“Focus on being productive instead of busy.” Tim Ferris
The world would be a very boring place if everyone thought the same, liked the same things, and had the exact same work style. Lucky for us the world is far from boring and is constantly changing. It is easier than ever to start a business and create something new—to have an idea and just run wild with it. We are so blessed to live in a world where you can start from nothing and gain everything. We commonly hear and read about huge success stories and how much money companies are worth now, but few people stop to learn and read about the struggles, the failures, and all the hard work that goes into them.
Startups are hard, stressful, and time-consuming. That is where having a solid team comes into play. You often hear about the one man or woman who had a succesful idea, and they receive most of the glory. You rarely hear about the teammates that supported them every step of the way. The most successful people surround themselves with people who think differently, do things differently, and have polar opposite strengths and weaknesses. In short, teamwork makes the dream work.
The people you surround yourself with will ultimately decide how far and how successful your company or idea is going to be. Now more than ever it is important to have a team that pushes one another and makes the most of their time. We live in a world that has millions of reasons for you to sit down and engage in mindless distractions, but startups cannot afford that. We all know the saying that what you put in is what you are going to get out. It is completely true.
Now is time for your team to sit down, video chat, work on market research and keep pushing. If your team has extra time on their hands, go over designs, logos, finances, mechanics and ways to get your business out there and running. If your teammates are not trying to keep the pace up, it may be time to reconsider your choice in team members.
No one is denying that what is happening with the COVID-19 pandemic is a true travesty, but even in the dark there is a light at the end of the tunnel. Time is money, and startups in particular need to keep their momentum. We are blessed to live in the technology era and have many resources at our fingertips to keep in touch and keep working. There is no better time than today for your team to keep growing, learning, reaching out and crushing the goals you all have set. Teams fail together and win together. So I encourage you: If you are blessed with extra time during this difficult time, use your time to be productive. Your company or idea depends on it.
