Good, Sharp People and Making a Difference

In light of the conversation surrounding the last post, I think I can sum up what makes me happy in two thoughts: good, sharp people and making a difference.  That’s really it–in both my career and my relationships. It’s about playing a noticeable role in good, sharp people’s lives or working with good, sharp people to make a difference.

So this doesn’t sound particularly revealing–don’t we all want these things to some degree?  I think by getting a little more specific I can make more sense of this…maybe even learn something from using these two ideas as guides.

Let’s start with business. Note that I never just said “good” people, I want to work with “good, sharp” people.  Good people that are sharp inspire me to be creative and work hard.  Working for oneself may sound glamorous, but I know I at least perform best when there are people around who I admire and who are also working toward a similar goal.

As for the goal–making a difference–I think my definition is not the standard one.  It’s more along the lines of “making a splash” than “saving the world.”  For better or worse, my contribution (if one could call it that?) to the world is likely going to be in technology or business.  So, recognizing that fact, I’d like to focus on the last word–difference.  I don’t want to do what most technology businesses are doing, which is supporting existing technology.  Twenty years from now I hope that most of my career is not about…

• Supporting someone else’s software or network
• Working with and impacting a group of fewer than a dozen people
• Technology that improves technology so that technology can create more technology

I could go on.  But more importantly, I want to make sure that my impact on technology and business is about PEOPLE.  I want to improve people’s lives, not just give them more opportunities to work.  That’s the difference I want to make.

Well anyhow, that was a bit of a tangent, but I want to make a difference with and for people, not for abstract entities, not even for businesses.  I want to help businesses as a by product, but I want it to always be on a micro level (the people) more than a macro level (the company, ROI).

So what about applying these principles to my friends and social life?  Well, that I haven’t quite figured out–I don’t think it’s as important that there’s one answer.  But it’s almost summer time, two of my favorite people are in town for a few months, and I intend to fully enjoy the company.  And maybe a make difference with them.  Or something like that.