As I reflected on my invitation to attend a Start-up Boot Camp briefing and pitch session, the faces of those trying to launch companies played out in my mind. Most have and will fail. In contrast with this reality, the faces I saw were bright, filled with hope, and amazingly energetic. They had a passion burning within them that would only be satisfied when they had a company that was delivering product and getting paid.
Against the setting of the corporate world, where deadlines can be met many different ways, the world of start-ups is far more black and white. In the former, words and rhetoric can be found in the heart of action. From my experience with start-ups, actions are the primary voice of choice. Without demonstrating, showing, proving, and doing, nobody really cares.
In the networking session afterwards, I was introduced to several individuals. The usual question always kicks off a fun conversation. It is a variation on “what is your passion”? Just before I was leaving, already nearing midnight, I met someone with a passion in a space closely related to a company I am working on. As we talked, I suggested that we should meet on another day and explore possibilities. I shared my email address and thought little more of it.
My alarm went off at six. As I checked my morning email, to my surprise there was a note from the young entrepreneur. I’ve thought about our conversation and I am intrigued. I took the liberty of researching you and the website of the company you are working on. It is very much along the lines of an idea I have been trying to formalize for months. If you are interested, let’s meet.
At midnight I was tired. At midnight, another saw possibilities and seized the moment at hand. And old line came to mind; “Young lions on the prowl get hungry, but God-seekers are full of God.” (Psalm 34.10) Actions tell a story. In context, it tells the story of the heart’s intent. A coffee is in the diary.
