us.
What are you doing to create value?
Founder & CEO @ Sweet Potato Pie
4 年We’re on the same page. Pave the roads. Do what you can.
CEO at JPG Media. Patented Inventor. Entrepreneurs Organization member.
4 年We've been able to pivot and move fast into other revenue generating operations and bring a needed support to combating CV19. One thing we're really trying to do now is exactly what you said. Working on our business while there is downtime. And positioning ourselves to accelerate once business gets back to normal. As Tim Rowe said in our Podcast episode together "The proverbial drawing back of the Arrow". Tim Rowe can you expand on that phrase for other readers in the comments?
Marketing Strategist and Consultant | Top 50 Marketer | Helping Entrepreneurs Reach Their Goals
4 年Love this analogy James Heller! This is a great time to start working on the things that you've always wanted to tackle but never had the time before.
Vice President of Marketing at Swayable
4 年Brilliant.
??Champion for the Print-On-Demand Industry
4 年100% agree James Heller... this pause in business can actually make it easier for startups to get in front of key decision makers to educate them on the benefits of their product/service. At Promogo Event CRM even though there are absolutely NO events happening anywhere, we're setting new records every week for the number of new agencies that we're signing up. It's the savviest businesses who are taking full advantage of this economic slowdown to find new technologies & software to maximize their efficiencies and improve their operations because they know once this pandemic is over they'll be in a position to WIN.