The Short Goodbye

Thank You Veer & Goodnight

After seven and a half years I’ve left Veer.

When we started the company, I believe we all wanted to create something special and I still believe that it was. We wanted to be part of something different and how we created the business reflected that – even down to the name. It wasn’t simply a cool name or a tiny URL – it was a philosophy about how we believed we needed to approach every part of the business. While we hoped (and occasionally prayed) that it would resonate with customers it was a philosophy that kept us excited to come in to work. We questioned everything we did – what was the motive? What did it say about us? What story did it tell? Sometimes the discussions were fiery and exciting, other times they were draining. Sometimes they simply felt annoying – but not often. It was a great time.

It was also fabulously hard work. When I got the call to help out I honestly worked 6-7 days a week, 10 – 16 hours a day. There was a stint of 33 consecutive days – my best stretch at neglecting the rest of my life :) And therein lies a truth for me – business is intensely personal for me and therefore extremely difficult to balance. Some people don’t like that and others do. Personally, I’m fine with it. But with any venture there’s a cost – and Veer was no different. I invested everything I had into my part of starting the company – my talent, my limited resources, my tireless energy and *all* of my time. In the end, the focus (perhaps misguided) cost me my marriage – though I wasn’t the only one who suffered through that experience. Still, I was growing & learning things – things I had no idea existed. It was exhilarating to feel like Veer was growing into something I’d be proud of. Somehow, everything seemed worth it.

I’ve had some amazing moments at Veer. One night, just as we hit 150 or so people, I walked through the office and what we had accomplished suddenly hit me. The families we supported, all the stuff in the office – it was all the outcome of an idea that started with a small group of people and was elevated beyond our own imagining by every new person who joined the family. It was unimaginable to me that so much could have come from so little.

I’ve also been fortunate enough to meet some amazing people – some of whom I’m lucky enough to call friends. Now, when I travel to Chicago, Berlin, London, NYC, Austin, Salt Lake City, Seattle, Toronto and San Francisco I have people I can share dinner, drinks (sometimes) and some great conversation with. Some of these people were my heroes before I started at Veer – how cool is that? Sometimes this life presents opportunities that simply leave me speechless.

Then there are the people I work with. I feel like I’m surrounded by some incredibly talented people – they’re always teaching me something and do so with grace and humility. For them I’m eternally grateful.

It’s going to be strange not having Veer to wake up to everyday but, to be honest, I’m happy for the change. As the old standard goes – I’ve grown accustomed to her face – and the time is right for me to move onto something new. We don’t get along as well as we did – she’s comfortable and I’m feeling the need for adventure. Staying would be easy and I don’t seem to do well with easy. So, thank you Veer, you’ve been fantastic – but now, it’s time to take a break, recharge, then build something new that I can be proud of.

Lessons Learned #1

Why Differentiation is the Death of Innovation

If we believe the experience of most innovators then we understand that innovation is typically born from failure. In my experience differentiation is a response to pressure – usually panic, induced by shifting economic or industrial paradigms. As we begin to see financial successes in our businesses, we tend to add more operational tiers to support the project *as it is*. We move away from envisioning an evolving business and begin to see it as a growing – yet singular – entity, where the endpoint is a larger version of the present. As a companies structure flexes under the pressures of bloating operational expenses and increasingly savvy competitors, the natural tendency (other than cost-cutting measures) is to look for ways to continue differentiating yourself from your competitors.

The problem with differentiation is that it’s uniqueness in not sustainable, and that it rarely offers *lasting* value back to the customer. Rather, it’s often a temporary solution to a much greater problem. In many cases, companies spend more time pondering how to extend (read: differentiate) the business as-is, rather than the bolder step of asking if they’re even playing the right game. I remember at one meeting, a group of people I truly respected asked a very brave question: “If we were to start this company right now, what would it look like?” The answer revealed something quite different from where they were. The question was a starting point – but for it to have meaning, it required action. Unfortunately, that question was left undone.

Another problem with differentiation is that temporary “wins” remove the space – the urgency – for substantial change (read: innovation).

Successful companies continue to evolve – they continue to reinvent themselves. They look to the future and don’t see a destination that comfortably resembles the present. They look to the future, embrace the unknown and revel in the opportunity it presents.

Why I’m writing these…
On one of my trips to Seattle to spend time at the mothership’s corporate office, I caught up with good friend Kelly Smith of Curious Office fame. Over a beer and some food we talked about the experience of starting-up a company – and the various lessons we’ve learned having gone through the process. I thought it would be worthwhile to put pen to paper to share the experiences and lessons I’ve learned starting-up Veer with you, and to keep them available as a reminder to myself as I look forward.

I hope you find it worthwhile.
ib.

Live from TypeCon ‘08

An Evening with Stefan Sagmeister

Image copyright © 2008 Grant Hutchinson

On Wednesday night, I was asked to introduce Stefan Sagmeister at TypeCon in Buffalo, NY. I have to admit I was nervous introducing a man who’s left a strong impression on myself and design in general. Rather than spending time trying to write a pseudo-CV of his (many) accomplishments, I thought I’d address the general sense I had of the man and, specifically, the quandary that makes him both appealing and fear-inducing. I think the result was what I had hoped it would be. After meeting him, I was surprised at how easy-going and genuinely *good* he seemed to be. Everything we asked of him was met with a laid back “Sure.” It was a real treat.

Image copyright © 2008 Grant Hutchinson

A snippet from the introduction:

“We feel that Stefan’s work truly embodies the meaning behind the idea of creativity – his work constantly changes within varying contexts, his processes adds greater depth to the final piece and whatever the outcome he challenges and moves us along the way.

Inspired and opinionated, Stefan is often as critical of himself as he is of the icons that surround us. Perhaps it’s this open self-analysis and willingness to comment on the world that makes him appear both approachable and unreachable at the same moment. However he may be viewed, Stefan shares his thoughts and processes through his work, speaking engagements and his books and we are truly richer for it.”