How do you decide to pull the trigger on a great new business idea? I would tell you, but I’m struggling a bit. Life is different now from when I started Tech Wildcatters. I’m not a single mom. I’m not trying desperately to find my tribe. Money and I don’t have the same relationship. Yet the ideas keep coming.
Last year I somehow threw a party where 23 women and girls got together to hang out and make some DIY skincare stuff. I had started making my own masks, scrubs, tinctures, and oils. Island life requires a bit of self-reliance. Turns out, one of my good friends likes to make some of her own stuff, too. I invited her over to make stuff together, and well, let’s just say the guest list grew.
It was SO. MUCH. FUN!
So much fun that I thought it would make a good business (with global scale potential and all the things investors like me look for). I won’t go into all the details, but I’ve got a business ready to go. What I don’t have is a cofounder.
I don’t have a cofounder because I haven’t looked, asked, or tried anything to find one.
Now, let’s talk about manifesting. There are a lot of different interpretations out there. Mine is that you decide you want something. You write it down. You think about it. You tell other people. All the while, you take little actions toward it. Just as important, you don’t take so many actions that take you away from it. Eye on the prize, yo.
My problem is that I’ve got a lot going on, and I love it all. But this damn idea won’t leave me alone! So I keep working on it a little at a time. Maybe hoping the cofounder of my dreams will show up?
Thing is, the man of my dreams only showed up after I got real clear about what kind of person he would be. It made it a lot easier to say no when other people weren’t the right fit for me. It made it easy to say yes when he asked me to marry him two months after our first date.
At one point I quit thinking in terms of what I wanted a partner to do for me and instead focused on values. My thinking was that given certain values, I could expect certain things. For example, self-respect, to me, means that you nourish your mind, body, and soul for long-term well-being. I may as well try that here.
My perfect cofounder would have these values:
- Organized
- Self-starter
- Loyal
- Humble
- Integrity
- Authentic
- Respectful of self and others
- Work smarter
- Problem-solver
- Courage
From all of these values would flow a person who cares deeply about our customer experience and delivering it to the highest standards. Notice I didn’t write a job description or any specific skills. It turns out, with the right person, they either come to the table with those skills or they learn enough of those skills to get us to the point where we can hire. It’s what cofounders do!
I used to tell our founders that your cofounder relationship is a lot like being married, without the fun parts. Wink, wink. Obviously other fun can be had, but what I meant is that communication is paramount in any partnership, and especially in one where pillow talk and making up isn’t an option. That communication starts with aligned values.
Until that right person shows up, as excited as I am and ready to make some great shit happen, I’m gonna’ keep tinkering around one recipe at a time. I trust the universe has its timing.
Hit me up if you know someone. :)