OODA: Loop one

Air Force Col. John Boyd is famously credited with developing & establishing The concepts of Observe, Orient, Decide, Act (OODA) as a decision tool aide. It's an extremely valuable way to look at complex problems, perform an action, revisit the solution and make changes to plans improve the outcome. It's more of a mindset, really. 

For this blog post, I'd like to do my first look at a recent proposal put forward for a client and try and talk about things I can improve about the process. 

The task was to aid in the development of a proposal for a PhD candidate follow on research. We had about 60 days to develop the product. We came up with our plan of attack. Developed our solution. Presented our findings. And then nothing... Except in the last three weeks. With a final pre-read look to whom we discovered was a real end-user. Which point, we discovered we had epically failed in his eyes. 

So what went wrong?

First, we didn't engage with our principal early enough. Lesson one: over communicate is a winning strategy for ensuring 100% transparency in virtual project management. 

Second, we didn't take the time to really appreciate and understand what our principal wanted out of us. Lesson two: ensure principal engagement is such that requirements are clearly communicated upfront.

Third, when things got slow and quiet we just excepted it as everything was okay. Lesson three: when things go stale: engage, engage, engage!

It's critical to always reflect, in an after action reporting sense, and try and develop lessons learned in order to prevent challenges in future engagements.  For me the above lessons were learned the hard way but will never be forgotten. My client wasn't a learning process is well. They learned, potentially, where my value may or may not exist in helping their efforts. 

For HGG, Inc., the next major engagement is January 15 for a round of funding for my client.  The next five weeks will be very critical and implementing lessons learned above to help assure success. Otherwise, I could very well lose my only client at this point. 

As a risk reduction effort, I do have in the hopper some other potential leads to build out my client base.  This way I won't be exposed suggest having a sole source for funding on my efforts. All revisit those in due time when I have acquired clients and let you know how it goes. 

Happy innovating. 

Sam

Execute, execute, execute...

So far I can say things of been going really well for me and the HGG Group, Inc. We are executing our first and only contract. We're developing our tools, refining them, and really discovering our value to organizations. Additionally, it's been really valuable to understand how businesses really struggle and require every dollar that they earn in order to succed.

As far as conducting business is concerned, I can't say much about the bigger picture other then "execute, execute, execute" has been my motto for the last 60 days for my client. 

I'm hoping that in the end when we secure an additional round of financing that is roughly 60 times the cost for my services, my customer will really appreciate having me on board currently and for the long-haul. 

This will hopefully lead to an important aspect of any client service business and that is "scalability."   Scaleabilty is a critical aspect of to Business Development in the long haul. You see, when a business provides service oriented products vice goods there is the ability to scale services exponentially based on value whereas goods had limited growth potential based on the market financing given the same level of work hours.  So my strategy is: refine my products services, deliver a solid experience to a client, negotiate follow-on services at a premium as compared to before and more in line with my value to them, and seek follow on clients through referrals. 

I know that this is typical business service methodology that has high risk of failure. However, I realize that internally to my organization I can somewhat mitigate this risk by always providing extreme value to my customers. So the onus is on me to "execute, execute, execute."

The next coming weeks will telling.  We will be permissing through a major milestone for our effort.  Specifically, we will be going through the first phases of our proposal review with the National Science Foundation. The final product is not due until January but the NSF takes on an interactive role with potential grantees to help ensure success. It is really fascinating to me how well the government has the ability to help small businesses become successful when applying for grants and follow on post award activity. 

Tying this together with my previous posts "start with why", I hope to use all the experiences I'm gaining to establish the core toolsets of my "whats" and "hows" that will better serve my "whys". 

In internal business administration activities. This weekend will be my companies first Board of Directors meeting. I plan to take my team offsite have a discussion about how are doing how we're refining our abilities how can we better serve clients and worse is all taking us in the day. I'm really interested to see how this is going to shape up. It should be encouraging and hopefully further promote more quarterly basis board meetings. 

Until next time, happy innovating. 

Best Laid Plans...

I know that I said I would get back to the Blog later in the week - however, my wife went into labor and we now have a little boy!!!  So 5+ weeks later - a lot has happened and we have had our hands full.  So I hope that you understand!

With regards to the company - we were able to secure a dedicated computer on the cheap to make these efforts a little easier...additionally, we have a CPA client service in place and our website is polished a bit more - I restarted from scratch and went a different direction that gave me a better feeling of how well it would convey our "why" & "whats".

In my second to last post I promised that I would discuss Business Development, Client Growth, and Scalability...all critical for developing a firm platform for increasing revenue and success.

So here goes nothing - in short, I have started with what I will call a "seed client" - in this case, it was a friend of mine that had a little bit of cash but not enough to pay out to very large consultant service.  This is my defined market space - where for the initial go arounds HGG, Inc will live in an attempt to build some success to piggy back off of.

This execution space is going to require a period of execution with this one client.  If we are successful, we will be able to lever that experience to better articulate our value to new clients.  So what does this mean in terms of BD, Client Services/Growth, and Scalability?

From the infographic above each one of these business segments is interrelated.  Business Development requires successful execution of existing and past projects - Client Services.  Client Services/Growth requires Business Development & Scalability (to increase my revenues), and Scalability requires both Client Services and new Business Development.  So these three - the trifecta activities to increased revenues all start with a "seed client".  Someone has got to take a chance on us.  Landing that first contract and executing with great success will be your trend setter for future revenue growth.

So my strategy is to do ensure that I perform tremendously above what I am being paid for.  If I make my client happy and more money, he is likely to give me increase business, refer me to other businesses, vouch for me when I reference him, and potentially provide me with new experiences that I can then turn around and market to new clients.  Additionally, I hope to be able to start hiring people like me for contract services - thus providing a scalable aspect to my business that acts as a multiplier.  Flawless execution is critical...being completely in-tune with my clients needs...and providing him with the sense of extraordinary value will be key.

Happy innovating.

Heading Check

So, it has been a while since my last post, which I don't plan to make a habit of, but there has been a considerable amount of work that has occurred on the home front.  

First off, my wife had a baby which only cements the Hadley-Grayson Group name...as I named my little experiment after my two children. 

Second, Hadley Grayson Group has an official website and email address!  We have a digital presence and it's awesome. A lot easier than I thought too.  I know nothing about web development but knew I needed something as a digital business card.  GoDaddy.com had everything I needed to establish our website, domain, and company email address.  I highly recommend them. www.hadleygrayson.com is our official little spot in the digital universe.  It still needs a little bit of tweaking but so far we are still moving in the right direction. 

We also acquired our first IT asset!  A used MacBook Air to pursue our intellectual developments for clients.  I sound $400 investment.  

In my last post, regrettably so long ago, I commented on discussing Business Development, Client Growth, and Scalability...all critical for developing a firm platform for increasing revenue and success.  In my next post I assure you that I will dedicate a solid story to these three important areas.

I'm shooting for later this week...so check back!

With Why done - Now What? Or How?

In my last post I explained why I feel it is critical to understanding 'why' I should start a business. 

With that establish, now what?  Or how? Or both?

'The time to act is now' is a famous quote...and all too cliché...but appropriate. 

To me, right now I have a critical decision path the choose.  I have to either keep going down the academic path of seeking the right moves to starting a micro-consulting business or just pull the trigger, execute and learn as I go.

I choose to execute...what I have learned this far is good enough.

So, what does this entail exactly?  To me the first steps seemed really scary, mind numbing, or daunting.  But I have really discovered I only need to address three simultaneous fronts to getting my business started: documenting my cause, socializing it to drum up business, and addressing administrative nuisances - such as filing the paperwork to create an entity. 

On documenting my cause - it is critical to understanding 'how' and 'what' I will be doing now that my 'why' is understood. This is going to be my sales pitch. 'How' and 'what' I will be doing in the world in order to deliver value is what I'm selling.  It's my core business plan message and ties to my 'why'.  I discovered there exist many services that can help achieve a populated business plan (I selected populate on purpose). But they will not help me write my business plan well.  As I stated prior, a B-Plan is a translation of my goals into actionable information that has been analyzed against a backdrop of profit and a market.  So, it's through this lens I view the B-Plan as a tool for crafting a clear method of making my mark on the world and delivering my 'why'. I don't think it has to be written in a final glossy brochure form; rather it should be an evolving document. Just like taking a car ride from New York to LA for the first time...it's easy to do the research to know how to get there but it's another thing to actually perform the drive and learn the route along the way. A B-Plan  is that guide from New York to LA and will take me down a path that will likely lead to profits if everything is accounted for properly, market evaluation comes true, and execution is flawless. And, how often does that occur? So keep this in mind when writing a B-Plan and it should be clear what needs to be addressed. 

Next - Socialize Socialize Socialize...I'm at the stage where I can't tell enough people what I am up to. This is how I am going to discover my potential clients. Spreading my word is going to be my primary mission. The more I spread my message the more likely I'm to find someone whom might need me. This can not be talked about enough. To do this, I have conversations about my 'why' in context of my 'how' and 'what'. I'm not shy about it either. But I'm keenly aware that I do not talk at people - I engage them - I gather their feedback and ask questions of whom they may know who might be interested in me.  It's time to break out of my shell and market my value. I have taken the approach - the more I put in, the more I'll get out of it. I'm all in. 

Finally - creating an entity. A critical step to define. Not completely necessary up front in a materialistic sense because of the range of options available to me based on what I am doing.  A consultant I starting out as a 1099 employee and is a perfectly acceptable way to operate for a couple of months.  To test the waters and feel out how things may grow. My research into the subject of choosing an entity led me to the Small Business Administration website.  This resource has tons of literature on the subject.  I, personally, decided to go with Incorporating. My father, being the family attorney, recommended this to me because of the degree of protection it provides of person assets and limited liabilities.  Other aspects I'm working through are degrees of professionalism, virtual/digital presence, and sophistication. I do think that it is important to not use my personal contact info as it projects a sense of unprofessionalism. I'm now in the throws of publishing an website and linking this blog and my twitter feed to it. 

Bottom line in all of this - the time to act is here. I have successfully secured a client and I'm executing to their desires. I feel that this will grow into something substantial and could be a new career launching point. Time will tell. In the mean time, I'm executing to a semblance of a plan that is more or less fluid but semi firm.  I hope that you found this commentary helpful and informative.  Bottom, Bottom line - just jump right in.  In my next post I will discuss Business Development, client growth, and scalability.  Have a great day and happy innovating Blogosphere...

Launch...Hadley-Grayson Group is born

I am a technology consultant…sort of.  I am someone that is really passionate about new ways of doing things and technology is an expression of that to me.  My day job involves new technology for government purposes.  But I wanted to expand a little and officially, it's been about 3.5 months since I envisioned consulting as a part time gig.  Originally, to help make a little extra money for some upcoming expenses and a possible offset of an impending furlough.  At first I only expected to operate as a single entity on a 1099 basis.  But it occurred to me: "What the heck. Let’s go for broke and as where this thing goes.”  Thus, a company is born.  And in this Blog entry I felt it was fitting to share some of the startup activities and challenges that I have encounter. 

Fundamentally starting a business is easier that it may seem.  Starting a successful business is not.  Ok that is a cliché.  But there is a tremendous amount of truth to it and I would like to share some insight to consider.  I crafted and created the Hadley-Grayson Group, Inc. It’s a consulting group specifically working to mature technology for commercial markets.  I’m the Vice President, my wife, Wendy, is the President and the company is named after our two kids.  I have never started a company before and didn’t even know how to begin.  I just knew originally that I wanted to make more money and my primary source of revenue wasn’t getting me there.

To start a business not knowing how, starting with a gut instinct on what to do first is the way to go.  It’s natural and kicks off the evolutionary education you are about to receive.  My start lead me down a path of trying to figure out the mechanics of how to start and run a business.  This seems like a logical first step and is something that has to be done anyway.  Call it Business 101.  

I started out reading Forbes, Harvard Business Review and scouring the SBA website looking for 'the golden manual' to starting a business.  There is plenty of advice out there (and sound at that) but nothing that jumped out at me as a step-by-step manual of how to get it done.  My next gut instinct step was to ask people whom I trusted and had success doing what I was attempting.  I had three great conversations with three amazing people all at different stages of their endeavors.  Each had vast experiences that were disparate to each other but through my 'lens' described exactly my problem.  I won't bore you with the details of the conversation, however, the bottom line: While what I was doing was important, I discovered I was getting way ahead of myself by trying to understand how to start and run a business when I wasn't even sure why I wanted one.  Of course I knew I wanted to make money.  But that is not why any of us does what we do. Think about it.  It's hard to articulate but emotionally we all are motivated by something deeper than material things when we choose to do something. 

I had another great conversation with a friend has spent his entire career in the Aerospace Advance Development world - better known as SkunkWorks.  He is known to me for his deep and profound thinking ways.  He is the one person I turn to for intellectual curiosity, personal growth, or just to have a very stimulating conversation. This guy has nothing short of 'amazing' things to discuss; a true fountain of knowledge and wisdom.  His insights into my problem only highlighted in extremely bold, but friendly, letters that I really needed to understand why I was doing what I was doing.  He recommended that I do a little light reading and cover the books 'Start with Why', ‘Outliers', 'The Black Swan', and anything on Steve Jobs - namely because he is so popular right now and there exist an abundance of publications about him and Apple.  He suggested that I needed to read all of the books with one thing in mind: “Try to ascertain why you want to start a business and good luck!”

So I did what he said.  I borrowed every book from the library and feverishly research my question.   it became clear that I had reached my goal at the end of my quest.  I had clearly understood the meaning of what I wanted to do - or so I thought.

I phoned up my friend again to discuss my findings.  His feedback was that I was definitely on the right track but like a diamond from the mines: I needed polishing and refinement.  I would (and will) gain and continue to gain this through time and experience executing my ‘why.’  And I most certainly am.

So, what was the one thing that I learned: I need to understand my own personal values to shape how and what I wanted to do in the world?  It is so critical to understand the why in order to understand the how and what to do. Conversely stated, the how and what are essential vehicles to accomplishing the why.  This concept was best highlighted in 'Start with Why', obviously.  But it was such a clear theme across many the other publications I read that it could not be overlooked - as it is so glaringly obvious.

Why is 'why' so critical?  Well, from my point of view it is easier to defend, sell, or explain anything when we believe in what we are taking about.  When we believe in a subject, we are 'speaking' from our core values and beliefs that are engrained into our self-being.  Those values have been shaped by our experiences through life.  We may not be able to articulate with words why we feel what we feel or how we reached our conclusion of what is right or wrong - but we are sure in our convictions.  If you pick up any leadership, how to be great at business or a bio on any great CEO it's clear that a business or cause is a tool that expresses personal values of individuals.

So with that in mind of why - I needed to clearly understand me.  Why am I the way I am and why do I believe in what I believe?  There is no self-explanatory process to achieve this level of self-actualization and is an evolving/evolutionary project.  But it is an activity that brings with it a feeling of great personal achievement and clarity that only you can feel; even if understanding your why is for self-discovery or for starting a business. It ultimately leads you to explaining your purpose, your drive, and your motivator for your life’s goals.  It's a profound and life changing activity. 

My why helped me understand me.  What is your why?  It's with that thought I will end this post and explain the 'easy' stuff of setting up a business in a follow on post.  Start with 'why' and all else will become clear. Have a great day and happy innovating Blogosphere...

Technology Blog Post Version 0.1

Technology - It is something that is all around us and enables us to accomplish far more with far less resources.  It is truly remarkable what can be done today that was only imaginable not too long ago.  If today's wonders are any indication of where society is going in the near future, I can only imagine what it will be like for my children; Hadley and Grayson.  It is going to be so exciting to watch them immersed in such a wondrous environment that is only going to become increasingly Hi-Tek...it’s hard to imagine it becoming even more Hi-Tek!

That is why I have started this blog...to explore the motivations for technology maturation and propose ways to think about it, advance it, fund it, or even help mature it!

A little on me - I am a technologist of sorts...more of a curious individual that is fascinated by the 'geeky' stuff that makes the world communicate at the speed of light, provides improvements to quality of life, and provides our nation with immense power we are able to project.  By education, I am an Aerospace Engineer...by trade, I started out as an aircraft designer and now I am an innovation dreamer that helps identify problems and matches them with extraordinary ways to solve those problems.

In my quest to understand the field that I work in I developed a series of methods, ways, and perspectives to consider technology maturation.  I wanted to share that information in this blog for the world to ingest, comment, and hopefully criticize as I really enjoy the intellectual banter and discovery of doing things a better way.  My goal with this blog is to discuss my experiences and how I think on subjects of technology.  Nothing more...nothing less.  I hope that others may find this information useful or interesting.

As for the layout of how I will present this information - it is probably going to start out as a smattering of information.  While I am a big thinker sort of guy, I definitely have to use MindMapping to organize my thoughts in a singular vision.  I haven't done this yet with this topic.  I have organized an approach to the art of technology maturation, developed policies, procedures, and recommended strategies from a customer perspective.  I plan to share this too...so please be patient with me as I attempt to document what I consider is my knowledge base of Science and Technology.  I assure you that I will get to version 1.0 at the point when the fuzzy topics of technology merge into an organized, while still jumbled, subject...