112 - Surviving the Startup Valley of Death

This was a really interesting episode. It got me thinking that since the pop up store seemed to have worked well, they could have a model similar to Spirit Halloween, where they would have the online store always active and then seasonal pop up stores every year. Or maybe it would be possible to get an arrangement with an existing store to have an exclusively Musk Ox section as a seasonal "store". On another note the topic brought up at the end about how safety isn't truly a company's first concern, there is an idea called the safety second mentality and it kind of redefined how I look at safety and purpose within a company and it seems like it's a much healthier mentality for companies to have because it delineates priorities much more clearly.

Adam

Wow, I can't believe how vulnerable Brad was to let you push so hard on his ideas! Impressive. You guys were very honest with him, and gave him a lot of points of reflection on where you felt like Musk Ox hits and misses, and he handled it well. I also was impressed at how good of a listener he was. He never interrupted you, even as you gave extensive thoughts reflecting on his brain-child. I would have had a very hard time not feeling defensive, and taking the reflections on my work personally. I agree with your feedback that you gave him about the images that a musk ox conjures are wintertime warmth, not summertime cool. I thought about Jim Collins' book "Good to Great", and how he talks about the Hedgehog concept. If Musk Ox figures out what the one thing is that identifies them and they are 'good at,' they can pursue that as the foundation of their business, and the rest becomes secondary. I was hearing you suggest to Brad that winter apparel is what you think their brand should focus on. The outro music was back! Thanks for another great episode!! :)