Christopher V. Flett

I’ve been meeting a lot of recent graduates the last few months. Those coming out of the University of Washington, Seattle University, UBC, Langara, BCIT and SFU. These young adults have at most, limited business experience, but they can’t wait to tell me how much value they bring to the table. If I were to hire/partner/endorse them, I would ‘see’ their value. Give them a chance and they “will prove it”. Okay folks. Reality check. If you want to talk the talk. walk the walk. Don’t come into meetings acting as if you are equal because…you aren’t. Could you be? Yes. Are you right now? No. At 25 I thought I knew a lot of shit; at 35 I realize how much shit I don’t know. Confidence comes from being clear on what you can and can’t do. Insecurity comes out when you pretend you can get it done (even though you have never gotten it done before.)

One student told me how much money she would make me if I hired her. Yet, she doesn’t make any money for herself nor has any proof that he has done this anywhere else. Does anyone see the gap in logic here? What if instead she said, “I’m eager to learn what you have to teach me. I’ll do what you ask of me. I’m prepared to work hard to show you that you are making the right decision with me.”

With prospective business partners, it is more of the same. I have some budding entrepreneurs showcasing how we can make money together (which I like) only to then put demands in place on how I will work with them. What I learned (after getting punted out a lot of deals) is that my good ideas were shit if I couldn’t deploy them. I could take my ball and go home, but I ended up having a house full of balls with no value. Everything I have today was because of the sacrafices I made to learn the ‘craft’ of building business. I got my ass handed to me 5 or 6 times before it finally got into my young, thick head, that I might have a good idea, but without the right direction and leverage, my idea was just that…an idea. I guess that’s why I love Dragon’s Den and Shark Tank. Entrepreneurs come in telling the investors how much their company is worth. Many are valuing at $1,000,000 but have fuck all for sales. “Yes, but I know this is going to be really good. You can count on me!” Sorry Muppet, you can’t pay the bills with ‘hopes and dreams’. When you stop ‘buying your own PR’ and realize that you don’t have any credibility nor experience in the market, you’ll be ready to learn. If you think you know everything already, you’ll never be able to receive new instruction.

For me, ideas I was hot for a week ago, are now starting to feel a bit weird for me. Am I prepared to teach? Yes. Am I prepared to argue/debate a point with someone who doesn’t know how to build a business model…no. I think what is best when you find yourself in this situation is to let the other side who ‘knows’ what they are doing, space to do it. The best test of talent is to put it into the market and see how the market responds.  I’ve been known to miss opportunities by letting things go. I’ve also saved myself a lot of frustration and disappointment by betting on ‘dogs that can’t hunt’. Let your intuition guide you. Better safe than frustrated. If someone has all the answers, don’t offer your support. They don’t need it. The market can be a cruel bitch. She sorts things out for people who ‘know everything’.

What’s the value of a recent grad? The value is in direct relation to their willingness to learn practical application after four years of theory. Just because you watched Rocky 100 times doesn’t mean you know how to box when life smacks you upside the head. For grads, heres a simple equation for you to figure out and justify what you bring to the table:

(# of valuable business contacts /not friends from school)

x

(years developing business)

x

(# of successful business start ups )

x

(your ability to ask good questions and take direction)

x

(your specialized skill set that no one else has)

x

(reputation in the market you want to enter)

=

professional value.

What’s yours?

C/