This week a former student of mine visited us in the office. For the first time, I really felt like I had some insight to offer the student-turned-entrepreneur. David and I spent about an hour and a half talking with the former student about what we’ve learned here at Deeplocal. I realized that we truly do have a pretty interesting experience here.
We are three years old now and while that is nothing to the big companies of the world it is huge to us startups out there. Three years is a very long time. I am 32 now (past my prime according to many investors). The conversation made me think about an old presentation I have given twice now publicly, both to high school students and high school art teachers about my experience as an artist turned entrepreneur. For this interested in this topic, see A Whole New Mind by Daniel Pink. The presentation I gave was called 10 Things but was later condensed to only 9. Somehow number 10 must have dropped off of my list at some point.
I wanted to write about what I have learned so far at Deeplocal but that would take way too long and might bore you all so I will start by just updating the 9 Things presentation in light of my conversation this week with my previously mentioned former student. Lots of successful entrepreneurs often share lists of advice. I’ve never found them to be of much use. Don’t think of this as another one of those. This is more of a list of how I got happy. So the subtitle might need to be something like “Things I’ve Found to be Important to Me in Life.”
So before I lose your attention (unless it is already lost but I suppose you wouldn’t be reading this at all then)…
Nine Things or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Get Happy
Thing 1: Learn How to See
I grew up on a hill in the rural suburbs of Pittsburgh. On my side of the hill was my family and a few neighbors (mainly of the kind that sells dynamite out of their trunk and rides ATVs constantly and year-round). On the top of the hill were radio towers that are no longer there as the hill has been flattened to make way for a shopping development. On the other side of the hill was a junkyard. I became an artist primarily because of that junkyard. Free time often consisted of scavenging through the junk yard in search of parts that I could assemble together to make something mechanical. I spent my time looking at junk for new ideas. I learned to see more in the world around me than was obviously present. That knowledge carried through into everything I have ever done. Artists, creatives, and people that change our world are those that see more in what around them than what is obviously there. Artists are people that have a unique perspective on the world and see things in a new way wether that be political issues or a bouquet of flowers. The best artists are able to transform the way their audience sees and experiences the world through their work or actions. Learn to see what is around you. Learn to look and think like a child playing in a junkyard.
Thing 2: Care about Something
Be passionate about anything. Your passion is obvious as is your lack of passion. 
Be transparent about your passion. People that are passionate about what they do get noticed.
Thing 3: Finish Anything
The biggest lesson I have learned at Deeplocal are about finishing and failing. Lets start with finishing. I spent probably five years of my life designing, developing, and trying to commercialize something called Maphub. You won’t find it mentioned anymore on our site as it is now dead. This was the online mapping software that we spun out of CMU with. I spent so long trying to build a tool that solved the problems of everyone that I never finished and never solved the problems of anyone. The first year of Deeplocal was really spent on Maphub and I consider it to be our lost year. Yes I learned a lot about running a company but I did not advance the company. Maphub was never finished. It never had an opportunity to fail. On the other side is a project called Spot. Equally, you will see little of this project on the Deeplocal site. Spot was an idea to provide event and “hot spot” information over text message. Good idea, way too complicated of a suet though and not the right media. Text messages are just too limited for the type of communication the system required. The iPhone works much better. The project was launched and failed to gain any traction. We learned very quickly about what went wrong and why our assumptions were bad thanks to finishing, launching, and observing. From that app came many other projects that did have legs though. So I congratulate those that start but I admire those that finish. Finishers learn.
Thing 4: Love Failure
You have to fail but do it quickly. My company was started by three people, all friends. Of those three, I am the only remaining founder. Our first two engineers and first designer are no longer at Deeplocal. Our first year was a time of rapid change. I now have the most stable, powerful, and creative team of people I could ever hope to be around. All of us share a common belief that it is ok to try and fail but we have to do it fast. On the tech side, that really became a part of Deeplocal when David Evans joined the company two years ago. He really led our technology strategy allowing me to lead our cultural strategy. We’re a good team and we have failed on more than a dozen products. We have two that have recurring revenue and I have to tell you, that is a better batting average than Google (the company that I love to hate for those of you that know me personally). So focus on the core function of your idea, build it, see if your assumptions were right. Recognize when you have failed and move forward. Don’t feel bad about failure.
Thing 5: Be a Deviant
I have a background in art and when I say that most people think I probably was a painter or something. Unfortunately describing my art background usually requires a short reading list, a strong drink, and a good sense of humor. I won’t get into my work here but I will say that I liked to cause trouble and I liked to question things like copyright and dumb advertising. My masters thesis was called Critical Deviant Practice. You can actually download a version of it on this site. That says in over 100 pages what I can sum up in a sentence or two here. Innovators must be deviant. You cannot innovate by following the status quo. DO exactly the things you were told you couldn’t or shouldn’t do. If you still don’t get what I’m saying and don’t want to read my thesis, go rent Pump Up the Volume. HHH says it best “Talk Hard.”
Thing 6: Never Settle
I have given up many situations that I should have accepted. When I was a child I was a nerd. 
I was artsy but also a mathlete. I was accepted to CMU for computer science and art but my dream school was Cooper Union (which rejected me). I went to art school which we are all told results in a guaranteed life of living without. Art school was the perfect decision for me but at the time I was listening to my instinct and not my logic. At 22 I was working at MetaDesign, one of the world’s leading design firms and living in San Francisco. I made a good salary, worked on Fortune 500 client projects, and was not happy. It wasn’t good enough. When the dot com bubble burst, those around me were losing their jobs but not me. I voluntarily left my job to go on a five-month tour with my band in September 2001. It was a very good idea.
Thing 7: Get Good at Change
I have been through many phases in my life. While my passions have remained steady, the way they have manifested themselves have changed. In 2000 I was a rarely-showered punk rock kid that wore a Slayer t-shirt daily. In 2003 I was flying around the world participating in art and hacker events. In 2009 I like to wear three-piece suits. Realizing that all the clothes and looks are simply superficial, I was able to transform my passion into effective behavior as a punk/hardcore singer, an artist, an academic, and now as the leader of a small business. It’s all-different but the same. I never understood scenes that rewarded stagnance. Change means I am actually learning and growing during my life. It should be applauded not criticized. Welcome change, new ideas, and new opinions. Accept that you are allowed to change.
Thing 8: Have Clever Friends
I won’t go on here but I have had the pleasure of knowing some fantastic and creative people in my life. 
They know who they are. Being around clever people helps me to be clever. We run an artist residency precisely for this reason and encourage other businesses to take up our model.
Thing 9: Go for a Run
Maybe the most important thing I have learned is that after all of that passion, failing, and finishing, you need something to take your mind away. I took up running in 2002. We used to have a yoga instructor come into our office and do have Deeplocal yoga mats still on hand in case I decide to give it a go again. Find those activities that are completely unrelated to anything else you do that can get you excited and take your mind off of everything else. The best way to do this is through physical exercise. If you don’t know how to get started visit pickupalooza.com and find some pick up games going on near you. We have had Deeplocal kickball and dodgeball teams in the past and I think we are going bowling with ShowClix in a coupler of weeks. Trust me, go for a run.
Nathan