How to Start a Business

Step 15 Grab Opportunities When They Arise

Of all the things we did, the most important was creating an environment that attracted opportunities, and then having the flexibility to run with the most interesting ones. Define metrics of success for your projects (revenue, pageviews, your personal happiness, etc...), and if you're not making forward progress, create other opportunities.

Of the current spin-off companies, half were based on internal ideas that really took off, and half were based on exciting opportunities that fell into our grasp and found fertile ground -- it's an exercise for the reader to figure which company is which. The flip-side is that there are a bunch of projects that didn't take off, and are dormant. When I see other people working on projects similar to my old ones, my first response is always: "Finally! Hopefully they'll have better luck." Being able to lay a project down is part of being able to focus on a successful one.