The extreme adventurer-be it the mountaineer, the rock climber, and the surfer-has five major similarities to the successful client-focused ("Clifo") startup Solopreneur (i.
e.
consultants, coaches, trainers, web developers).
The similarities illustrate considerations when launching a Solopreneurial venture.
1.
Solitary by Choice.
This isn't to say Adventurers aren't social or don't benefit from group training-it's that they test themselves in a way that team sports don't.
They have absolute accountability and proverbially live and die by their own hand.
Unlike traditional sports, they work without a team and coach to hone their craft, motivate themselves, and achieve goals.
While there are many entrepreneurs forced to work solo not by choice but out of financial constraints, successful Solopreneurs make the conscious decision to grow income by not hiring people.
Rather they build business through an intelligent use of technology-leading to higher efficiency, while assembling their products and services concentrically around a clear point of differentiation-leading to higher margins.
Working without employees allows them to tap directly into their craft and building relationships, not recreating an identical employee laden corporate structure they walked away from in the first place.
Social media has allowed these isolated Solopreneurs to create networks easily and to create virtual teams of subcontractors, eliminating the overhead and the headache of managing a real office.
It also allows them personal freedom.
Without an office, Solopreneurs can still conduct business anywhere with an Internet connection.
2.
Planning.
Well before a mountaineer arrives at base camp, a plan is in place of when the summit attempt will be, what equipment will be used, and what route will be traversed.
Sounds awfully like a business plan.
While requiring a business plan may elicit a "duh" from many, most startup Clifo Solopreneurs don't use a business plan.
After all, "what I'm doing is so small, why would I need a plan? I want to stay flexible...
" I can't imagine the experienced mountaineer going up Everest saying "I'll just wing it when I get to camp three".
While both adventurers and Clifo Solopreneurs need to stay flexible-our next point-they need a plan to guide them to get in a position where they can control what they can, and adapt to the rest.
Understanding the customer, competition, the service niche, and what you want out of the business isn't keeping you "in the box", but rather setting up some constraints so you can draw in customers to see what they really need and then adapt to these needs.
3.
Flexibility.
Experienced Adventurers think less about competitors in a traditional sense and more about creating the flexibility to adapt in unpredictable and uncontrollable environments.
Think of the surfer engulfed in a wave closing out or the rock climber faced with a sudden dearth of holds or the mountaineer trapped in a blizzard at 25,000 feet.
The experienced Adventurer has a good sense of how to adjust their original plan.
The business plan of the startup Clifo Solopreneur is different than the traditional business plans as it calls for more experimentation and testing.
Unlike starting a restaurant or bringing a new product to market, it's not all or nothing when opening for business with the plan treated as an infallible manuscript.
The ideal way to launch a sustainable Solo company is to write a plan, test the assumptions in the market, and let feedback determine whether your plan should be scaled up or if a derivation of the original idea should be tested.
Successful Clifo Solopreneurs discover and launch their business around a niche that their environment-i.
e.
customer demand, competitive forces, and personal resources-shapes.
4.
Focus.
Each Adventurer has a central philosophy and set of clear goals that define preparation for the next event.
Think about the surfer without focus like before a big wave venue, trying to improve on his small wave technique.
This preparation is completely different from a cardio, strength training, mental preparation of a big wave event, leading to poor results.
The startup Solopreneur needs to focus on the point of differentiation to build the business around.
Why do customers want this service and how can you reach them and convince them to buy? 5.
Loves the process.
The adventurer enjoys the process as much as an end result.
For the surfer, getting in the water is something they live to do.
Riding faster, more sharply-cutting waves, and practicing new techniques is the promise land, not winning a surf competition.
Many "midlife crisis" mountaineers train for a year to climb Everest, but the true mountaineers are on summits throughout the year as they can't think of anything else that makes them feel the same way.
The startup Clifo Solopreneur also loves his craft and carving his road.
It's one of his primary outlets for creativity and connecting with his passion.
These five points are about the tenuous relationships between each other.
Be focused, yet stay flexible.
Plan, yet enjoy the process as that summit or competition prize is only a single point in time.