When I played high school water polo, our "hell weeks" consisted of double days, swimming miles in cotton sweats, and doing sit-ups till we puked. This week has easily eclipsed any level of strain I experienced during those weeks.
But, like hell week, it was very rewarding. I was able to catch up with some great friends and family members, including some young friends who are experiencing their first year in corporate America. A common theme in their reports was this: Everyone in the office does just enough to get by -- never more, often less. The idea is to do enough to protect yourself from being fired, but not enough to give management the impression that you are going to maintain any level of exceptional performance. We're talking Fortune 50 companies here!
All of their reports made me glad to be out of the rat race and in the innovation game with every other entrepreneur, angel investor, and VC out there.
I love the fact that everyone in the office "gets it". I love the fact that I can bring an idea to the table that could change everything. I love the fact that the intern could bring an idea to the table that could change everything. I love the high-risk-high-reward mentality. I love the thrill of closing a deal. I love getting phone calls from my geeked out partners at 11pm to talk about a new idea. I love putting the idea in motion the next day. I love the freedom to hire a college dropout with smokin' PHP skills over a Princeton grad, without thinking about the "company image" for a second.
In short, I guess I agree with Brock, Garrett and Brad. I love entrepreneurship and innovation. I am not corporate and I am loving it!
