Moving House!

We're moving house! His Seasons has moved to a new, funky address which is http://dreamshaven.wordpress.com/ . If you like my articles, follow me there and let's inspire each other.

Edwin.

Crazy

They call you crazy, coz they want you like them to live in conformity.
Only coz they are lazy, and don't know how to break from their monotony,
Their souls are hazy, coz they haven't discovered their individuality,
They plod daily, in a life stripped of their unique ability,
Yes when they call you crazy, it does look like a hint of jealousy.

7 Business Lessons From Military Special Operations Officers (Special Ops)

They are the best of the best. Every country deploys them to the hottest battle zones. While we know that these highly trained military units are prepared for battle, the same skills can also be applied in the modern day business and career field, which is a battle zone in itself. I’ll examine 7 aspects of their training and operations that can be used in the corporate world with positive results.

1) Intense Training - The navy seals have an adage that says the more you sweat in training, the less you bleed in combat. All Special ops training programs are designed to weed out the average recruits. The US Navy Seal, for example, weeds out 70% of participants. This training is toughened to ensure only the officers who are physically fit and mentally capable of planning and executing gruesome missions in hostile environments make it.

In business - Every firm or individual must undergo rigorous training before being deployed to work in the corporate field. Training toughens one’s mind and helps him prepare for what he’s about to face. It also helps one know what to do in different scenarios.

2) Reconnaissance - Intelligence gathering. No mission can hope to be successful without gathering information about the enemy ,terrain and the population in the mission field. Most special operations officers are trained in the language and culture of the regions they are to be deployed to.

In business - Firms regularly gather “intel” about the market they are operating in to know consumer behaviour, crucial cultural and environmental aspects, strengths and weaknesses of the competition, best distribution channels and most effective modes of advertising. A firm that has been widely successful in using the market intelligence they’ve gathered to be dominant in all the countries they operate in is The Coca Cola company.

3) Commander’s Intent - Commander's Intent is the description and definition of what a successful mission will look like. Whenever the mission doesn’t follow the same steps as rehearsed, the officers are allowed to improvise but not forget the overall objective.  For example in the Zero Dark 30 mission, the intent was simple, to neutralize Osama Bin Laden. Anything else was a sideshow. The SEALS in this mission lost a chopper in the process, meaning the mission didn’t go as rehearsed but, they focused on the main goal and achieved it.

In business - Once the goals have been clearly communicated to the team members, it doesn’t matter what they do, as long as they deliver their intended results. This will prevent them being sidetracked by unnecessary side-shows and focus their energy on the most important deliverable. Keep the main thing, the main thing.

4) War Games - The special ops officers rehearse for every mission while anticipating the enemy’s reactions. They rehearse and refine their strategies before going out on a mission so as to know the best possible plan of attack.

In business - No firm operates in a vacuum. It’s important to know what the competition is doing and anticipate their reaction once you step out into any market to prepare your counter measures. Plan for the worst.

5) Adaptability and Flexibility - No matter how the special ops rehearse and prepare, the real battle field usually presents twists and turns they were not prepared for. They must therefore use their intellect and training to quickly adapt to be able to ensure they stay on course to achieve the Commander’s objective. This is why they are trained in all forms of unconventional combat and basic life support skills functional in different kinds of environments.

In business - Don’t stick to a business plan that isn’t working. You should be quick to adapt to the prevailing mood of the market. This is how Samsung has been able to be the market leader in Smartphone technology, overtaking firms like Nokia and Blackberry who thought that their phone reign would never end. Samsung was able quickly read the mood of the market, which was set when Steve Jobs unveiled the iPhone, forever changing the way phones would be made.

6) Surprise execution - Special ops must be able to carry out quick and unexpected attacks. The SEALS have employed this strategy with great success in their pre-dawn raids. The Kenyans were also able to take over the Somali port city of Kismayu from the Al Shabaab by employing smoke and mirror tactics to make the enemy think their army is invading them through the main road from the Kenyan border only for them to find out that they had planned the invasion through a beach landing from the sea.

In business - Firms like Safaricom stay ahead of the game by pulling out rabbits from hats like the innovative M-Shwari. These never anticipated innovative moves are the reason why the competition always plays catch up. They never know what new product Safaricom will unveil next.

7) After Action Review - Every mission, successful or unsuccessful, has to be reviewed. The strengths and weaknesses of the mission are critically analyzed for improvement of the team. A good example is during the Nairobi Westage Mall hostage crisis. The whole scenario was caught on camera. As the operation was going on, the different military units present in the scene drawn from various countries had already started reviewing what went wrong and looking at ways to seal the loopholes that led to the crisis.

In business- No matter how successful (or unsuccessful) you have been, always review and see what part of your process or product need to be refined. Define the areas of improvement and act on it. Always remember, today’s innovation is tomorrow’s relic. Don’t be relegated to the relics.


Let your plans be dark and as impenetrable as night, and when you move, fall like a thunderbolt - Sun Tzu, The Art of War

The Main Event : Part 2

A boy came rushing into the Bethlehem town square. He was obviously quick footed, as he had outpaced the runner who had gone to fetch him. He came directly to where Samuel was and bowed down in respect to the old prophet. Samuel inspected him. He smelled of sheep and his cloak was old and worn out, but that couldn’t hide the fact that he was as handsome and well-built as his seven older brothers who were standing nearby. “You must be David”, said Samuel. “Yes I am”. “Then let’s proceed”, said Samuel with a smile. “You’re the one I was waiting for.” Samuel took his horn and poured the oil on David’s head and spoke a blessing on him. He then proceeded to carry out the sacrifice hurriedly, knowing that the main reason for his coming was already complete.

Looking back at this event, we see a few things. Nobody knew the significance of what had taken place then. Nobody in the house of Jesse even in their wildest dream thought that David would one day be king over Israel. They didn’t think highly of him, in fact they despised him even after this event. Yet this young boy is the one God had chosen because He knew he was after God’s own heart. God also knew of his abilities, he was able to fight off a lion and a bear to protect his father’s sheep. A show of loyalty which nobody else but God himself had seen.

God had chosen him to carry out His assignment to lead the nation of Israel. David wasn’t the most popular guy in his peer group, but when God qualified him it didn’t matter who agreed with His choice or not. David even had been overlooked for a ceremony which he was invited, yet by God’s design he was supposed to be the main event.  The stone the builders rejected had become the chief cornerstone.

God has anointed all of us to carry out His will on earth. He’s well aware of what we can accomplish, He deposited those gifts in us. He’s confident of us completing our mission, He’s the one who’ll chart the course anyway. He’s well aware that there are many negative voices which don’t believe in us, He doesn’t need anyone else to validate His plans for our lives.

So David, in the near future would slay Goliath the champion who was feared by all Israel, skillfully play the harp for the King, become a renegade and finally ascend to the throne of Israel. What would have happened if he had allowed the dissenting voices of his family in his youth to silence him? He would have remained an unused stone, not the pillar of the nation. Ignore the voices telling you how worthless you are, and follow the one Voice which has ability to breathe life into dry bones.

The Main Event : Part 1

The old man, staff in hand, wearily strolled into the town square and looked around. He was obviously a man of great importance, judging by the way everyone was treating him. In the middle of the open arena he saw the hastily built altar and stepped forward to inspect it. He stared at it for a few minutes as the wind blew his thin hair on his face. “This will do”, he whispered to a younger man who stood by his side. The second man looked at him suspiciously as his long white beard moved as he spoke. “Please bring the heifer I came with. And call all the guests I’ve invited, it’s time for the afternoon sacrifice. “

With those instructions, the other man sped off.  Other invited guests started streaming into the town square while speaking in hushed tones.  Prophet Samuel had told the Bethlehem residents that he had come all the way from Ramah to their city just for a sacrifice. Nobody was buying that line. They knew that God had sent him here for something big. They just hoped that it was a good big thing. Samuel keenly looked at the surprised guests trooping into the square. A thin smile broke across his face when he saw one of the old men coming flanked by seven young, tall, strong and handsome men. “Yes Lord. The main event”, Samuel whispered to himself.

When all the men had gathered in the open square he walked directly to the old man he had spotted earlier.  “You must be Jesse the son of Obed”, he said. “Yes I am, highly distinguished prophet of the Lord. Your servant has come with his seven sons, just as you had commanded”, Jesse replied while bowing down in respect. “Let’s proceed then. We have something to do before we continue with the sacrifice.” Samuel opened the leather pouch he was carrying and took out his horn, which was filled with oil. At this point it dawned on Jesse what was happening. One of his sons was being anointed today! This sacrifice could be just a façade, a smoke screen to cover up the main event! Nevertheless, he composed himself and let Samuel continue with the ceremony.

Samuel asked for Jesse’s sons to be presented to him.  Eliab, the oldest stepped forth. He was tall and handsome and his hands looked like those of one who was experienced in battle. His confident demeanor sealed the deal in Samuel’s eyes. “Surely this is the Lord’s anointed”, Samuel muttered under his breath as he proceeded to pour the oil in his horn on top of his head. “Stop”, he heard The Voice telling him. I have not chosen him. I’m not moved by people’s physical appearance as you are. Proceed with the inspection. I’ll let you know when he comes.” “No, that’s not who the Lord wants”, he said to Jesse as Abinadab stepped aside.  He repeated a firm no as the rest of Jesse’s sons were paraded one by one before him. “Are these all your sons?” A disappointed Samuel asked Jesse. “All of them?” “Well”, Jesse replied, “technically there’s another one son, but he’s just tending our sheep. We figured out his presence is not going to be necessary here because important matters are taking place”.  Samuel, now visibly angry barked at him, “Send him here. I’m not proceeding with this ceremony until he comes.”

Peace

Fear Factor

From the mountain he looked down and saw the multitude of people he was supposed to command. His was the greatest task a man from his nation had ever faced. He had to lead approximately 2 million people to take over land from nations bigger and stronger than his; nations that had walled cities and powerful armies.  Joshua’s heart melted with fear as he contemplated the insurmountable challenge before him. In all his life he was Moses’ helper, obeying his instructions and executing his commands, which came directly from Yahweh himself. His master, leader, father, sensei was now dead and he had to unwillingly pick up the baton and succeed in what the man he looked up to had failed to do, transition the Israelites from the wilderness they had been in for 40 years into the land promised to them. Being a military leader he knew to even remotely have a chance of succeeding he had to have several strategic plans to work with. Joshua had none.

This is the reason that he had to be encouraged four times to be strong and courageous. First by Moses, twice by the Lord and lastly by the people who looked upon his leadership.  Looking at natural circumstances, he couldn’t do it. His only source of encouragement and strength was one; the promise of the Lord Himself.  The Lord himself had told him that he would cross the Jordan and take over the land. All the kings in Canaan, all the kings’ horses, all the kings’ fighting men were insignificant compared to the Word from the King of kings. All the giants in the land did not have the last word after the Alfa and Omega had spoken. No walls were too thick to stop the voice of the Lord, mountains melt like wax at his command. This is the assurance that Joshua needed to get his feet wet and start matching towards his destiny.

In life, we often find ourselves in the circumstances that Joshua found himself in that day. The guides that we look up to are gone, we find ourselves with challenges in which we’re inexperienced and ill equipped to handle and we find ourselves having to step up in difficult leadership positions. In such times we’re to remember the promises that we have in the Word of God. Promise of a hedge around us to protect us from our enemies, promise of wisdom from above which is incomparable to none, promises of resources from the one who owns the cattle on a thousand hills, promises of being satisfied with a long life filled with purpose and many more promises hidden like gems in the Word of God.  Those are the times to step out because that’s when God shows off how He’s prepared and equipped us to charge into our destiny.

What would you step out to do today if fear wasn’t a factor? What would you step out to do if you were certain of victory?By all means step out and do it, because there’s no reason to stay in the wilderness when the land has already been handed over to you. All you have to do is listen to His instructions, step out, get your feet wet and by all means fight, for the battle has already been won. Fear is useful as it helps us weigh the facts, consider all the scenarios and not act rashly but with wisdom. Fear acknowledges that moving into our destiny isn't going to be easy, but fear shouldn't stop us from crossing the river. Fear has an antidote, it's called faith. Faith established in the Word of the Omnipotent God is enough to achieve results, regardless of our fears.

Joshua 1

Remarkably Average

To be average is to:

1)    Arrive at work by 8 a.m. and do just the tasks assigned to you by your boss until 5 p.m. Meet all your targets, and only your targets.
Then miss out on:  learning new things that could open your world to more possibilities. Discovering things outside your normal duties that you can excel in, hence becoming more valuable.

2)    Move to another job just because they’ve offered you a 20%-30% salary increment. We all know what the bottom line is at the end of the day; its money isn’t it?
Then miss out on: focusing on jobs that help in your long term career growth or those that open up a lot more opportunities. Some experiences are much more valuable in the long run than a small salary increment.

3)    Date, form intimate connections with or do business only with members from your community, be it race, tribe or neighbourhood, veer off only to tribes or communities certified “safe” to mingle with by parents and peers.
Then miss out on: valuable relationships that could be your bridge to a higher level of what you’ve been pursuing.  Seeing the world from a different perspective from yours, and help correct wrong beliefs deeply entrenched within your community.

4)    Only learn and do whatever is in line with your profession. We all know how busy you are. Software developers can’t do event management, they’re introverts! Doctors don’t bake cakes, they have quite a schedule! Why should an accountant learn how to play the guitar? Will all that strumming help in compiling tax return reports?
Then miss out on: doing something you love, something that will ignite your passion and could be the source of an extra income or a path to starting your own unique business.

5)    When you travel, stay on the main roads, don’t veer off the recommended restaurants for foreigners, use only cabs because they are safe and eat only what you’re used to back home.
Then miss out on: a lot of opportunities to learn and understand our world in a better way. And you’ll also not know how tasty some dishes like kazora and fried flying ants are.

6)    When you take a holiday, follow the rest of the human pack like Wildebeests in the Serengeti to the popular tourist destinations. For Kenyans, that means going to Mombasa’s North Coast or Naivasha’s south beach in December. Why would anyone want to go to Mt Suswa? What is there to see in the Kakamega forest? Where is Lake Natron on the Google Maps anyway? Who cares what Mt Elgon looks like?
Then miss out on: seeing enchanting beauty beyond your imagination, discovering new and more interesting travel destinations that are more likely to be much cheaper. Discovering business opportunities showing up because you dared to explore uncharted territory.

7)    When you read the bible, don’t ask the hard biblical questions. God loved Jacob the trickster, but hated Esau the obedient firstborn?  The likes of Rachel, Bathsheba and Tamar receive a special mention in the lineage of Jesus and yet they did some crazy and twisted stuff to get there? God hardened Pharaoh’s heart so as to destroy him?
Then miss out on: learning more about the character and nature of God and finding out what He values. Probing the foundations of your faith, understanding doctrine and learning biblical principles that will help you fulfill your purpose.

8)    Only get your information from the mainstream news channels and don’t verify. Who trusts all the information that’s flying around these days?
Then miss out on: learning the truth behind every story. Main news channels in this age are the personification of vested interests.  Dig out the stories of what’s happening around the world before they’re sanitized and modified to project a certain image or advance a certain (most likely well funded) cause.

9)    For the singles, go home and spend 4 hours every evening passively watching TV, then comment on the “shocking news” and soap opera twists on Facebook and Twitter before going to bed.  That’s just what you need to unwind from a hard day at work, right?
Then miss out on: more interesting entertainment options available.  It’s better to see DVDs of shows that really interest you instead of taking whatever junk the CRT or LCD tube throws at you. You can read an interesting book, catch up with friends … there are tons of activities that you can substitute for depressing political news and poorly scripted soaps that dominate early evening living rooms.

10)    Get offended by some of these questions because they’re trying to challenge tested and proven solid beliefs.
Then miss out on: a chance to learn new things that will help you become a better person. Also, you bypass an opportunity to correct wrong beliefs.

Average is safe, but average is miserable. Average is encouraged by the world but average isn’t rewarded by the same world. Average ensures you don’t get into trouble but average makes sure you won’t live your life to the fullest.


Inspired by: Zen Pencils Comics: How to be average

Book Review: The Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell

Hush puppies, a footwear brand that was on the brink of obscurity, suddenly started becoming trendy again in the streets of Manhattan. New York, a city known for criminal gangs roaming and causing havoc with impunity suddenly saw crime incidences plummet. Sesame Street, a show that pioneered the genre of children’s edutainment, spread like wildfire across the world. All the above incidences looked like epidemics, because they actually were.

Malcolm Gladwell, the author of the widely popular book The Outliers, wrote The Tipping Point-How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference way before he discovered what makes Outliers in our society stand out. In his characteristic easy going manner he breaks down complex research data into a way that ordinary readers like me can understand and enjoy. He convincingly explains what makes ideas and products spread like viruses by exploring 3 rules which turn ideas into epidemics:

i) The Law of the Few: This law describes how a select group of people with certain unique characteristics are able to make ideas spread like Australian bush-fires. Paul Revere was a man who was able to spread the news of America’s invasion from Britain and almost single-handedly change the course of the war which led to America’s independence. He possessed characteristics which few people had. Amongst us there exist such people; they are described in the book as Mavens, Connectors and Salesmen.

ii) The Stickiness Factor: To infect people with an idea, it has to stick long after it’s introduced to them. Sesame Street was able to stick to its target audience and was widely popular long after it was introduced to the American public in the summer of 1969. An even more “stickier” show named Blues Clues launched much later with a concept that seemed foolish to adults captivated the pre-school children it targeted. The Tipping Point illustrates how the producers of those shows discovered the factors that made them stick.

iii) The Power of Context:  New York City in the 1980s was a city with one of the worst crime epidemics in the world. By 1996 crime rates had dropped by more than two thirds of what it was in 1990, when it was at an all time high. Gladwell explores seemingly unrelated events which contributed to drastic drop in crime because they changed the context of where the crime was happening.

If you are curious of how ideas, products and events become widely popular or if you are wondering how to popularize a product and turn it into an epidemic, The Tipping Point is the book for you. Easy to read and laden with examples from different contexts, it’s easy to see why it became a New York Times bestseller and maintained its “stickiness factor” in that list for years.

The Rivers of Babylon: Part 3

They were the cream of the crop. Handsome, intelligent, well informed, well built and of royal blood, they were as close to perfection as humanly possible. For this reason they were chosen to be trained to serve in the highest capacity in the king’s court, as Advisors to the king. Their training was to include familiarizing themselves with the rituals of the Magi, learning the literature of the Chaldeans and being indoctrinated into the Babylonian religion. Being Israelites, they adamantly refused to conform themselves to what they believed were methods to corrupt them and get rid of their belief in God and replacing His worship of him with that of the Babylonian Gods. They even couldn’t eat royal food and wine from the king’s table.

 Despite refusing to bow down to customs alien to them, the training program continued. The king and his courtiers allowed them to keep their customs and worship their God because he found them to be 10 times better than the Magi in the city, despite not observing the strict training regimen. One matter that he could not compromise was they had to keep their Babylonian names; they couldn’t identify themselves as Hebrews anymore. The names Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Hazariah were replaced by Belteshazzar, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego.

The book of Daniel chronicles how they (especially Belteshazzar) rose in prominence through the reign of 3 kings despite going through all what the other Israelites went through. While fellow Israelites saw the walls of Babylon as prisons obstructing them from going back to their homeland, the 4 saw an opportunity to do exploits for their God and make Him known among their invaders, whose trust was in other worthless gods.

To put this ancient story into our current context, we can see how people who face similar circumstances react differently. Some, as eagles, choose to rise above the storm while others (who are the majority) crouch together in fear waiting for better days, or a return to more familiar territory. Like in the ancient Babylonian days, there are those who are still shocked by the changing and uncertain political landscape in Kenya and want to go back to when things were more favorable for them, while there are visionaries who take the opportunities that lie before them and rise to prominence in the nation and beyond. Vision doesn’t dwell on the past, but uses the present to chart its way to make the future bright.

 How do we avoid the pitfalls of crying by the rivers in times of uncertainty instead of being fruitful and occupying the land we live in? The 4 wise men of ancient Babylon disclosed the secret to us, knowing the power of the great God and believing that His plans for us are always good, despite the situations we are in. How did they have this assurance? They constantly communed with God. Vision comes from revelation; revelation comes from fellowship with Him.

The Rivers of Babylon: Part 2

An artist rendition of Babylon: kenraggio.com

The inhabitants of Jerusalem had never seen anything like this. King Nebuchadnezzar’s armies decided to crown a brutal rampage across the plains of Egypt and Philistia by besieging Jerusalem. All the water jars ran dry. Sanitation became an unknown word. Hunger turned men into cannibals after they had eaten all the animals in sight. Not a single plant was left standing on its roots; anything that could be digested disappeared from sight. People desperately cried out to the God they had earlier forsaken, but their cries went unheeded. After 30 gruesome months, Jerusalem could no longer hold out against its superior Babylonian invaders.

The invaders broke through the city walls and destroyed anything in sight. They plundered the temple treasures and with them carried assets more superior than the temple gold and silver; the aristocrats, military commanders and skilled craftsmen of Jerusalem hiding within the temple walls. These elite of the Jewish society, after being forcefully uprooted from the beloved city they called home, were transported to the great city of Babylon where they were to be settled and trained in the Chaldean ways and customs. Hebrew was to be replaced by the Akkadian language, Yahweh was to be exchanged with Marduk , the sacred rites performed at King’s Solomon’s temple were to be substituted with the vile practices of the goddess Ishtar; basically their handlers’ tasks were to strip them of their Jewish identities and convert them to Babylonians.

While this brainwashing was going on, the Jewish exiles sat down by the banks of the River Euphrates and Tigris filled with sadness after their once comfortable lives were interrupted.
·    *(2) By the rivers of Babylon,
·    There we sat down, yea, we wept
·    When we remembered Zion.
·    We hung our harps
·    Upon the willows in the midst of it.
…so they sang, full of tears tears in their eyes as they looked at the majestic walls and the world famous Euphrates and Tigris rivers which were now their prison boundaries.
·    For there those who carried us away captive asked of us a song,
·    And those who plundered us requested mirth,
·    Saying, “Sing us one of the songs of Zion!”
·    How shall we sing the Lord’s song
·    In a foreign land?
…songs of gladness were replaced with cries of pain. The harpists had no more strength left to play their instruments and the singers’ voices became hoarse.They were demotivated.
·    O daughter of Babylon, who are to be destroyed,
·    Happy the one who repays you as you have served us!
·    Happy the one who takes and dashes
·    Your little ones against the rock
…revenge against the Babylonians was the fodder of their daydreams. They longed for the day one of Babylon’s numerous foes would rise up and crush that proud city.

While all this was happening, a small group of the Jewish exiles were seeing the whole picture differently. While others were wallowing in a pity party, they were spotting opportunity. While others’ spirits were crushed because of the trauma they had experienced, these young men were rising in rank and influence. Join me in part 3 as I reveal who they were and their connection to the first part of this story.

The Rivers of Babylon: Part 1

The year was 2012. Stacked between modern buildings that house international banks, insurance companies and other financial institutions along Waiyaki Way, Nairobi, a splendid pink tower slowly grew to 10 floors, pricking the curiosity of many. Upon enquiry it was established that the building was the Villa Rosa Kempinsky, the first of the luxurious Kempinsky hotels in East Africa. Further enquiry revealed that many such establishments were springing up in other parts of the country. Further down the street on No 14 Riverside Drive, another 5 star hotel was being built. Lansmore Hotels, after a successful stint in Botswana, was also seeking to set up an establishment in Nairobi. Along the North Coast, Italian Billionaire Flavio Briatore was putting his finishing touches to his Billionaire's Club in Malindi. Richard Branson, after an unsuccessful attempt at operating an airline in East Africa was planning a comeback through another luxury camp in the celebrated Maasai Mara.

What was odd about all this wasn’t the fact that there were many luxury hotels coming up in Kenya, Kenya has always been a premier tourism destination so hotels are naturally one of the best investment avenues in the country. The curious case I’ll expound on here was the timing of these investments.

Kenya was experiencing great shifts in the political arena. A general election with high stakes for all the major players involved was coming up. For Kenya, an election this important meant a possibility of chaos. The country had barely healed from the violence seen in the previous general election and was going into another one while the root causes of the previous conflicts remained unsolved. Any prudent investor would wait first before building luxury hotels. The fact that the major political actors stood accused of being behind the turmoil strengthened the case against investing in the country. A new constitution which introduced previously unseen structures like devolved governments added to the uncertainty.

Major news outlets had set base in the country preparing for the fallout that would break out after the election. CNN had released a video of what they purported to be “trained militia” preparing to unleash mayhem. Despite all this, the foreign investors continued pouring in. Why? To understand their reasoning we’ll examine seemingly dissimilar events that happened in the year *(1) 587 BC in the Middle East.

7 Lessons from the Shark Tank

Pitching before the Sharks

Those who accuse television of making the world’s population dumber clearly have never watched the Shark Tank. For those who don’t know it, Shark Tank is a Reality TV series produced by Mark Burnett that features a panel of potential investors, called "sharks", who consider offers from entrepreneurs seeking investments for their business or product. When I first heard about it I was skeptical because I’ve realized that a lot of the “Reality Shows” contain more “show” than “reality” and have plot lines which are just as interesting as the weather forecast. However, when I finally sat down to watch my first episode of the program I was completely hooked. Despite all the drama that goes on in the “Tank” there are a lot of lessons to be learned by aspiring entrepreneurs. I‘ve listed 7 which made a mark:

1.  Show me the money-The Sharks always ask about the actual business done before they invest. Actual work done, actual profit, actual sales. Not fancy power point projections, verbose business plans or fictitious financial projections. That’s the best way for them to determine the level of risk they are getting themselves into. You have to present actual figures so far and yes, those figures must tally. 

2. Business requires flexibility-When the sharks saw a flaw in the strategic plan of an entrepreneur, they were quick to suggest a better plan. When better ideas are offered that are different from the original plan, adapt to them. Let go of what’s not working including bad products, non working strategies, products which aren’t being sold and embrace what’s making money. The motive of a business is profit, not sticking to a mission statement.

3. Invest in areas you have information- Invest in the business you have knowledge about and passion in. The sharks don’t touch businesses they have no knowledge in or ideas on how to scale them however lucrative they might seem. Not every good looking opportunity is the right opportunity for you.

4. Unique ideas are all around us- We don’t have to search in outer space for that special Eureka moment to be in business.  The entrepreneurs with the most impressive ideas discovered that they were just simple solutions to everyday challenges. Kids having problems with keeping toys? Make a fancy toy box for them.  You want to listen to music on the go without annoying wires connected to your headphones? Create hooded jumpers with in-built wires and detachable headphones.  Some, like the one for the fellow who came up with the idea to charge people to draw funny cats for them would have been ridiculous were they not making as much money as they did. Ideas are everywhere, those who identify and execute them well end up at the top of the food chain.

5. Protect your product- Copyright or patent whenever possible. Add new features to make sure the competition is always playing catch up.  Any idea that’s worth a lot of money will be copied; it’s your job to make sure copying it is as difficult as possible.

6. Cook the bird in hand-Entrepreneurs who were offered the deals they had asked for but continued negotiating because they thought they would get better deals ended up losing the deal or being shortchanged. Closing a sure deal is much more important than soliciting for a better offer.

7. Sell value, not features- People aren’t convinced to buy products because of the features packed in them; they buy them because of the value they get out of them. They buy hooded jumpers with in-built headphones not because they are convenient, but because they look and feel “cool” in them. They buy flavored premium tea not because it tastes good, but because its “premium”. It doesn’t have to make sense to a customer; he just has to love the idea of having it.

In life there are definitive moments. You only get a few of them…Kevin O’Leary, Entrepreneur and Shark Tank panelist.

Kings series: Twisted fortune after a lifetime of honor Part 2

King Marduk ap-la-iddin (Merodach Son of Baladan)’s woes were piling up by the day. The northern tribes of the Babylonian kingdom had earlier supported his arch-rivals the Assyrians who had deposed him from the great Babylonian throne. He had since recaptured it but wasn’t sitting comfortably on it knowing that the northern tribes weren’t ready to “accept and move on” acknowledging him as King and King Sargon II the Assyrian fancied having his head on a platter instead of in a golden crown.

It was therefore great news when he heard of King Hezekiah’s defeat of the Assyrians. He was told that apart from the Assyrian slaughter, the Jewish God also caused the shadow to go back 10 steps on the King’s staircase. The enemy of his enemy was his friend.  The Son of Baladan was drowning and he found the perfect straw to clutch. He therefore piled gifts on his horses and sent noblemen westwards to meet this King and his God.

King Hezekiah warmly welcomed the Babylonian envoys and showed them all his treasures. There was nothing in his palace or his kingdom that he did not show them.  The envoys went back to their king, having learnt that Jerusalem was a far more powerful and wealthy city than they had previously thought.  A later confrontation with the prophet Isaiah revealed the state of Hezekiah’s heart when he welcomed the envoys.

Hezekiah felt great pride in knowing that kings from distant lands heard of his great success. He was quick to show the king’s representatives how much he owned and controlled. When Isaiah later prophesied that the Babylonians will raid Israel’s treasures, he selfishly said that it was all good because that wouldn’t happen during his reign. It didn’t matter to him that he had given a fast rising kingdom a reason to attack Jerusalem later.

Is it then a wonder that Hezekiah’s son who was born in the years God had added him rebelled against the God of his father?  Could the reason that Manasseh his son was so wicked because he saw his father paying lip service to God but revering his own success and wealth? Hezekiah had started well and God was always by his side but in the height of his power, he allowed his own success to replace the primary position that God held in his heart. Hezekiah started well, but his ending was so bad it led to the reign of one of Judah’s most wicked kings and set the stage for a raid from the Babylonian kingdom.

Start strong, but by all means finish strong!
Adapted from 2nd Kings 19,20 and Isaiah 38

THE PROSTITUTE: PART 2

In total disregard of protocol, the guard zoomed into the gates of the King’s castle. “I have a message for the King”, he said. One look on his furrowed face revealed the urgency of his message. With speed he was ushered into the royal courts. Other proceedings could be halted, this meant life or death.

“I hear you have an important message, “bellowed the King of Jericho. Everything, from his deep baritone voice to his rich regal robes revealed his authority. The guard, in recognition of this, respectfully bowed down before delivering his message. “Israeli spies are in the city”, the guard said. He described the two inquisitive men he met who claimed to be Moabite merchants. Everything from their obviously made up accents to their gait, which was more apt to soldiers instead of merchants confirmed his suspicions. “They did not even bother to put on Moabite merchant robes. Those were farmers’ robes they had!” he added.

The inquisitive expression the king had quickly  morphed into one of terror. He knew what the Israelites were capable of. News had reached him of how they decimated entire tribes in the Middle Eastern desert. Legend had it that their God once caused the Red Sea to part for them to walk across it, and then killed the entire Egyptian army, the most powerful army ever known on earth. Action had to be taken, and taken quickly. The king sent out the guard with strict instructions to shut the city gates and thoroughly vet anyone who wanted to come in. He sent the elite palace guards to search for the spies, giving them the description the guard gave him.

The Israelites settled in Rahab’s house rather quickly. They didn’t need to move around the city, Rahab provided them with all the information they knew. Besides, it was too dangerous. If it hadn’t taken more than a minute for Rahab to recognize them, what of the well trained guards? Rahab looked outside and saw the palace guards in the city. She was positive she saw one of them pointing at her house from a distance. She was fully aware of the danger she had placed herself in. “ You can’t stay in my living room for long, soon guards will come to search for you, someone must have spotted you coming to my house. Let me show you where you have to hide until things cool down.” She took them to a section of the roof where she was positive no one would look for them, and then covered them with flax which she had used to line her ceiling. “Perfect!” she thought. Now it was time to execute the second part of her plan, but first she had to throw the guards off the trail of the spies.

A minute later, Rahab couldn’t tell which was louder, the pounding on her door or the throbbing of her heart when she heard it. She went and opened the door for four heavily built palace guards in full uniform, with arms resting on their swords. “How can I help you?” she asked. She knew full well what they needed, and it wasn’t her “services” this time. “We have come to look for some men who were told came here. They are dangerous Israeli spies. ” They then proceeded to give her their description. “Oh those men! Yes, they came in. In fact I thought they were rather strange. They were just asking questions and didn’t want anything else from me. Unfortunately they left less than an hour ago. They shouldn’t be very far; if you hasten your steps you might catch up with them.” “All right,” one of the guards said, “let’s assemble more troops and pursue them. Our city is in grave danger”. The guards then hurriedly left.

When Rahab was sure the coast was clear, she called out the spies. Now it was the time to lay down her plan. Jericho was perishing and she didn’t want to be a part of it. Her soul had perished a long time ago, what was the worst that could happen?

....Stay tuned for Part 3