Are You on the Board of a Startup?

Finding the perfect problem is like falling in love. You can’t always choose the when or the what, but when it happens, you need to be ready to take action. In the second half of this two-part episode with Jim McKelvey, author of The Innovation Stack, we dive into the ways that finding your perfect problem parallels falling in love, and why having a lot of money doesn’t solve all business problems; often it creates more.

More About Jim: Jim McKelvey is a glassblower, father, entrepreneur, author, aviator, computer programmer, chairman of the St. Louis Federal Reserve, and inventor, and that is just scratching the surface. As for where to connect? As he puts it, “Please don’t ask me to connect on Facebook, WhatsApp or Instagram. I’m not there. I’ve got better things to do. And frankly, so do you.”

🌟 3 Key Takeaways:

• The right problem chooses you. Be aware enough of your process to know when a problem is calling you.
• The problem with expertise is that it only reflects what has been done. Don’t disqualify yourself from picking up tools and trying to fix new problems.
• You have gifts in a wide variety of different areas, so think about how you can mix and match them to help you solve the problems you’re passionate about. 

💌 Permission: Charge people for your time, and bill for your attention.

✅ Do (or Delegate) This Next: Put your time into a new perspective. Are you spending too much time on things that don’t matter instead of solving your perfect problem?

📘 Books Mentioned:

• Free Time: Lose the Busywork, Love Your Business 
• Pivot: The Only Move That Matters Is Your Next One
• The Innovation Stack: Building an Unbeatable Business One Crazy Idea at a Time

Resources Mentioned: 

• Jim on the web, Twitter, LinkedIn
• PayMail Chrome Extension
• Gotham Podcast Studio
• VICE special on 🐍 Burmese Pythons in the Everglades

Related Podcast Episodes:

• 043: From Start-Up to Grown-up (and Coach to Author) with Alisa Cohn
• 097 How to Find Your Perfect Problem with Jim McKelvey

💻 Access Free Time episode transcripts on Podscribe »

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