I enjoy spending free time learning about new things online. When I find something I want to learn more about, I seek out credible people who’ve created useful content on the topic. I’ve been amazed by some of the videos I’ve found since the pandemic began. The content and production quality are impressive. The creators take what they’re doing seriously, which has resulted in large, faithful audiences. A few have been producing videos for less than a year, but you’d never know that from the quality and frequency of their content.

The trend of individuals monetizing content is likely to continue for the foreseeable future. More subject matter experts will monetize their knowledge and create followings. This got me thinking about picks-and-shovels opportunities. Much of this content is created by a single person or very small team. I suspect many are limited in their abilities and would welcome opportunities to do more with less or the same thing in less time. And I suspect the market for tools to support these creators is small but growing quickly.

I believe an opportunity exists for entrepreneurs to build a big business helping creators via software. These creators are small businesses or sole proprietorships, so there’s an opportunity to build a large and sticky customer base. They probably aren’t using any software now, so they don’t expect a perfect product. The market is small, so I doubt it’s on the radar screen of large software companies because it won’t move the needle on their sales now.

As I continue learning online, I’ll be paying close attention to what tools these creators adopt. I think that someone who deeply understands their pain points will strike entrepreneurial gold by solving their problems.

I enjoy the Thanksgiving holiday. It’s a nice time when most people are focused on family, friends, and fellowship. The past eighteen months have been unprecedented in several ways. One example of that, on a personal level, is that last year was the first time I didn’t celebrate Thanksgiving as I always had. That had a big impact on me—it was a stark reminder of how fortunate I’d been in all the years before.

Yesterday felt like a normal Thanksgiving, and I really enjoyed it. After the day was over, I reflected on how fortunate I am and all the things I’m thankful for. Everything isn’t exactly how I want it, but life is good and I’m appreciative of that.

What are you thankful for?

Happy Thanksgiving!

I hope everyone had a safe and healthy holiday!

I credit the help of peers with being one of the biggest factors in my success as a founder. I’m grateful I was able to connect with other founders grappling with similar issues. We shared our experiences with each other, which helped us avoid pitfalls and go further faster.

Recently, I connected with a smart founder who could benefit from hearing other founders’ experiences. As I’ve gotten to know him, I’ve learned that it’s difficult for him to watch other people win if he isn’t winning. This mindset is one of things keeping him from stepping up from being a good founder to being a great one.

I’m a huge fan of founders helping one another via peer groups. When you participate in a peer group, it’s important to be mindful that the goal isn’t to be the “best” founder in the group, it’s to be a contributing member of the group. That means learning from and supporting one another. Learning, that is, from the experiences of smart people and applying that knowledge to your own situation. And supporting each other through the highs and lows of the entrepreneurial journey.

Peer groups are amazing, and I recommend them to anyone who can tamp down their competitiveness enough to be a supportive contributing member.

I had a meeting with another investor recently. His journey to investor wasn’t easy. I love hearing stories like this. They show you how people are wired and who they really are. I wanted to hear his story so I could understand him better and see if I could be of assistance.

The call began normally and was cordial, but he wasn’t opening up. Then he mentioned a small detail that made me realize we might have experienced something similar earlier in life. So, I shared my experience. Sure enough, he said he’d had a similar one. From that point on, the conversation changed. We were able to relate and get to know one another via a common thread.

I appreciate this reminder that finding ways to relate to people is important. Doing so can completely change a conversation (or start it off on the right foot). More importantly, it can be a powerful tool in helping you build relationships and understand who people really are (as opposed to how they want to be perceived).

A few years back, I was asked to attend an event. I knew the organizer and he asked for my support. I was busy at the time and wasn’t sure I’d have the bandwidth to attend. I was on the fence until the last minute but ended up going. At the event, I met someone who’s now a good friend—and who introduced me to other people who’ve had a big impact on me.

That one event has had a lasting impact on me in ways I never would’ve imagined. It and other situations I encountered as a founder have shown me how powerful serendipity can be. Just being in the right place at the right time can make a world of difference.

The last eighteen months have made serendipitous interactions difficult. It’s hard to have random interactions when everything is scheduled via Zoom. I enjoy the efficiency of video calls, but I do miss those chance encounters.

I’m not sure what the future holds or what the future of work looks like, but I’m looking forward to a little more serendipity in 2022.

When I decided to leave corporate America, some friends and family didn’t understand. I’d worked hard during college to position myself for a job with a reputable organization. I was walking away from that stability to pursue a risky start-up idea, which sounded crazy to them. It just wasn’t something people in my circle did. I was one of only a few with the tolerance for high risk needed to pursue this path.

As I look around today, I see a different landscape. Many people want to pursue entrepreneurship. It’s a beautiful thing, and I love it. But that doesn’t change the fact that being an entrepreneur is risky. It appears that more people have a higher risk tolerance and are moving forward as founders.

I’m now wondering if this higher risk tolerance is specific to entrepreneurship or more general. If the latter, what impact (good or bad) could this have on society over the next decade or so? I don’t have an answer to this yet, but I’ll be thinking more about it and getting the perspective of others.

Today I listened to a successful founder share his vision for doing good through entrepreneurship. He’s been an entrepreneur for almost twenty years and has exited his company. Now he wants to help early founders make a positive impact on society through their companies. His strategy for doing this is great, and I think it will be valuable to early founders.

Purpose matters a lot to this founder. It’s a big part of what made him successful. I can’t wait to see the positive impact he has on other founders and, in turn, the impact they have on society!

I caught up with a friend who’s been a real estate agent in Atlanta for over fifteen years. She shared some of the things she’s seeing.

• A steady flow of out-of-state buyers are visiting Atlanta on weekends specifically to look for homes.
• A large percentage of the offers she receives for her listings are from out-of-state buyers.
• She sold a house within the last twelve months to an out-of-state buyer who paid all cash.
• Single-family homes priced below $450,000 are generating multiple offers and regularly selling for over ask with extremely seller-friendly terms.
• Demand for entry-level housing is massive, but there’s very little supply. This problem is likely to persist.

It was interesting to hear my friend’s firsthand perspective. Atlanta is an amazing city, and lots of people are moving here from other states. As it continues to attract more people, my friend will continue to observe the same things.

Affordability and quality of life are big parts of what makes Atlanta a desirable place—a place that people want to put down roots in and call home. Housing is key to both. I’ll continue to keep a pulse on the Atlanta market.

I listened today to a founder discuss his marketing strategy. He has an established company that’s doing over $10 million in annual revenue—so, not a start-up. His strategy involves growing the company’s online community—he wants current customers, prospective customers, employees, and anyone else passionate about his space to participate.

I’m a fan of online communities and believe community-led growth will become an effective long-term growth strategy for companies. My conversation today is another data point that supports this belief.

Digital communities have been around for quite some time, but I think we’ll see them go from nice to have to must have for growing companies. I’m not sure how long this will take to play out, but I’ll be following the evolution closely.