Start-Up Suicide: Mine is Bigger Than Yours.
I once worked with a two-man start-up that had already gotten through the prototype stage and even had happy customers. Their software product could have literally revolutionized database management. But, it didn’t and won’t. The two boys started spewing testosterone about who was the most vital to the company; who had done the most development work; and who should get the credit.
So, they ended up having to pay back seed money (which they’d already long spent); the customers were left high and dry; and they both had to go back to working for the other guy.
Read More: Grant McCracken’s Touchy Selfhood - What Princes, Punks and Peddlers Have In Common.
P.S. Yes, this is sexist, but my clients were boys masquerading as grown-ups. Women can be every bit as bad, if not worse. I’d far rather face off against a prince than a princess. Men will flail about and bloody your nose; women will quietly reduce you to a (small) bloody spot on the carpet, then we’ll have the carpet cleaned.
Lurking Readers! Like what you’re reading? Don’t “get” the whole RSS thing? Simply subscribe to Mary’s Blog by Email (I don’t send you any email or give the address to anybody else. It’s an automated feed to your email box to read at your leisure.)
If you’d like to leave a comment, please do so. It may take a bit to show up since I hate making people type in little letters (I can’t read most of them myself) - so I moderate all comments. Feel free to disagree - debate is healthy. However, I’ve blacklisted the worst obscenities, including the “f” word, as part of the troll wall.
View the Blog Roll
January 22nd, 2007 at 11:09 am
Sexist? What? Dear Mary, this is simply astute! Three cheers for Mary, The Lady Who Dares! Seriously, how many women would be brave enough to distinguish between the genders and prefer men? I quite agree with you, I’d much rather have my teeth kicked in by a guy instead of being sneakily bled to death by a woman. If ya gotta fight, knives on the table, I guess. But then, I’m a man… and not a prince by a long shot
January 22nd, 2007 at 12:02 pm
Thanks, Martin.
As for preferring men - to take off on a bumper sticker “I”m not Anti-Bush, I’m Pro-Intelligence” - I want to work with rational intelligent adults of either sex. And, women can be fabulous leaders and peers, but we’re like the “little girl with the curl.” When we’re good, we’re great. When we’re bad, we’re horrid.
January 22nd, 2007 at 5:55 pm
I vote for Mary’s wanting to work with “rational, intelligent adults of either sex.” And here’s my guess on one of the big reasons why the “two boys” failed: they didn’t listen to Mary’s advice. Something I’ve seen time and time again is that, for a lot of men in the business world, a woman’s voice is like a dog whistle: only certain ears are attuned to hear it.
January 23rd, 2007 at 9:49 am
Well, it was their company and they could kill it if they wanted to (and did.)
The hardest part about being a consultant is watching clients shoot themselves in the foot (and head.)
I ended up writing off the last bit of my contract as bad debt (and another lesson learned re start-ups.)
January 24th, 2007 at 11:54 am
The observations you’ve made about women in the business world might have evolved from the way women have been treated by the business world and the men who, until recently, have dominated every part of it.
Women have been, and still are, forced to learn the ways of business. Ways, which, until now, were designed by and for men. While business might be changing (and I stress “might”) to more closely mirror a woman’s sensibility, women in business today are still forced to play by the old rules. That means a woman can use her innate psychological makeup along with the “male” psychology she’s been forced to learn to her advantage when dealing in business.
I work in a previously male-dominated field (funeral service) and have seen the effects of “male thinking” on the industry. As consumers begin searching for more personalization and memorialization options that fit their needs (baby-boomers are picky people!) they are turning from the traditional funeral home that provides the same service to every family. Female-owned and -managed firms are gaining traction as the “good ole boy” network begins to atrophy and the proponents of said network begin running for their financial lives.
Either way, your comments just “feel” right. And I just figured (re-reading my comments) that it’s really hard to talk about this stuff without sounding like either a misogynist or a manhater. Those tightrope walkers make it look so easy!
January 26th, 2007 at 3:32 pm
Timothy,
Thanks for the thoughts. It’s neither misognistic nor hateful to acknowledge that men and women do, in fact, think (and act) differently. And, viva la difference! Otherwise, it’d be a dreadfully boring world (and whole industries would go out of business. “Manolo who?”)
Women are historicaly programmed by our society to compete in different ways than men. That’s changing, albeit slowly. There are good things about both gender’s views and ability. The challenge is to use the best and leave the rest.
December 18th, 2007 at 8:28 am
[…] Posts: Start-Up Suicide: Mine Is Bigger Than Yours. Start-Up Success: People Before Plan Start-Up Success: A Smart, Effective CEO Entrepreneur […]
January 9th, 2008 at 8:12 am
[…] Posts: Start-Up Suicide: Mine Is Bigger Than Yours. Start-Up Success: People Before Plan Start-Up Success: A Smart, Effective […]
August 4th, 2008 at 11:54 am
[…] Posts: Start-Up Suicide: Mine Is Bigger Than Yours. Start-Up Success: People Before Plan Start-Up Success: A Smart, Effective […]