On Sam I Am

Posted: July 8th, 2010 | Author: Deke | Filed under: Me | Tags: Biz, linkedin

I love Dr. Seuss. I suppose that’s a byproduct of every North American childhood. Only recently, however, have I discovered how absolutely brilliant the man was. Nearly every line of every passage in every book can be mapped to everyday life. This random thought is about Green Eggs and Ham; advice on how it can be used in a business context. It’s actually the third version. The first was was too liberal. The second too conservative. This one is Green.

Premise

Sam I Am is trying to convince a stubborn, unnamed character to try his delicious Green Eggs and Ham. The story follows Sam I Am through his pursuits until finally — after a great deal of reluctance — the other character gives in and discovers he actually does like Green Eggs and Ham. It’s the ultimate tale of never giving up on your beliefs and having an open mind.

Random Thought(s)

So, what was that about business context? It’s really about startups but works with consultancy/etc as well. There are only three points to be made:

1. Stick to your message and keep it short and obvious. Be persistent.

That’s simple enough. Dr. Seuss doesn’t even bother to tell us “why” the eggs were good or how they would benefit us. Sam’s got Green Eggs and Ham. Your message should be … well … obvious.

2. When your message doesn’t work, adapt it to the audience. Be persistent.

Change the environment of the message. Challenge and surprise your audience. Take a prospect for a train ride. (Note: must remember this; would be super cool to have a NoCON on a train.) Oh! If you’re in Anything2.0, please eat your own dog food. Saying you have the master social tool while not sending out regular-or-interesting messages hurts my brain. She sums it up well.

3. Don’t lose your energy. Find your rhythm & timing and stick to it. Be persistent.

Sam I Am’s persistence is nothing but extraordinary. The few startups I follow these days (with, the exception of Flinc) tend to drop the ball in this regard. Tell. Tell. Tell. I want to hear and be entertained to boot.

Use case: Flinc

Flinc is a cool idea started by some tech-savvy German grads who are trying to make a better planet. Their product is a ride-sharing system that is something-of-a mix between smart navigation and the digital equivalent of a thumb. Unless a gorilla learns to hitch-hike, they’re likely to make it on this. Let’s see how far they are, Sam I Am.

1. Simple message.

“We want to change the way people use their cars.” is a bit passive but the modesty is a breath of fresh air. Combined with their tag line “Move together”, Flinc has their message mastered. They could have easily gone cheesy with some “We are the world” altruism. I’ve personally had my life’s fill of “We’re the Web 2.0 equivalent of Viagra”. It’s an obvious message; they don’t need to explain “why”.

2. Adapt.

You have to give these guys credit for their variety. Just check out their Facebook page. Smart, simple, regular and relevant communication; those “Working at Flinc” posts are brilliant. As a startup, they’re also walking that fine line between investorese and their potential, mass-transit audience. It’s a tough one but their message-per-audience works for me.

3. (Positive) Energy.

It’s easy to be negative when you’re dealing with environmentalisms and trash does sell well these days. Flinc seems to be looking towards the long term — which I think also separates them from the majority of other startups — with a vision that is the opposite of myopic. (Note: what’s the opposite of myopic?)  They spend a great deal of time relaying information to their audience and their story is a perfect sphere.

Finally, I would fully expect Flinc to be pitching their idea to investors while carpooling them to their pitch; in some sort of quantum pitch babushka. I’d be willing to bet they eat their own pudding. Good luck to them and I hope to see other cases of Sam I Am.

Watch and learn …

Fin. Oh. And FWIW, I have no relationship with Flinc outside of being JAFO. I chose them because of lack of proximity.

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