Business of Design: Sitting on Your Laurels

Jules Bastien Lepage, "Le Foins" 1878 oil on canvas

As team Pape'ete we have begun the process of designing a community marketplace for people to list, discover, and book unique commercial spaces around the world; online or from a mobile phone.

So far we have done well according to various the metrics of this class.  However, if I recall correctly, a point was made of last year's team who earned the most support at the first pitch only to go on and falter.  I think if there is one challenge my team is facing it is that there is some sensation that we can sit back and not put our all into it.  Let's call it gliding.  I should clarify however, that we are doing our work, it simply doesn't line up with the level of urgency I feel it requires.

Perhaps time in the real world has injected a healthy sense of urgency in me.  There is no sitting back without falling back.  That is just the way things are.  As I've mentioned in other posts, I worked for a small sustainable business up in Seattle.  We were constantly operating under the sense that our work directly translated into keeping the business going.  Each project landed offered increased security.  As a result I've developed some internal pattern which equates my level of urgency and attentiveness with an equal level of revenue...might be unhealthy though I don't think so.

My approach to this has been to inject this point of view into our group discussions.  I get some support for it and some pushback.  It is a fine line.  I don't want to alienate myself from the team; especially because I really admire and respect the work they do.  I think they are a really talented bunch of folks and feel lucky to be with them, though in a perfect world we would push even harder than we are.