LaunchUp: The Entrepreneurial Rock Concert

There is something magnetic about people pursuing their dreams. Not just thinking, hoping or wishing, but actually making the dream a reality. This is why I love being around other Entrepreneurs and start-ups. The energy, the excitement, the fire, the positive goal driven mentality—it’s all, well, awesome. I could literally sit and listen to Entrepreneurs tell their story for hours on end. I love hearing how the idea was born, how it moved from their brain to paper or prototype, and how they overcame obstacles. In a less mystical way, I also love hearing about the business plan, their launch strategy, and long term goals. Seriously, in many ways, hearing this kind of stuff is better than a rock concert. This is why I was naturally drawn in by the LaunchUp Events.

If you live in Utah, and you don’t know what LaunchUp is, you really should take a look. In essence, it’s a room full of passionate people listening to Entrepreneurs and start-ups share their dream turned reality. And it gets even better, because after each young company presents, the group engages in Q&A and the whole event wraps up with break-out sessions in every corner. Launch-up is great because not only do you get to bask in the energy of Entrepreneurial greatness, you get to be involved. You can offer advice, insight, or even financial support. I dare anyone to go to a launch-up, truly get engaged there, and then leave not feeling challenged and inspired. The energy in a room full of entrepreneurs is invigorating, it’s contagious, and if you live in Utah, it’s right at your fingertips. I give my endorsement with one warning, however, attending a LaunchUp is the gateway drug to pursuing your own dreams, so be prepared to have your fire stoked and your passion ignited. And like all great gateway drugs, LaunchUp is free.

(Disclaimer: I am not connected to LaunchUp.org in any way. This is not a paid endorsement, just me sharing something I think is great. Also, I don't do drugs, never have, never will. I don't need that stuff to get a rush on life. My reference to gateways was for emphasis and a tongue in cheek joke, nothing more.)

Is industry experience really a deal breaker?

From my time spent in the recruiting field and as a job seeker, I often came across open positions that REQUIRED a certain number of years is a specific industry. For example a software sales position would require 5 years experience in a software sales role. This often left me scratching my head. I can understand there are certainly some jobs where this is very relevant (think Surgeons), but is industry related experience really a deal breaker? Yes, I see the logic here, someone from the industry might have a shorter learning curve, they might bring relevant best practices, and they will speak the lingo—but does that automatically make them a better candidate? This logic is especially concerning to me in the realm of business, sales and marketing.

Here are some reasons why someone without industry experience might actually be a better candidate. This list assumes the candidate is otherwise qualified, meaning they understand how to build a brand, write copy, make a sale, or manage a team (depending on the specific needs of the hiring company)

1. Varied experience brings varied ideas: Sure, it takes some time to learn an industry, but that guy from consumer goods, might just have some incredible cross over ideas for your non-profit.

2. Industry Recycling: This is when the same people jump from company to company inside a certain industry. This is especially prevalent inside smaller markets and smaller industries. Recycling can lead to burn-out, failure to innovate, and just plain poor hiring decisions. Loyalty becomes a serious issue as well.

3. Sometimes it’s time to get out: In my experience, a good portion of active and passive job seekers and not only looking for a new desk, they are looking for a new challenge—often that means a new industry, but they are stuck in a catch 22. People inside the industry can’t get out because they don’t have experience elsewhere, and people who want to get in can’t for the same reason. As a result, people often take jobs out of desperation or because they feel like they don’t have other options—not exactly an ideal situation for employee or employer.

4. They come from the competition: In many cases this can be good, but only if the competition is beating you and you need their ideas to succeed. If a company is seeking competitive parity with its competition, using their ideas is a good strategy, if the company wants competitive advantage it might want to look elsewhere.

We hear a lot of terms being thrown around with 2.0 tacked on the end, Web 2.0, Enterprise 2.0, Sales 2.0 etc. How about recruiting 2.0? I am not just talking about the tools companies use to recruit, I am talking about the way companies think about recruiting. Innovation towards greater efficiency and results should be a goal of every department—including HR/recruiting. Making a shift in thinking like this would be hard, it might be risky, and it would require change; but I am pretty sure I heard somewhere a time or two that great companies do that kind of thing.

Did I miss anything? I would love to hear your arguments for and against the industry experience requirement.

Greatest Personal Sports Triumph

I am a sucker for sports. I have never been an elite athlete, but I love playing just about every sport I have ever tried. I think it's the challenge of competition and overcoming your own weaknesses. If you fit somewhere in the category of sports lover, you will really enjoy this blog post I found which invites the readers to discuss their greatest personal sports triumph. I have already commented, and I would love to see what you have to say as well (if you do comment there, please comment here too so the rest of us can go read and enjoy.) For some reason both of the stories I told there result in the receiving of a nickname. I am open to theories on what that means, if anything...

The blog was introduced to me by Tim Walker. Go check it out for yourself (If you don't know who Tim is, you really should, he is great)

(On a side note, I also tend to cry during sports movies at the most inopportune times)