The basics for me. Read & Write
Is interesting to see the evolution and the growth of great ideas executed to limited success, were the founders and investor have a bag of excuses on why their companies never hit it big.
I am one of those founders. With successes and failures, but with no unicorns or anything near that. However, with every new project, I’m getting a little better at recognising my flaws, and I find two things correlate with my ideas becoming better executed.
Read & Write
I’ve always read, and I like it, but what I wanted to read was procedures, technical documents and technology manuals.
Writing, on the other hand, I only did if I absolutely had too, little dyslexia and English as my second language didn’t help.
READ
However, as I grew older and experienced working with different founder and professionals from various industries, I’ve realised that reading is a massive part of the gig, not just reading emails, blogs and how-to books, but a wide range of literature.
Exploring ideas and read others perspectives into a multitude of subjects is time-consuming but in my experience an excellent investment.
Writing
Writing, well writing is paramount, from ideas, pitches, decks and more importantly, your companies strategies. I’ve learned the hard way that writing is an extension of your personality, and when you try to reflect a different character that your own emails, briefs, blogs and products look and feel fake.
Let me explain, I use to start trying to write to a particular audience, and somehow I believe that that audience wanted “professional” Oscar so it reads like someone else, someone trying to be professional, boring mostly.
I discovered that opposite to popular belief professional formal writing does not have to be boring, quite the opposite you are still informing, and you want your reader to keep reading, don’t you?
Briefs, Strategies and other internal business documents are the same, your team is your audience and if you don’t make it interesting, personal and engaging it becomes a tedious thing they have to do to keep you happy.
I am now building my persona, writing and discovering my own way of expression, and it feels enormously more relaxed, fun and productive.
In my experience read and write as much as you can until you get your message clear, encourage your team to read and write and let me know if it makes a difference I would love to hear about it.
Oscar Omegna Co-Founder @ solarbi, savvybi & empower analytics
