I’m a startup guy

I get asked a lot where all my energy comes from.

People who know me know me as this somewhat crazy guy who is always working, always thinking, always coming up with another idea for this or that.  An old friend was fond of telling me that he could literally see my brain spinning when an idea popped into my head.

People who don’t know me, but who follow me on Facebook or Twitter or such, often wonder about the round-the-clock updates, the constant travel, the issue density, etc.

First off, I may be “abnormal” to 99% of the world.  But to that other 1% — fellow geeks, hackers, prototypers, shipit dudes, and basecampers — i’m quite familiar.

This past weekend I flew from to Pune, India for the weekend.  For the weekend!  We worked on Saturday and Sunday and had the time of our lives brainstorming and prototyping.  Flying back from Pune, India to Hamburg, Germany this morning I was thinking about all this.

I could write about my secret tips for keeping energy levels up (e.g. I run at least 45 minutes every morning, even after a long flight, or at the start of a 6am day) — but that’s not what this post is about.

You see, I’m a startup guy.

I believe I can do anything.

Making mistakes is expected.

Failure is ok.  You learn from it.

Not trying?  That’s like sticking a knife in me.

I expect to get (hopefully) 75% right at first, 25% completely wrong, and then figure out how to bridge the gap through determination and guts.

I also expect that a large number of the ideas I come up with wont stick.  But you gotta keep coming up with them nonetheless.

I’m not just an optimist, I’m a believer.

I believe I can do anything.

I see a challenge and I start to salivate.

Action beats inaction.

My energy comes from my passion.

It’s not an ego thing.  It’s a drive to do it thing.

I’ve started 2 companies and can’t imagine not starting 5 more in my lifetime.

I like to ship it.

I need to ship it.

I’m a startup guy.

Are you?