I wrote in previous posts about ‘finding your V’ and ensuring that you are either ‘earning or learning’ in your job.

I think a lot about these concepts as I settle in my current role at a growing start-up. I see the founders and leadership team daily, along with those experienced engineers that have been there for five sometimes even ten years and I am learning the company’s story.

My observations have challenged my existing assumptions of the start-up world. This perception revolved around a few people in a basement going from concept to product in a year or less and scaling from there.

What really happens?

It starts with an idea. But that idea evolves and overtime it develops into something that is unrecognizable from the original product. Except for a kernel, that rough diamond in the original concept that was found, polished, and bought into view.

Take for example Jack Dorsey, he came to California in 2000 to develop a product that would dispatch couriers, taxis, and emergency services from the web. The idea was to make the process frictionless.

While the early 2000s was too early for ride hailing and instant logistics, what the web was ready for was frictionless communication.

It took Jack five years to evolve his original kernel of an idea into short-form messaging. From there the prototype took two weeks to build and investment and growth ensued.

Therefore, what I learned is that it can take 5-10 years before the rubber can really hit the road with a company. Their development is like ‘Pied Piper’ from HBO’s ‘Silicon Valley’ with forward steps, backsteps and often a lot of sidesteps until the right product for the market is realized.

Why so many Pivots?

It is about discovering what is of value within the original idea and developing the right application to extract that value for the customer.

For instance, in hardware, you could have an idea for a revolutionary product utilizing a novel material. You work away focusing on the product learning how to leverage this technology to make your product truly great.

Along the way, it becomes evident that you are not able to monetize the product, or the material is not suitable for the application you envisaged.

However, you have become an expert in the material in terms of how it is processed and what its unique properties are. Therefore, you find a new application that can better leverage your expertise and competitive advantage and success ensues.

For instance, even though Tesla had a crystal-clear vision compared to most companies. Success was not assured. Many established firms had tried electric cars without generating any traction.

What made Tesla a world beater was the development of wire-bonding batteries together and finding a way to cool them effectively. This made Tesla a range beater and technology leader.

Melding this technology with a focus on the premium market, developing itself into a tech and energy company with innovative marketing techniques and leveraging the promise of autonomous driving made it a disruptive juggernaut and stock market behemoth.

What about hustle culture?

Well, I have concluded it can be necessary at times, but it is not essential to refining the company’s skills, expertise and product offering into something that will work in the marketplace.

If you pursue monetization too quickly you are at risk of not discovering the companies true value. You are focused on hustling for the next deal, the next quarters revenue. This will be required in time but not before the other pieces of the puzzle have fallen into place.

What should I do?

For now, I will be less focused on application and enjoy working on ideas and play with the technology I am interested in.

Developing something that is of value is a discovery process.

I need to give myself permission to enjoy myself in these early days. To learn, iterate, break things, and start again, and again and again.

But this takes time, so what about my 9 to 5 (or more like 7 to 7) in the meantime?

Well three years ago, I thought that moving from Manager back into an Individual Contributor role would give more time to work on my ideas.

Initially that was the case, I was able to start this blog and try out a few ideas. But as my responsibilities grew the workload increased exponentially. I found I had less time than before to switch off and mentally focus on other pursuits.

Consequently, I need to focus on my mental balance not my job title. I want to work hard in the new role, I have a lot to learn. But I need to check-in with myself.

When I get home am I mentally fatigued or can I go for my run undisturbed and go through the day’s events in my head. Then settle down, to an hour or two of reading, tv or playing about with new ideas?

If the answer is yes, I am on the right track. But eventually a couple of hours in the week, and a few on the weekend is not going to cut it. I will need to take the leap and develop with more time and more dedication.

Eventually a full-time job in Silicon Valley will not jive with developing my own ideas into a valued application.

When will this come? I don’t know. But it has taken me two years, just to come to this realization. I need to remain patient and keep falling forward, iterate and re-build.