The extreme adventurer, be it the mountaineer, climber, or surfer, has five main similarities to the successful customer-focused startup Solopreneur (i.e., consultants, trainers, trainers, web developers) (“Clifo”). The similarities illustrate the considerations when launching a Solopreneurial company.
1. Solitary by choice. This isn’t to say that adventurers aren’t sociable or that they don’t benefit from group training, it’s that they test themselves in a way that team sports don’t. They have absolute responsibility and proverbially live and die by their own hand. Unlike traditional sports, they work without a team or coach to hone their craft, motivate themselves, and achieve goals. While there are many entrepreneurs forced to work alone not by choice but by financial constraints, successful Solopreneurs make a conscious decision to increase income by not hiring people. Rather, they build businesses through smart use of technology, leading to greater efficiencies, while assembling their products and services concentrically around a clear point of differentiation, leading to higher margins. Working without employees allows them to directly tap into their trade and build relationships, without recreating the identical employee-laden corporate structure they walked away from in the first place. Social media has allowed these isolated Solopreneurs to easily network and create virtual teams of subcontractors, eliminating the overhead and headache of running a real office. It also allows them personal freedom. Without an office, Solopreneurs can still conduct business anywhere with an Internet connection.
2. Hours. Long before a climber reaches base camp, a plan is in place for when the summit attempt will take place, what equipment will be used, and what route will be traveled. Sounds terribly like a business plan. While requiring a business plan may elicit a “duh” from many, most new Clifo Solopreneurs do not use a business plan. After all, “what I’m doing is so small, why would I need a plan? I want to be flexible…” I can’t imagine the experienced mountaineer climbing Everest saying “I’ll only do it when I have to get to camp three.” While both Adventurers and Clifo Solopreneurs need to stay flexible (our next point), they need a plan to guide them to get to a position where they can control what they can and adapt to the rest. Understanding the customer, the competition, the service niche, and what they want from the business doesn’t keep you “in the box” but sets some constraints so you can engage customers to see what they really need and then adapt. to these needs.
3. Flexibility. Seasoned adventurers think less about competitors in a traditional sense and more about creating the flexibility to adapt to unpredictable and uncontrollable environments. Think of the surfer caught in a closing wave or the rock climber faced with a sudden shortage of gear or the mountaineer caught in a blizzard at 25,000 feet. The experienced Adventurer has a good sense of how to adjust his original plan. The Clifo Solopreneur startup business plan is different from traditional business plans as it requires more experimentation and testing. Unlike starting a restaurant or bringing a new product to market, it’s not all or nothing when starting a business with the plan treated as a foolproof script. The ideal way to launch a Solo Sustainability company is to write a plan, test the assumptions in the market, and let feedback determine if your plan should be expanded or if a spin-off of the original idea should be tested. Successful Clifo Solopreneurs discover and launch their business around a niche that is shaped by their environment—that is, customer demand, competitive forces, and personal resources.
4. Focus. Each Adventurer has a core philosophy and a clear set of goals that define preparation for the next event. Think of the unfocused surfer as before a big wave spot, trying to improve their small wave technique. This preparation is completely different from a cardio workout, strength training, mental preparation of a big wave event, which leads to poor results. The Solopreneur startup needs to focus on the point of differentiation to build the business. Why do customers want this service and how can you reach them and convince them to buy?
5. Love the process. The adventurer enjoys both the process and the end result. For the surfer, getting in the water is something they live for. Riding faster, sharper waves and practicing new techniques is the promised land, not winning a surfing competition. Many “mid-life crisis” climbers train for a year to climb Everest, but true climbers are on the summits all year long because they can’t think of anything else that makes them feel the same way. Startup Clifo Solopreneur also loves his craft and carves his way. It is one of his main outlets for creativity and connection with his passion.
These five points refer to the tenuous relations between them. Stay focused, but stay flexible. Plan, but enjoy the process, as the prize of the summit or the competition is only a point in time.
