Defining Technology, 3 months on…

It’s been a few months now since I quit my job to start Defining Technology. It’s been quite an experience, so this post is a chance to share some of what I’ve learnt and what I’m doing going forward.

1. Square business cards don’t fit in a wallet…

Some people hate business cards, but I like having something I can give to someone new that I meet that gives them some means of remembering me.

After building the website for the company, I thought that square business cards would be a good fit with the logo. While they were well received, I quickly realised a slight design flaw — they don’t fit in a standard wallet. This does mean that they don’t get lost in the back of someone’s wallet, but they can get lost somewhere else just as easily, like a jacket pocket. I’m still in two minds about this one, but for the moment at least, they’re here to stay.

2. Grow and utilise your network

Getting your first few jobs can be a daunting prospect, so to be able to talk to as many people as possible, just to say “hey, I’m here and happy to help”, can make that task a lot easier. It certainly has for me.

Renting a desk at RookieOven has also proved useful, giving me an opportunity to network and get advice from others at various stages of growing their company.

I’ve not being going to that many events in Glasgow and Edinburgh in recent months. I’ll be trying to pick that back up so that I can meet new people and find out what others are doing in the software development world.

3. Have a clear set of goals

I get a sinking feeling whenever someone asks me, “so what do you do?”. My business currently sells both my experience in software development on a contract basis and my ability to leverage that experience to complete freelance projects. But that only describes what my business does, today. It doesn’t convey my vision for where I want the company to go. To create products that make people’s lives easier.

Having a clear set of goals for what you want you and your company to achieve makes it easier to figure out the tasks required to achieve them. In the coming weeks, I will be sitting down and figuring out my goals for the next 6 months to a year and the tasks required to achieve them.

4. Keep asking, “how does this help me achieve my goal?”

As opportunities come and go, a clear set of goals can help to determine which opportunities are important and which are not.

Take Facebook, for instance. You could ask, “how does creating flying internet drones help them to connect people?”. One possible answer is that internet drones could help get more people connected to the internet, meaning that more people can access Facebook to connect with others.

While answering this question can be quite objective, it at least helps to start the conversation. It can also help prevent you from getting caught up in all the small, menial tasks. If you can’t come up with a reasonable answer as to why that small task helps you achieve your goals, move on to the next task.

Given that it’s just me starting my business, my time is quite limited. So, creating a set of goals for myself and the business will help me to decide which opportunities to take and which to pass on.

5. You are not your company and your company is not you

If you’re contracting or doing freelance work, your company’s main product right now is you. But if your plan is for that to not always be the case, it’s important to treat your company as a separate entity.

Defining Technology will post about articles from news outlets or pieces I’ve written on various social media channels. It has a personality and a set of interests, making it easier for people to connect and engage with it.

While this is still in early stages, I will be continuing to grow Defining Technology’s social media presence going forward.

6. When it comes to time, choose quality over quantity

Working 80 hours a week does not mean necessarily that you will get twice the work done compared with if you’d worked 40 hours. It’s important to prioritise tasks, instead of trying to create more time to complete them.

It’s easy to devote all your time to working, but often this just leads to burnout. The hard part is being able to switch off and spend time with friends and family. Go see a movie, or go to your favourite restaurant. This is something I’ve paid particular attention to and will be keeping in mind in future months.

7. You won’t get everything right

When starting a business, you will have to make decisions with not very much information. If you later realise that it was the wrong decision, it can be demoralising.

I’ve certainly made mistakes and will definitely make more going forward. But, I make a conscious effort to understand why it was the wrong decision and learn from it, so that I don’t make the same mistake in the future.

If you’re just starting a business, I hope that these points are of some use. I’d love to hear any comments or suggestions on starting a new business, so feel free to add a comment, or get in touch.