Three Things I Learned In SaaS, Sports, Tech & Live Events
Business (and life) lessons from 5 days at the AAU Junior Nationals in Orlando - and a surprise medal
Three Things I Learned In SaaS, Sports, Tech and Live Events
Spent last week at my son's Junior National Volleyball tournament in Orlando where our kid’s local team pulled an upset and left with a third place medal.
What I learned about business (and life) from 5 days in Florida:
A loss can be a win more often than we think - part six.
In 2011, we thought we'd hooked a whale for TicketManager.
FedEx was doing an RFP to replace their internally built ticket management system, which was actually a pretty good system, as the owners of the project were retiring. We drove the RFP, had a number of meetings, and the big pitch felt like a formality.
It wasn't. We lost. And it was crushing. The biggest opportunity to date and we lost it to a competitor, strengthening them. I remember the drink at the bar on Beale Street after the meeting like it was yesterday.
On day 2 of Junior Nationals, our son's team got upset and lost to a team from Ohio. A few really tough calls made what should have been a blow out a too-close game and the boys lost. The path to a medal would go through the #1 team in the country - and that was only if they could get through another top five team in a sudden death crossover match.
We stayed in touch with FedEx and kept competing. Just over a year later, a phone call came. The vendor they’d chosen had dropped the ball. They wanted to make a switch. We've been proud to be their vendor ever since.
Turns out, the #1 team in the country was a good match-up for our boys in the quarterfinals. They won.
If the boys hadn't lost those two close heartbreakers on day 2 and day 3, they would have drawn the eventual winner in the single elimination round instead. Those losses turned out to be the best thing that could have happened.
The “we’ll see” scene from "Charlie Wilson's War" continues to amaze me, in life and business.
Matthew 7 and I'm asking.
Prior to the quarterfinal match-up with the top team, I was talking to a friend who happens to be a Pastor. I told him "It's Matthew 7, and I'm asking." I have a hard time praying for wins. We're so blessed in so much I feel guilty and often sell GOD short. Matthew 7 is where we’re encouraged to ask GOD. What Dave said to me blew my mind: "Ask. And let's be honest, HE already knows!"
In 2016, right after we raised our B round, we were given a mandate by our new investors: hire a COO. We searched for awhile and didn't have any luck. Finally, we found one. The perfect person. But, we couldn't afford him and just couldn’t talk him into joining our team.
We weren't having any luck in talent, so I called a dear friend I knew from Church who was a hitter in talent at Workday for advice- did he know anyone who we could call. "I'll call you back in five minutes" was the response. He called and asked me why I didn't ask him to join our team? Truth is, I didn't think he'd leave his big time gig to join our shop.
So I asked.He joined us.
Then he called the COO we’d wanted and asked him.
And he joined us too.
Our business was changed forever.
SC Legends 2 - MVVC 1.
The boys did it.
Ask. It's okay.Everybody happy leaves nobody happy.
In the world of youth sports everyone wants their shine. Business is no different and it’s a lesson I’ve learned the hard way over and over at TicketManager.
At the big tourneys, the coaches select the All-Tournament players after the medal rounds. To many adults, All-Tournament awards in 13u sports aren't a big deal. As they shouldn’t be.
But the awards are a really big deal to the kids.
One coach I spoke with wanted to spread the love around by giving all tournament to kids who hadn’t won it before. And that seems like a great idea. Jim Halpert had the same idea when trying to blend birthdays in “The Office.”
I’ve tried it too at work with just about everything: food, awards, social events where we’ve done everything we can to make everyone happy. And why not? Shouldn’t we all be happy for one another and be willing to sacrifice for the good of the team?
Doesn’t work that way. I’ve learned to give the accolades to those who are earning them. Otherwise I’ve just created a mess of sore feelings and resentment. The team knows who the deserving players are - in business and in sports.
In talking to one of his star players parents after the tournament, that player was furious and "wouldn't come back next year." We’ll see if that actually happens, but that clearly wasn’t the response the coach is looking for.
It was reinforced what I've learned too many times: Be fair. Be transparent. And be as just as I can be. Otherwise, nobody is happy.
See everyone next week and GO SC LEGENDS!