Timing Is Everything…
Jan 31 2012
Most of us know that timing has a lot to do with things turning out as desired or not. If you try to bring a product to market before it’s time (e.g., anything similar to the iPad that came out before the iPad), you often fail. If you take too long, you can miss the proverbial boat. This is true for a) your career, b) relationships/love, c) start-ups, or d) teaching your kids to ride a bike.
My daughter just started riding a bike this weekend. Her brother learned when he was 5 1/2 and she’s almost 7 (2nd child with parents who are crazy busy). I knew she had good balance given she rode her scooter around the house and on the street & sidewalks with ease. So this weekend her dad put her on the bike we got her last Christmas and on the first try she was riding easily. She was ready and the timing was right! I think it was partly because we didn’t make a big deal of it or try to make it happen before she was ready.
If you had given me chocolate mixed with salt 5 to 10 years ago, I would have probably spit it out or not even tried it, but Dark chocolate with a touch of sea salt is remarkably yummy. Timing. I’m still not fond of chocolate mixed with peanuts, but maybe in 5 more years…
I haven’t blogged too much about my career recently because the company I went to work for after I left the Austin Technology Incubator back in August 2011 prohibited employees from mentioning on their blogs that we worked there. Needless to say, I did not know that before I joined and I’m no longer there. So the timing seemed right to hang up my consulting shingle for a while. My current, not very creative name, is ASG Consulting (LinkedIn). I just completed a project for a company in the clean energy/smart grid space and may do some more work for them in the future.
So here I go again attempting to create something that didn’t exist before, but now instead of a hardware or software product, I’m selling my time & expertise. I feel fortunate to live in a time, town, and space where I’m well connected and opportunities are like hidden Easter eggs waiting to be found. Who knows…one of these consulting jobs might end up in a full time job if the fit (skill match, culture, location, etc.) is right.
If I can help your company or someone elses you know with operations, strategy, and/or business development (particularly partner/client management), please ping me and let’s talk. Next up, I have to get some business cards…
Author: Aruni | Filed under: austin technology incubator, entrepreneurship | Tags: austin technology incubator, business development, chocoalte with salt, consulting, operations, riding a bike, strategy | 6 Comments »
Good luck, Aruni! I hope ASG Consulting is a smashing success! 🙂 Oh and I’m glad you mentioned this, because we have been eagerly “encouraging” our son, who is 6, to ride a bike (without training wheels, I mean). Maybe this summer he will feel more ready and if not, there is next year. 🙂
Hi Nicole – thanks for the well wishes! Yes, it’s not always easy to assess timing, but when you get it right things just seem so easy. If only we could know when the right time was so we don’t push so hard or wait too long!
Timing is often the difference between whether you win or lose. I even read somewhere that the first time Google launched gmail, it was a failure because they launched on 1st April and people thought it was an April fools joke. They had to do a whole relaunch later.
P.s. The only reason you don’t like chocolate mixed with peanuts is because you haven’t tasted a ‘Peanut butter BAR-ONE’.
Best of luck to you aruni, for your consulting firm. may this year brings a lot of happiness in your family life.
@Jonathan – I do like Reesus peanut butter cups but not chocolate with whole peanuts/almonds, etc. I did not know that Google tried to launch gmail on April 1, seems like an odd thing to do.
@aishalal – thanks for the well wishes!
[…] Timing is everything, but the passing of “time” is the one thing none of us can change until my kids someone invents a time machine. We all spend so much time chasing something just out of our reach…so much so that it must be human nature, but when do we stop…do we stop? We can’t stop! Or can we? Well, maybe after we discover intelligent life on another planet… Author: Aruni | Filed under: entrepreneurship, parenting, working father, working mother | Tags: automaton, burn out, clocks, entrepreneurs, hugo, human nature, life purpose, timing is everything | No Comments » […]