Million likes: How to build relationships "new Zuckerberg"
Most new billionaires Forbes has already come from the Internet for several years in a row. Offline industries surrender their positions online without a fight. Even Hollywood, Mecca for all rich people and celebrities from all over the world, gives in to the rest of the industry and the minds of Silicon Valley. Now it is increasingly called the "new Hollywood". Ukrainian IT specialist and CEO of WhatsApp Jan Kum is worth more than the top 10 richest oligarchs in Ukraine, and its influence on changing the behavior of people around the world is almost unlimited. In the fall of 2013, Angela Arendts, who since 2006 headed the Burberry fashion house, moved to Apple for the head of retail position. Natalia Vodianova makes a selfie on Instagram with new gossip hero Jack Dorsey, the creator of Twitter and Square. Offline economy is inferior online on all fronts: "Social Network" has collected more money at the box office than the "Wolf of Wall Street", and the "Oscars" received more than one. Ashton Kutcher manages a $ 100 million venture fund and made a film about young Steve Jobs with his own money (with himself in the lead role). Justins - Bieber and Timberlake - all revenues from show business invest in social networks and services. Tabloids chase more for Mark Zuckerberg and his wife Priscilla Chan than for spicy pictures of actresses and models.
As the editor-in-chief of Hopes & Fears Nikolai Kononov noted in his column, new entrepreneurs picked up the banner of the social revolution that fell from the hands of musicians and other stars of show business. Application developers and other representatives of the new wave are building something of their own and do not copy the old billionaires from Forbes. On this social class there are great powers - "people with an awl in the ass, who do not sleep and do not allow others to fall asleep." More than successful entrepreneurs, these are new rock stars.
The main playboy of the Valley, billionaire Elon Musk - the prototype of "Iron Man", one of the creators of PayPal e-wallet, the head of the automotive company Tesla Motors, energy - SolarCity and space - SpaceX. With Justine's first wife, he studied at Queen’s University in the Canadian city of Kingston. He noticed from the window a beautiful girl and, coming up, lied that they had already met earlier at the party, after which he invited me to an ice cream parlor.
Justine recalls that at first she agreed, and then decided to get rid of her boyfriend: she hung a note at the door of her room asking her not to disturb her again. But once she got out the door, like Elon was right there with two horns of ice cream. Perseverance conquered the girl. They were married in 2000, they had six sons (one died in infancy). After the first $ 20 million in capital, a McLaren F1, a small plane and a private condominium, "the daily routine life has not changed, except that piloting lessons have been added to it," recalls Justine on the pages of Marie Claire. "The wealth of Elon seemed abstract and non-existent - a series of zeros in his personal, strange world. I joked bitterly that it was time for him to change me for a supermodel. Instead, he right on the street corner got on one knee and made me an offer." But in 2008 begins the divorce Mask with Justine. She, being a professional writer, describes in detail in her blog the whole divorce process, confirming the findings of Mask as a tough and selfish person: "No one can accuse him of his weak character. The same qualities that brought him extraordinary success are the reason that next to him you can live only his life and not find a compromise, not least because he does not have time for this. " In 2010, Musk formalizes the relationship with British actress Talula Riley. True, in 2012 they are officially divorced, and not having children. Now Mask is not married. More precisely, married at work.
The era of alpha males and alpha leaders rolls along with the offline economy
In popularity among women’s hearts, only the aforementioned Jack Dorsey can compete with him. The book "Hatching Twitter" describes that Dorsey, one of the three creators of Twitter, had dreamed of engaging in fashion all his life. Make your jeans, to be exact. Just like the characters of the series "How to Make it in America". Even after the first Twitter successes, the rest of the founders discouraged him from returning to his original passion. But the "fashionable origins" are still felt - from the entire Silicon Valley, filled with Zuckerberg slippers and hoody, it is always distinguished in articles as the most stylish IT capitalist. Over time, he found his corporate identity and does not step back from him in public: a blue jeans, white Dior shirt, fitted black jacket. His thirst for beauty has also affected his next business - in an interview with Dorsey, fashion designer Diane von Furstenberg, he admits that he created the company Square (analogue in Russia - LifePay), also because he never liked devices that allow to pay bank cards.
Mark Zuckerberg surprised everyone two years ago when he married his girlfriend at Harvard Priscilla Chan. One of the newlywed guests, a former Priscilla tennis coach, recalls visiting them immediately after the wedding at their home in Palo Alto: "When I entered, Mark was sitting at the kitchen table and working at the computer. Priscilla introduced me to him, and he smiled and said: “A great woman is behind every great man‟. They say that she is very lucky that she married him, but he thinks that he was lucky. " Of course, one should not expect such gestures from any "potential Zuckerberg", but the fact that the geniuses of online business are decisively destroying the stereotypical images of both a millionaire and an IT person is a fact. Of course, it’s silly to pursue them purposefully, but you shouldn’t jump from them either. It’s just better to understand in advance what their ideas and expectations are built on in the area of relationships - no matter if they are romantic or friendly.
The effect of smart money. If we talk about the world of venture investment not with specific examples, but globally, then all the money is divided into stupid, when they invest only money in you and only profit is expected, and smart money - when they share ideas and experience with you, they share values and risks more. The most successful startups always refuse stupid money, forcing investors to prove that they can give something else besides money. The money for sex scheme will never work here, because what value can this union bring?
Intangible values. As you know, in Excel, all the figures in business plans sooner or later converge - but what matters is not so much how an investor and a start-uper drives and inspires a common goal and dream, but what principles they live in and build relationships with people. After all, sooner or later the situation will go wrong, problems will come - and experience shows that common values here bring together and help to overcome the crisis better than any business plan. On this subject there is an excellent book by Tony Neck "Delivering Happiness".
Courage. Wins the one who invests in the early stages. Most of all on the deals are made by those investors who invested the very first - in the sowing or A-round. Yes, there are much higher risks, but a startup is much more open to attracting an investor, higher adrenaline, closer affection and, if successful, much higher profits. Continuing this analogy, the dream student with a fire in his eyes and a desire to change the world for the better is a much more promising and interesting partner than the capitalist who has already taken place with inquiries.
Partnership. The epoch of alpha males and alpha leaders rolls along with the offline economy. All new companies are built by partners and people who value other leaders and other opinions and are ready to listen to them, changing theirs. A temperamental young man who strives to prove his case and superiority in any situation may make a first impression, but he will never be able to build full-fledged and equal partnerships, either in business or in his personal life.
Transparency and openness. The new economy is completely built on openness - and this is a real luxury, which is often deprived of relations with, for example, the top managers of Gazprom or Rosneft. You need to be able to show everything and tell about everything, because investors value a person so dearly, not because he managed to occupy the post yesterday and cut something up today - they determine what potential is in his head tomorrow. In this regard, it is amusing to observe how some old-school capitalists from Russia sometimes come to the Valley, throw out a lot of dough on the table and think that the whole world will spin around them, like waiters and receptionists in Courchevel during the season. The first and last thing they hear at this moment: “Dude, this is America, there’s plenty of money here, and we don’t know about you or who you have money from. So come back.”
If this day was the last in my life, would I have spent it at a business meeting or with this woman?
The value of errors and failures. If you come to the presentations (pitches) of new startups in front of investors in America, each of them begins with a meticulous description of the previous unsuccessful experience of startups. In the Valley, they are proud of their mistakes - they are worth a lot, they give you experience, they show that you and your team have not broken. Investors appreciate such "grated rolls", because "for one beaten, two not beaten give." When the future Zuckerberg something breaks off or goes wrong - this is normal. The same Elon Musk a few years ago practically turned from a multi-millionaire into a bankrupt, and now has become a billionaire.
Traction to continuous self-improvement. All managers of successful startups are constantly unhappy with their success and constantly ask advice from others. This is still Steve Jobs bequeathed to everyone in his famous phrase "Always stay hungry, always stay foolish" - therefore, they will spend a significant part of their time at startup weekends or Internet conferences. Do not be afraid to ask questions. In the end, a divorced bachelor and egoist Steve Jobs married Lauren Powell, whom he met during his famous speech at Stanford. She was a graduate student and approached him with a couple of questions after his speech. As Jobs told later: "I was sitting in the car in the parking lot, the key was in the ignition lock, and then I thought: if this day was the last in my life, would I have spent it at a business meeting or with this woman? I went out cars, crossed the parking lot and asked her if she wanted to have dinner with me. She agreed. "
Simplicity and immediacy. A year and a half ago, I became acquainted with Dave McClure - one of those who, together with Elon Muskom, made PayPal, and now owns one of the world's most famous startup incubators 500 Startups. He came to a meeting on a bike, in shorts and flip-flops and looked at me in surprise, wearing a fitted shirt, half-cm cufflinks and trendy shoes: "Dude, you look weird!" I was surprised to say: "It is so common in Russia to come to business meetings." He replied to me: "Damn, your appearance is straining me, because of him you seem to be somehow tense. Next time, get dressed, please, be simpler." Then I was visiting the aforementioned Tony Neck in Las Vegas - a man who sold his Zappos.com for $ 1 billion to Amazon, whose book reads half of the world and who is now building a whole creative district in Vegas. He was always wearing a t-shirt for $ 5, and he was wildly embarrassed when someone considered him a star or tried to take a picture on the street. A year and a half ago, the legendary head of the Virgin Richard Branson came to the opening of the Life.SREDA fund and the presentation of the FG Life brand, when I offered him an escort to quickly move around the city, as well as bodyguards, he was outraged: “I’m not a criminal something! "
agility and readiness for unexpected turns in life. The fact is that in the modern economy everything happens very quickly: you invested in one company, but you have to be ready for the pivot (changes in the business model) and what you’ll earn on a completely different one (if at all, there are unprofitable companies on the Internet can cost millions and millions). As one of the most successful venture capital funds in the world, partner at Sequoia Capital, says, “I don’t spend more time on the company if the negotiations take me more than a day and don’t sign contracts that do not fit on one sheet of paper.” It is worth thinking about the rationality of any rules like "three dates" in the modern volatile world - the speed of reaction always goes hand in hand with success.