Onward to 2006

It’s been a great year for me as I hope it has for you.  Wrapping up the year, here is a handy set of surefire actions, guaranteed to help you make it just a bit different in 2006.

Delete your inbox tonight.

It’s a well documented fact that 62% of all the email you have inside that inbox are messages from people asking, “did you get my email.” So, in deleting all of it, you really are actually impacted less then 40% of your inbound mail. When you factor in SPAM, “CC”, “FYI” and other stuff, heck, the two folks that really needed something will start their year off with “did you get my email.” Nothing do it.

Forward your phone to a responsible person.

Let’s face it, you need the personal touch of a responsible assistant but, as a start up, you can’t afford it.  Simple. Forward your phone to a responsible friend. You know the one that keeps the desk neat, remembers people’s birthdays and never seems to have any fast food wrappers tossed in the back of their car.  It works brilliantly and you don’t even have to tell them because, being all responsible -n- such, they will handle the calls. A live call gets a responsible person who will take a message for you after the “uh, I’m looking for Rick” stuff.  A voice mail gets done with “this is, uh, a message for Rick” which, of course, gets dutifully transcribed by your responsible friend. Try to get the one not particularly tech savvy so you can blame this on the phone call company with a reasonable shot of getting away with it. As a start up, these costs savings will add up.

Turn down a big VC firm.

Randomly pick a super large VC firm, hit the about our people page, find the “associates”, and send one a letter declining to allow the firm to participate in your next fund raising. Make it all official like, use buzz words like synergy, web 2.0 personification, and mention that, “frankly that associate of yours really didn’t understand basics of recurring revenue on a recursive basis.” Invite them back for an opportunity to discuss your mezzanine round “should someone else in the firm think it is of interest. Your new associate pen pal, looking to climb the corporate VC ladder, will no doubt see this as an amazing opportunity to make one of the other ladder climbing associates look like a dork for missing an opportunity. Expect a call. Great fun for the whole gang.

Actually write a Thank You note.

You know, paper, pen, envelope, stamp.  It’s fun, nostalgic, and the postal service job you save, might just be your own someday.  And memo to Marc Orchant of the Tablet PC Weblog: No, handwriting an email note on a Tablet PC does NOT count.

Answer the “Put me in coach” call.

Somewhere along the line, somebody helped you, offered advice, gave you a break, etc. Do the same. Make 2006 the year you give somebody a break and a chance to get in the game. It could even be the chance you never got, regardless, the world needs lots of smart people making more smart people.

Here’s hoping that your 2006 exceeds your expectations.

Best wishes for success, health and happiness,

All of us at JLA Ventures.

 

Comments

[Marc Orchant]

Rick:

I assume you picked on me because of our previous discussions about the Tablet PC. You should know, for clarity's sake, that I *never* send handwritten e-mails to anyone, ever (despite the fact that I have lovely handwriting). I am, in fact, a big fan of pen and paper thank you notes, Moleskine journals, and other artifacts of the previous age ;^)