At New Iron Group, we’ve recently been putting together a web site and thinking about long term marketing and things like that. One thing we keep coming back to is that we are passionate about software development. We really like writing software, in particular, software that solves real world problems.
Why is this important? When you’re doing something passionately, your going to produce great results. If your competitor isn’t passionate about it, you will always win in the end.
It doesn’t matter what field you are in. Whether you are produce a better widget or you trying to send a man to the moon, passion will get you there. Here are a couple of good quotes on the subject:
Quentin Tarantino about being a passionate filmaker
Here’s the thing: they can write a mean letter, they can write a mean memo, but these guys don’t have any real fight in them. If you’re an artist, as opposed to a careerist, and your movie is more important to you than a career in this town, they can never beat you. You have a loaded gun, and you know you’ve got what it takes to put it in their faces and blow their heads off. It’s about never taking the gun out. It’s about never touching the gun, never raising it, never pulling the trigger, never blowing their heads off. It’s about not going there — but knowing you can. So, if you have to flash it, it means something.
Bob Lefsetz on trying to compete agaisnt passion in the music industry
I’m positively stunned at the blowback from business regulars about that chap giving his music away for free. Oldsters can’t understand the economics!
I’ll clue you in, THERE ARE NONE!
This is your worst nightmare. People who can follow their dream on sweat equity. Who with their computer and the money from their day job or mommy and daddy can compete with you. It’s like the North Vietnamese, all our military might couldn’t defeat individuals who would fight to the death. Same deal in Iraq.
It’s an eye-opener. That your model is IRRELEVANT!
YOU need to pay the mortgage. YOU need to go on vacation to the Caribbean. But the new musicians? They’re willing to sleep on the floor and eat ramen. Hell, they’re in their twenties, they’re not on the corporate track, they’ve got different ambitions!
