When the Water Pipe Bursts: 6 Realizations as We're Reading the News
Lately I feel like we're coasting. Settling into a comfortable zone where most normal people hang out. Being "normal" is dangerous at startups. I asked the team - if winter comes, are we ready? Here's what I heard from everyone, distilled:
1. The universe doesn't care about your plans. Short Story was 8 months old when covid hit. The first day we moved into Mariposa the water pipe burst. Challenges are inevitable. Tariffs? Economic pullback? Challenge Accepted. 🥋🦶
2. Competition isn't sleeping. Our competition is feeling the squeeze. They're pedaling hard, trying to eat our lunch. We need to differentiate aggressively. Think contrarian. Innovation requires risk-taking. Stagnation = death.
3. Market disruption is opportunity. Conquer or be conquered. Good markets don't create billion-dollar companies. Bad markets do. We have a good business in a tough industry. Perfect.
Founded during the 1970s recession: Microsoft (1975), Apple (1976). Founded during the 2001 Dot-com Crash: LinkedIn (2002). Founded during the 2008-2009 Great Recession: Uber (2009), Airbnb (2008), Venmo (2009), WhatsApp (2009), Slack (2009), Stripe (2010)
4. The customer experience should feel like magic. 🔮 Companies talk about "delivering value". What does that even mean?? When a customer puts on clothes we've picked and is shocked at how perfectly it fits and matches their taste, we've done something right.
5. Don't accept reasonable answers. Blockers often sound "reasonable". I even catch myself thinking this. Startups that win find ways around blockers. They challenge the limitations of the mind. Aside from the rules of physics, anything is possible. You literally have to outthink others. The market doesn't care about your reasons. It only rewards what you ship.
6. It's about team and personal excellence. We have strong values as a company and as people--relentless achievers who go against the tide; we are also trustworthy, conscientious, low ego team-players. We're not "fancy", though we know what nice things look like. We're here to get the job done and to create opportunities for everyone.
Excellence isn't a single state. (Some days I feel decidedly "un-excellent"). It must be a process of continuous, painful improvement. The companies that last aren't just the ones with the cleverest ideas or the most funding. They're the ones that preserve their character as they scale.
So the news? It's sobering, but it doesn't scare me as long as we remember who we are.
Bring it on.
