Don’t fall into the trap of resting on previous success.
For a few years after I graduated from college, I would always joke with my wife about how I got a 4.0 in college and she didn’t. I would proudly wear the badge of my GPA, thinking it mattered.
It mattered for the first job I got out of college, but after that no one cared. My wife was sure to remind me of that. “No one cares anymore that you got a 4.0 in college,” she would say. And she was right.
In all businesses — including domain names — people really don’t care that you had a success 5 years ago or introduced a cool product two years ago. They want to know what you’ve done lately. Being the first to do something doesn’t matter all that much if you then sit back and don’t innovate.
If I have a sub-par week of stories on Domain Name Wire, I don’t offer myself excuses such as “Well, I was on the front page of Digg a couple weeks ago” or “It doesn’t matter. Remember the time I blew the lid off Standard Tactics?”
Regardless of what type of business you’re in — an auction house, a domain registrar, whatever — you can’t rest on your reputation. You have to continually innovate.
Tia Wood says
“You have to continually innovate.”
I like your line of thinking. I always think it’s better to write/report for yourself. That sounds selfish but the way I’m referring is not. We have to learn and further our education for ourselves. Then, pass on that knowledge through our blogs.
“Well, I was on the front page of Digg a couple weeks ago” or “It doesn’t matter. Remember the time I blew the lid off Standard Tactics?”
😛 It kills me when people overlook the real rewards of doing what we do. Knowledge isn’t made to be wrapped up in a ball and kept to ourselves. It should be spread and shared.
Take Care.
Sahar Sarid says
As with business life in general..
YOU’RE ONLY AS GOOD AS YOUR NEXT SALE
🙂
Cheers,
Sahar
Troy says
You had a 4.0 in college. That is impressive=)
David J Castello says
Excellent point, Andrew. I dropped out of college (it was that rock n roll thing), but the one thing I learned in building CCIN is that no one ever asked me about my education (of course, it makes a huge difference if you are your own boss). The one time I was asked was in 1998 when I was coming up against local media reps when we began monetizing PalmSprings.com. A rep from the local television station asked me and I told him the truth – right in front of a prospective client. He couldn’t wait to tell me that he had an MBA. I congratulated him – and thirty minutes later walked out with the account.
Mark says
agreed. nothing recedes like success!
Ramiro Canales says
“Domaingination” is the key to creating new opportunities in Domain World.
Matt says
If I were hiring I’d hire only people that did not complete college.
I am only speaking for the internet industry. The fact that someone needed to complete a college in order to get somewhere in an IT industry to me is actually a red flag.
That is my opinion. Entrepreneurship is about being a leader. Taking classes and listening to what someone has to say for 4 years is not entrepreneurship. Everything learned in college you can do yourself. You can become a doctor, a lawyer, and especially become successful in the IT industry without college.
Andrew Allemann says
Well, this thread wasn’t supposed to be about education, but…
David possesses the most important skill you can have: sales
Matt – Depends on if you’re a small startup or have bigger plans.
wannadevelop.com says
Who needs an edumacation this days anyways when we got the internet !!
It is just a scam anyways.
I had no idea David dropped out though 🙂
1) David J Castello
2) Rick Schwartz
3) Mike Cohen
Who else ?