Page 187 - 6 Secrets to Startup Success

166 6 SECRETS TO STARTUP SUCCESS

You can also increase your odds of getting the truth by explicitly
asking for it and then rewarding it through listening and taking ap-
propriate action. Bob Tucker remembers how J.C. set a tone for un-
varnished feedback in their working relationship. “One of the first
things that J.C. said to me was—and this is one of his favorite expres-
sions: ‘I don’t know what I don’t know. If you see me doing or saying
something that you think is a mistake or with which you disagree, then
I want to know about it. I may not agree with you, but I want to know
where you see it differently.’” J.C. backed up his request with actions
over time, demonstrating that he really wanted to hear opposing views
(his quick dismissal of Doug Crisp’s concerns about Home Free was
a notable exception). For his part, Bob Tucker has seen his share of
leaders who fail to walk their talk. “I can’t tell you how many times I
have seen business leaders say it’s their objective [to promote candor]
when in fact they do nothing to implement it, and I have seen many
of them declare it and create the opposite effect, where anybody who
disagrees with them gets shot down.”

SCRUTINY

Wise entrepreneurs and investors understand that great ventures are
forged, not in retreats or laboratories, but on the field of play, where
offerings and delivery systems are subject to the eye-opening scrutiny
that only the marketplace can provide. For this reason, most highly
successful businesses end up looking very different from what
founders intended or expected. The creative dynamic here is often
like that of the proverbial sausage factory. Even if the end result tastes
great, the process for getting there is not always pretty.

As a passionate founder, it is critical that you deal with everyday
reality in a way that doesn’t sap your confidence and enthusiasm. Suc-
cessful entrepreneurs are resilient, persevering in the face of adversity,
and this fact is sometimes mistakenly interpreted to mean that they
race past obstacles by focusing only on the positive aspects of a situ-
ation, by seeing the glass as “half full.” But skillful entrepreneurs pre-
vail over problems precisely because they acknowledge and address
them. They stare down reality every day, traversing tough passages

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