Mike Arnesen

Optimize the Planet!

Startups

Take My Advice…

Startups

I think 3 out of 4 of my entrepreneurial friends and connections are part of at least a few “mastermind” groups or professional networks. Most of those people feel pretty strongly about it, too. I’ve lost count of how many people have told me over hot beverages that “being part of {Group X} really helped me overcome {Problem Y}”. The other benefit I keep hearing about is accountability. Both of those benefits are pretty dang appealing.

On top of that, I’m sure there are countless other benefits I’m not enumerating here.

Nonetheless, I’ve always been hesitant to join (or even visit) any of these groups. While I’m part of a few online analogs (mostly on Facebook), I seldom check out the posts there; it fact, I’ll admit that seeing the notifications for new discussions activates a stress response, just a little bit. I’m really not sure why — I should look into that.

For the past few months, I’ve felt guilty about [Read more…] about Take My Advice…

I Never Wanted to be an Entrepreneur

Startups

Yesterday morning, I came across a video that opened with the line, “As far back as I can remember, I wanted to be an entrepreneur.”  I was, of course, hooked immediately because I never wanted to be an entrepreneur.

I had to see what this guy had to say. I always start watching videos like these feeling like there just might be something really interesting or insightful hidden a few minutes in. Well, as it turns out, it wasn’t anything that exciting to me; though I’m sure it could be for other types of people.

It was the same story arc as so many “serial entrepreneurs”.

Feel free to do “the voice” as you read; I can’t help but hear it.

Dramatic Reenactment

Started hustlin’ when I was six. Drove all the lemonade stand losers out of town by building efficiences of scale and killing them on price. Got my MBA like a boss, networked like a mad man, landed a job firm XYZ. Power-moved my way into the executive suites. Grew the company and got it sold to the highest bidder. Cashed my baller check and started it all over. WHAT CAN I SAY? That’s just my serial entreprenuer life, yo.

— Motivational Dude-Bro*

* And obviously, his life’s mission is now to help you crush it just as hard; just purchase his course.

Nope. Never Wanted This.

The two or three minutes that I spent watching that video got me thinking about how I never wanted to start my own company or call myself an “entrepreneur”. I’m not sure whether or not this comes as a surprise to anyone, but I have no intrinsic drive to crush it in business or to hustle. In fact, putting in more than 40 hours in the office in a week exhausts me and makes me hate life.  [Read more…] about I Never Wanted to be an Entrepreneur

If You Make Remote Impossible, Don’t Pretend You Support It

Company Culture

Preface: I’m a Simple customer and I greatly admire the company. Before I founded UpBuild, Simple was a company I dreamed of working for in-house. I still think they’re great, but I’ve been trying to blog more regularly and this recent news really got me worked up. I’m inspired.

“If we remove the geographic constraints we can be hiring the best tech talent wherever they are“, said a company spokeswoman while discussing the company’s move to herd once-remote employees into a brick-and-mortar office.  And, yes, “herd” is an appropriate description for “collecting a number of scattered employees in the city under one roof”.

via GIPHY

I hope I’m not the only one who noticed that establishing an office in a new city to house your employees directly contradicts the idea of “removing the best geographic constraints (to hire) the best tech talent wherever they are”.

It sounds like there were toying with the idea of hiring the best talent where they were, noticed that most of them were in one city, and then slammed an office down in said city. Now, that “talent” who once had the flexibility and freedom of remote work will now have to come into an office each day and be “the best tech talent that’s willing to work in an office in Seattle.” That’s called “creating unnecessary geographic constraints”. [Read more…] about If You Make Remote Impossible, Don’t Pretend You Support It

Of sunsets and swells

Lost & Founder, Startups

As of today, it’s been two years since something I loved started to fall apart. The dream began to unravel. At first, slowly. Then, faster and faster until, suddenly, I found myself hanging out at the waterfront park in Portland in the middle of a workday with nothing to do.

I’ve had this anniversary as a recurring event on my calendar for a while. I’m not sure why but I’m glad that it was there to remind me. It’s allowed me to reflect on the impermanence of things, how expectations shape our happiness, and how potentially great things either realize their potential or go down in flames (flames, either publically visible or hidden).

I knew for a while that I wanted to write a blog post on this day. I was less certain as to what the post would be about. [Read more…] about Of sunsets and swells

Watch “Silicon Valley’s Secret” on CNN’s Mostly Human

Startups

This post.

Short and bittersweet.

I don’t have much to say that’s not said by this moving piece. If posting about this here can give this video a little more exposure than it would have gotten otherwise, I’ll feel pretty good about that.

Mostly Human, Silicon Valley's Secret — Depression
Watch on CNN.com

This episode of Mostly Human, titled “Silicon Valley’s Secret” is about depression — particularly in, and as fueled by, startup culture. While the episode is focused on Silicon Valley, depression in startups happens everywhere. In fact, it’s a little disappointing that the “Silicon Valley” scope is so narrow. I’d hate for anyone to come away with the feeling that this is a problem exclusive to Silicon Valley folks and entrepreneurs who take VC money. [Read more…] about Watch “Silicon Valley’s Secret” on CNN’s Mostly Human

Everyone is the hero of their own story

Startups

People will warn you about meeting your heroes. Outsized expectations can easily breed disappointment. Or, maybe, your hero just turns out to be a jerk in-person. But, that’s not what this post is about.

This post is about giving more thoughtful consideration to the stories of larger-than-life figures that you take on as inspiration. What it’s really about is the realization that you truly have to consider multiple perspectives and points of view for any given story-as-lesson.

It was sometime within the last two months that I heard a great anecdote from a successful entrepreneur/founder. The interesting part wasn’t necessarily the company he built or how he built it, but what he did after it became a success. He disappeared. [Read more…] about Everyone is the hero of their own story