Thanks so much for being a customer!
And yeah, it always feels bad to write that "we got lucky", as it isn't really that repeatable/helpful. But it's true.
And yeah, it always feels bad to write that "we got lucky", as it isn't really that repeatable/helpful. But it's true.
AFAICT, what's repeatable / helpful is a bit more nuance about "how to make luck": 1) Know what you want so you can recognize it when you encounter it 2) Give yourself lots of opportunities to encounter it 3) Have the self-direction and resources to jump on it when you encounter it
Of course, there's also just pure blind luck.
Edit: I know there's another step in here, but TBH I'd love advice for it: Making sure the other party recognizes you as something they've been looking for (aka, all the above but from their perspective). Advice?
When they randomly met people who could open doors for them, they just seemed like interesting people to open doors for, and who wouldn't waste the opportunity nor abuse it.
Anyway that's my take, but I'm still struggling with #1 at 50, so I might be over-thinking it.
For #1... AFAIK it's the art of holding an abstract wish. Imagine it'll be granted by a lazy genie; neither malevolent nor benevolent; just as easily / simply / directly as possible.
Related to that, having the courage/gumption to notice that someone may be holding a door open for you and walking through! I have looked back at some interactions with people who I probably could have used (not abused) to further my career but I was locked in a mindset that I didn't think I was worthy of their attention/guidance even though they were offering it.
- exposure (your own putting yourself out there); - ability to recognise the opportunity (should it arise); and - ability to convey your worth/utility/function to others so that they might reciprocate (e.g. communication skills et al)
I'm kind of parroting what you have said but I resonate with it. In some sense what we call "luck" is in-fact earned at least in part.
The market is sometimes just not ready for something and knowing if your timing is right isn't obvious, nor even possible to determine in most cases imo
I was pitching Roam-like software in 2005. No interest at all.
Now there's dozens of them talking as if graphs and relationships in (personal) knowledge management is new.
It's hard not to feel bitter.
The argument is that luck isn’t binary, it’s a lot of doing and telling to create opportunities for yourself. I think this is true for your story at Canny - you had built something and you probably told a lot of people about it. You created the circumstances for this lucky event to occur.
Congrats on the milestone!
I didn't plan it this way. My ex-colleague, @vjeux, messaged me and asked about my new startup. I told him it was a user feedback tool, for tracking feature requests. He said React Native had that problem, and they just started using it.
So I think working at FB on React is what exposed me to getting lucky here. I think a lot of luck in startups is about increasing your exposure to getting lucky.