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Always On
Our whole society is moving to an always on state.
But I think VCs and entrepreneurs suffer from being always on a bit more than the rest of society.
The only time I am not in "recieve mode" these days is when I am asleep or at a movie or a play.
I try to shut it off when I am around the family and I manage to do a decent job at it, but it's not easy.
If you take mobile email, mobile IM, text messaging, an iPod with a "channel for elevator pitches", blogging, the cell phone, and the laptop, you get an array of channels that are in use for the better part of every day.
It takes its toll.
And then there is the nature of the venture business. Last night I got a call from an entrepreneur who had just finished a great meeting that I had set up for him. He was on the west coast. It was after dinner in New York.
I was trading IMs with another entrepreneur at 10pm last night.
I was on the cell phone with my partner yesterday morning going over a term sheet that we needed to respond to "ASAP".
You do what you gotta do. It's the nature of the business.
The good part of the venture business is that you can often work outside of the office. But once you master that, it's hard to know when to stop. Do I work on the golf course, do I do mobile email in the subway, do I edit a term sheet on the Jitney out to long island? The answer is yes to all of these.
I am certain that being "always on" is bad for your health, both mental and physical. And yet I find it hard to stop. Maybe its an addiction.
I read Steve Jobs' commencement speech from Stanford earlier this week and shared it with my family. I was impressed by the simplicity and power of his message. He urged the graduating seniors to "find what they love".
I found what I love 20 years ago and I guess its become a bit of an addiction.
But it sure is fun.
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Posted June 18, 2005 in Venture Capital and TechnologyComments
Fred,
I wonder how you manage this amount of information. Especially how you direct the incoming information into something manageable and organized. Is it a good PDA, a little paper organizer, Outlook ?
regards,
Leo
Posted by: Leo F | Jun 18, 2005 11:26:11 PM
3x5 cards
Posted by: Charlie Crystle | Jun 19, 2005 8:53:25 AM
Fred, Thanks so much for your mention and link to Steve Jobs commencement speech at Stanford. This is a great speech and very relevant to everyone in any endeavor.
It reminds me of why I entered the computer industry years ago and the reason to "stay hungry and stay foolish". Excellent stuff.
Posted by: Thoimas Morling | Jun 19, 2005 5:00:55 PM
Todays way of working requires a lot of discipline. Discipline to allow yourself time off. Which is not easy - there is always something you need, should, or could do. And the amount of information you want to stay on top of is enormous. I'd say the key is discipline and focus.
Posted by: Klas K. | Jun 20, 2005 4:25:20 AM
I would say that you have always been an 'always on' person, and that naturaly you have gravitated to a profession that rewards your very nature. Much of that, I'm afraid, we get from Dad, for I'm the same way, though not always as...shall we say - focused.
Posted by: jackson | Jun 20, 2005 5:20:58 PM
My dad (who was a research scientist) used to say: do for a living what you would do for free. My uncle used to joke that for most people that advice would get them landed in jail!
My dad would follow it up by saying that he would still do what he was doing even if he was not getting paid, but he might not work quite as hard at it. Maybe that's one way for those of us similarly afflicted as you to think about it: envision that we aren't getting paid for this work. We will still work hard at it, but maybe not let it consume quite so much of our lives.
Posted by: Dan Malven | Jun 21, 2005 12:05:00 PM
Here is reality: everyone else is happy to have you at their beck and call. But so what? The smart operator turns off the phone and the (eek!) Blackberry and the rest of it come the dinner hour. The venture business isn't the commodities business. You don't have to worry about hourly changes in the gold price, or the future for oil or pork bellies.
Take lots of time away every day. Think. Rest. Think some more. You will make better decisions that way.
And tell your CEOs to do the same. Half the time they are just trying to show you how hard they are running, anyway. I know--I've been on both sides.
It is foolish to be led around like a sheep by gadgets and gizmos and other people's priorities.
And your CEOs should do likewise. They will be better for it.
Posted by: keith | Jun 24, 2005 11:44:23 PM
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Posted by: roms | Sep 28, 2005 11:53:48 AM
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