Roger今天貼的這篇很有意思，也剛好對應自己最近在創業這條路上的一個自我覺察與領悟。
去年中我接受了一個邀請、給自己一個新的挑戰，接下建立一個start-up的工作。
不管到哪裡、做甚麼，我通常習慣會做的第一件事情都是：
搞清楚"遊戲規則"。
在過程中，我開始學習到很多截然不同於我之前跟太座一起創立&經營 零阻力 的"遊戲規則"。
比如追求估值啊...
比如要尋找能快速規模化的商業模式啊....
比如思考怎麼退場變現啊....
等等等等的、可以說是現在所謂"新創圈"的主流思維的各種"遊戲規則"
這些都很有趣，某種程度來說也挺誘人的.....
(誰聽到那種創了個業、沒多久之後賣掉、一下子變成億萬身價的故事，會無動於衷的，那修為還真的挺高的)
在我接下這個挑戰的前半年，說實在我也常在想要怎麼運用手邊的資源，依照這個主流遊戲規則來玩一場。
但是....
不知為什麼，總是覺得哪邊怪怪的。
並不是說這個主流遊戲規則有甚麼問題 (這輪不到我來評斷)
就是那種，說不出來的，怪怪的。
直到最近幾個月，我才逐漸領悟到造成那"怪怪的"的地方在哪裡。
真要講起來，有蠻多角度蠻多面向，會很複雜。
但要盡量簡單講的話，就是：
我本質上就不適合玩那種遊戲。
也許因為我在 財富原動力 Wealth Dynamics 裡是"鋼鐵"能量高達68%的"地主"型。
說實在，經營一個事業，我如果沒有看到"真的"現金流，沒有看到公司"真的"在賺錢....等等的所謂"實"的東西，我就會覺得很不踏實。
而本質上，我就是屬於那種直覺上就會認同 "退潮之後，你才知道誰在裸泳" 這句話的人....
同時，就像財富原動力測驗報告裡針對"地主"的一句描述一樣，原文我記得是這麼說的：
"Lords built to last."
白話一點翻譯的話，就是"地主型的人不管要建造什麼，都會想讓他永續存在"
或者信雅達一點的翻譯，就是地主型的人通常追求"基業長青"
領悟到這一點，對我來說帶來一個非常、非常大的好處....
那就是，就算我還不知道要怎麼做，才能達到我理想的成功，但我已經知道自己"不要"做什麼了....
"那種"遊戲規則，不是我想玩的。
也因此，我開始思考不同維度的問題，比如.....
"如果20年之後 BioFit這個品牌還活得好好的，是因為我們做與不做什麼?"
...這類的、把時間維度也考慮進去的問題....
扯遠了。
上面寫這麼多，其實就是回答Roger在他這篇貼文裡的一個小問號。
"獨角獸" 還是 "斑馬"？
我選斑馬，你呢？
Is your startup a Unicorn or a Zebra? Last month, amidst high profile cases of misbehaving Unicorns, from Oculus to Uber, Mara Zepeda & Jennifer Brandel wrote a blog “Zebras fix what Unicorns break.”
They said “The current technology and venture capital structure is broken. It rewards quantity over quality, consumption over creation, quick exits over sustainable growth, and shareholder profit over shared prosperity."
"It chases after “unicorn” companies bent on “disruption” rather than supporting businesses that repair, cultivate, and connect.”
They then say “A company’s business model is the first domino in a long chain of consequences. In short: ‘The business model is the message.’"
"From that business model flows company culture and beliefs, strategies for success, end-user experiences, and, ultimately, the very shape of society.
This new movement demands a new symbol, so we’re claiming an animal of our own: the zebra.
Why zebras?
1. To state the obvious: unlike unicorns, zebras are real.
2. Zebra companies are both black and white: they are profitable and improve society. They won’t sacrifice one for the other.
3. Zebras are also mutualistic: by banding together in groups, they protect and preserve one another. Their individual input results in stronger collective output.
4. Zebra companies are built with peerless stamina and capital efficiency, as long as conditions allow them to survive."
If you are striving to grow a Unicorn, you may succeed, although they are beginning to look rarer as VCs slow down their investing.
If, on the other hand, you are striving to rear a Zebra, you are in good company. After all, Zebras like to group together, and they are becoming increasingly common as entrepreneurs seek co-operation and sustainability over competition and monopoly.
When you seek size and scale, you may never reach success. If you seek purpose and profit, you can succeed the moment you start.
“Go into the world and do well. But more importantly, go into the world and do good.” ~ Minor Myers Jnr
If you like the idea of being a Zebra, you can read Mara & Jennifer’s “Zebra Manifesto” at http://bit.ly/zebra-manifesto
You can also visit https://www.zebrasunite.com
And because a gathering of Zebras is a “Dazzle”, you can also join the first Zebra gathering at “Dazzlecon” later this year:
https://www.zebrasunite.com/dazzlecon
