"Being complacent while talking a big game is a repellant when it comes to attracting people to get behind whatever you are talking about doing.”
- Jared Yellin
I was repelled the other day…
You might think the word repelled feels intense - but let me explain.
You may or may not know this, but I have the coolest company in the world…
Hands down…
It’s called CILA Labs and we are a technology incubator…
But we are unlike every other technology incubator in the world that writes a small check and also offers a TON of mentorship...
Nothing against money and mentorship - that’s just not what we do.
We have people come to us and present their IDEAS or their Minimal Viable Products…
We then assess the pitch via four criteria…
1 - The Person - Are they RIGHT for the idea and do they align with our values?
2 - The Idea - Does it solve a big enough problem and is it technically feasible?
3 - The Competition - Is there a red ocean or a blue ocean?
4 - The Go-To-Market - How do we scale this idea?
If everything checks out - we will partner with the entrepreneur, launch a new company together, both have equity so our values are aligned, and then build the entire company at cost.
Software development…
Go-To-Market…
Branding…
Sales…
Customer Support…
Onboarding…
Fundraising…
Legal…
Admin…
Etc…
And 97% of our cost is India cost because we own a company in India so the cost is a fraction of a fraction of a fraction of the cost.
The beauty of our dynamic is that we only win when our co-founder wins, who only wins when the company wins.
VALUE ALIGNMENT!
Okay, now let’s talk about why I was repelled because there is a great lesson here…
There were two gentlemen that presented their IDEA…
It was an awesome idea, with no competition, and a clear path to scale…
BUT…
I was repelled by them because they spoke an extremely big game of what they would accomplish but were wildly complacent with willingness to actualize their vision.
I stand for congruency…
I stand for consistency…
I stand for alignment of what you say and do…
The big game they spoke of what was their access to money, talent, marketing, etc. but their actions were the exact opposite of what they were saying.
The posturing of the conversation became too much…
The games were a distraction to our progress…
The lack of consistency made me question everything…
And I became REPELLED!
I was no longer able to get behind what they wanted to do…
I was no longer able to see them as the right character in the solution…
I was no longer able to say YES to moving forward…
Such An Important Lesson…
Stop posturing…
Stop faking it until you make it…
Stop being anything but authentic…
Maybe this worked in the past, but I can’t emphasize enough how inefficient and ineffective it is to be anything but yourself.
I would have had more respect and would have said HELLS YES LET’S DO THIS to these gentlemen if their words matched their complacency.
Tell me you are afraid - you should be!
Tell me you are concerned - I expect it!
Tell me you don’t know what to do - I respect you!
But don’t act like you are anything but this when this is what you are…
Here’s the deal…
I know how to sell…
I know how to raise money…
I know how to negotiate…
But most importantly…
I know how to be ME and when I am being ME, which is always, I am an attractor versus a repellant!
The TRUTH will always prevail and for these two gentlemen, I wish them nothing but the best on their journey to build disruptive technology and I hope they come back to me years from now and say - you missed out - but if my gut is right…
They will come back months from now begging to work together…
Pleading for a second chance…
And finally - BEING themselves which will exponentially increase the likelihood of CILA Labs saying…
HELLS YES!
Stop posturing…
Stop faking…
Stop being anything but YOU!
Live with Intention,
