This is so true. You won't find much of this humility in the US startup scene. I had to learn how to talk myself up a little more over there, I don't think it comes as naturally to Australians. Much more chilled out/humble(ish) here.
Tom ------------------ Sent using large fingers on a small device, apologies for any spelling or grammar fails. (Was that last sentence even grammatical?) On Aug 28, 2012 7:40 PM, "Stephen Young" <stephenmdyo...@gmail.com> wrote: > Agreed. I'd have thought that humility was a luxury a startup > entrepreneur could ill-afford. This is especially so, if you're > selling in the US. The average American entrepreneur can make a trip > the bathroom sound like it was Homer's Odyssey. Humility won't get > you a meeting - let alone a sale. > > On Tue, Aug 28, 2012 at 5:26 PM, Clifford Heath > <clifford.he...@gmail.com> wrote: > > Love your attitude simran and I agree with what you're saying… > > in situations where the value of the *ideas alone* will direct the > > outcome. However, a lot of geeks mistakenly believe that is > > more often the case than it really is. We love ideas that are > > right and think that must be everybody's priority too… However, > > in many cases, decision making processes are not rational and > > are not based on the merit of the ideas being espoused, but on > > other factors. > > > > I spent some years early in my career being less effective than > > I might have been simply because I didn't understand that even > > good ideas need to be sold - and that also requires selling > > yourself. > > > > Like it or not, you have to learn how to be political as well as > > competent. > > > > Clifford Heath, Data Constellation, http://dataconstellation.com > > Agile Information Management and Design > > > > On 28/08/2012, at 4:34 PM, simran wrote: > > > >> Indeed... i didn't intend for humility to equal self deprecation, > however, i think it's important to champion the idea, rather than "the > self" - i equate it to being passionate about something, working at it, > with say money being a "side effect"... if we chase the money as a primary > goal, i personally think the road is unforgiving... i just found a bit of > "i'm an expert at this" and "my life now is about contribution [virtually > implying that i had learned everything there is, now i'll do "charity"]" > type of emails on this list and others.. and those make me cringe :) > >> (i think championing an idea will get you noticed without that even > being your intention, in fact, it specifically can't be your "intention") > >> > >> personally, i love to see "i really believe in", "i think this idea", > etc, being the central point... > >> > >> just some thoughts, i've been known to be wrong before ;) perhaps > "self" promotion is necessary, i'd like to believe otherwise, and hopefully > will align some of what i'm saying with some of what i do myself :) :) :) > >> > >> On Tue, Aug 28, 2012 at 4:22 PM, Clifford Heath < > clifford.he...@gmail.com> wrote: > >> Yes. This isn't only true for women either (you go, girl!). > >> We each need to have a fair assessment of where you stand > >> in the scheme of things (which varies depending on context) > >> and judiciously use your elbows to make it clear that you lay > >> claim to that level in the pecking order. Having staked a > >> claim ("I can do that") you need to be able back it up with > >> action, or be rightly thought a jerk. > >> > >> False humility hurts yourself and also the organisation > >> which might not get the best of you, because they will not > >> ask you to do what you can do best. > >> > >> Insufficient humility obviously hurts too - but as I indicated, > >> that's contextual. How much you should push for the place > >> you deserve depends on the extent to which it will play for > >> you vs against you. If you have a lot of demonstrable runs > >> on the board, you're more likely to be given the opportunity > >> to shine again, and so it grows. > >> > >> Ultimately, you earn respect not by downplaying your > >> abilities, but by stepping up and proving them. > >> > >> Clifford Heath. > >> > >> On 28/08/2012, at 4:05 PM, Silvia Pfeiffer wrote: > >> > >> > I know that if I don't mention what I'm good at and what I do, I get > overlooked as "the secretary in the room". That's a bit too humble for me. > Sorry, but I'll continue to proclaim to be an expert in blah... That > doesn't mean that I proclaim to be *the one and only* expert in blah. But > it also means I don't get completely ignored. > >> > > >> > I guess it's a difficult balance to strike... > >> > > >> > Cheers, > >> > Silvia. > >> > (contributing a bit of a different viewpoint maybe) > >> > > >> > -- > >> > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Silicon > Beach Australia mailing list. Vist http://siliconbeachaustralia.org for > more > >> > > >> > Forum rules > >> > 1) No lurkers! It is expected that you introduce yourself. > >> > 2) No jobs postings. You can use > http://siliconbeachaustralia.org/jobs > >> > > >> > > >> > To post to this group, send email to > >> > silicon-beach-australia@googlegroups.com > >> > To unsubscribe from this group, send email to > >> > silicon-beach-australia+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com > >> > For more options, visit this group at > >> > http://groups.google.com/group/silicon-beach-australia?hl=en?hl=en > >> > >> -- > >> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Silicon > Beach Australia mailing list. Vist http://siliconbeachaustralia.org for > more > >> > >> Forum rules > >> 1) No lurkers! It is expected that you introduce yourself. > >> 2) No jobs postings. You can use http://siliconbeachaustralia.org/jobs > >> > >> > >> To post to this group, send email to > >> silicon-beach-australia@googlegroups.com > >> To unsubscribe from this group, send email to > >> silicon-beach-australia+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com > >> For more options, visit this group at > >> http://groups.google.com/group/silicon-beach-australia?hl=en?hl=en > >> > >> > >> -- > >> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Silicon > Beach Australia mailing list. Vist http://siliconbeachaustralia.org for > more > >> > >> Forum rules > >> 1) No lurkers! It is expected that you introduce yourself. > >> 2) No jobs postings. You can use http://siliconbeachaustralia.org/jobs > >> > >> > >> To post to this group, send email to > >> silicon-beach-australia@googlegroups.com > >> To unsubscribe from this group, send email to > >> silicon-beach-australia+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com > >> For more options, visit this group at > >> http://groups.google.com/group/silicon-beach-australia?hl=en?hl=en > > > > -- > > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Silicon > Beach Australia mailing list. Vist http://siliconbeachaustralia.org for > more > > > > Forum rules > > 1) No lurkers! It is expected that you introduce yourself. > > 2) No jobs postings. You can use http://siliconbeachaustralia.org/jobs > > > > > > To post to this group, send email to > > silicon-beach-australia@googlegroups.com > > To unsubscribe from this group, send email to > > silicon-beach-australia+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com > > For more options, visit this group at > > http://groups.google.com/group/silicon-beach-australia?hl=en?hl=en > > > > -- > Stephen Young > CEO @ factnexus.com > Architect @ wik.me > Founding member @ knowledgerights.org > 61 2 9904-5882 (AU) 61 416-000-178 (Mob) 1 415 690-8639 (US) > > -- > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Silicon Beach > Australia mailing list. Vist http://siliconbeachaustralia.org for more > > Forum rules > 1) No lurkers! It is expected that you introduce yourself. > 2) No jobs postings. You can use http://siliconbeachaustralia.org/jobs > > > To post to this group, send email to > silicon-beach-australia@googlegroups.com > To unsubscribe from this group, send email to > silicon-beach-australia+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com > For more options, visit this group at > http://groups.google.com/group/silicon-beach-australia?hl=en?hl=en > -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Silicon Beach Australia mailing list. Vist http://siliconbeachaustralia.org for more Forum rules 1) No lurkers! It is expected that you introduce yourself. 2) No jobs postings. You can use http://siliconbeachaustralia.org/jobs To post to this group, send email to silicon-beach-australia@googlegroups.com To unsubscribe from this group, send email to silicon-beach-australia+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/silicon-beach-australia?hl=en?hl=en
