The No Asshole Rule: Don't Give Advice Like One Or Listen To 'Em - CrowdFunde Startup Journal | Startup Revolution | Scoop.it

Prepare For Presumption & The No Asshole Rule
I'm guilty. I've given advice this way before, "Why don't you try to combine x and y". I don't mean to be an ASSHOLE but sometimes it happens. You will never be more assaulted than creating a startup.

Something about "startup" brings out the BATTLING BICKERSONS in people. I'm waiting for the first discussion that begins like this, "WOW, what a cool idea, wish I'd thought of that". Suspect I will be waiting a long time.

My LEARNING (from Adzerk CEO James Avery) is to easily share my EXPERIENCE and THINKING but say away from going the extra mile to presumption. Everything we do online is immediately TESTABLE so one person's philosophy is just as good as another anyway. Customers decide.

SO, if you are a startup or thinking about creating a startup time to thicken your skin is NOW. The rub is knowing when to stick to your guns and when to change based on good advice. Good rule of thumb we've discovered is someone who presumes to tell you how your idea should function better is an unlikely source for good advice.

Adzerk's CEO James Avery got it right. He realized he was being an ASSHOLE and he stopped. He decided he would share his experience and thinking but NOT JUDGE so much. James Avery is a MENSCH and the kind of MENSCH you want to have lunch with, listen to and learn from.

James isn't going to presume he is smarter than you. He is there to help. Today I had an experience where someone LOOKING at an ecommerce website TOLD ME what the person managing that site would do. When I mentioned I managed and ecommerce site with a great team that made more than $35M over 7 years it didn't slow the presumption down even a little.

The KEY learning for startup entrepreneurs is FIND a handful of people like James Avery and hold on to them TIGHTLY. I'm guilty of being too presumptive and am working on that. To those I've dis-respected by my presumptions I apologize and appreciate that you were more graceful and kind with me than I would probably be if roles were reversed.

My CrowdFunde co-founder Phil put today's experience into proper perspective. We need to explain what we are doing better, Phil Said. He is right and we are working on that too. So we are adjusting to the feedback that is valuable such as the name is confusing and trying to do as I say and not as I AM with absurd feedback from goofystupid presumptive people.

When I mess up and am presumptive give me a smack (lol). Marty

Wrote about our great James Avery meeting on CrowdFunde over the weekend:
http://www.crowdfunde.com/featured/dont-be-an-asshole-gestalt-coaching-entrepreneurs-startups/

Read James Avery's How I Learned To Stop Giving Advice
http://jamesavery.io/how-i-learned-to-stop-giving-advice/


Still hadn't written my way out of how angry a meeting made me today, so this post continues on GPlus:
https://plus.google.com/102639884404823294558/posts/4tF6GV1Fypc