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The reason starting small is so important is because of the engagement chicken-or-the-egg problem. Every community starts off with the same challenge. You need people to create content for members to engage with in the community. But you need people in the community in order to motivate people to create content.
The Business of Belonging
David Spinks
Right now you’re probably thinking, “But don’t all startups begin with the founders owning 100 percent of the shares?” True. But not all founders are willing to begin working on a startup without an outside investor. Many of them hold out for that first check like it’s a security blanket. I prefer founders who are willing to pursue their visions long before an investor comes along and takes some of the pressure off of them. What this signals, in my experience, is that if these founders someday run out of money—and almost all startups do—they will likely revert back to not paying themselves, while still pushing the company forward with their effort, in order to save the business (and your investment). These are my people, the hustlers and the builders. As the world figures out you’re an angel, you will be crushed with a legion of founders who want your backing, and most of them will not be the “sweat equity” type. Most wannabe founders are waiting for an angel to anoint them with a $50,000 check before they start working on anything outside of a PowerPoint deck, or worse, delusionally long emails explaining why everything else out there sucks and their derivative idea will win—if only you believe in them and cut them a check. If the most a person can create without funding is a PowerPoint deck or an insufferable email, they have DQed themselves from running a startup—and you should tell them that in your own style. I don’t recommend using my style, which is uniquely abrasive but works with my personal brand and goals. I typically tell wannabe founders, “I invest in people who build things, not people who talk about building things.” My approach is to be judgmental and combative, if you haven’t figured that out.
Most parents are shocked when they realize that crooked teeth, narrow faces, large noses, and undeveloped jaws can be avoided if a child is simply encouraged to breathe through his or her nose. Not only is sports performance affected, but lifelong health! We cannot be dispassionate about the impact of mouth breathing on the development of our children. The detrimental effects that I suffered from a childhood of breathing through my mouth needn’t happen to anyone else, armed with the knowledge we have about the benefits of nasal breathing.
The Oxygen Advantage
Patrick McKeown
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