It's a shame he chose to let his guard down in a rare freeform interview that's the best insight (I'm aware of) at the man behind the name and this supposed irresponsible behavior is one of the main takeaways.
• A track record in guiding early stage products or services. The early days are as risky and ambiguous as it can get. Someone solidly aware of that going in is valuable.
• Multi-disciplinary. Highly probable that the first few employees will need to wear multiple hats and be able to shift between roles comfortably and as needed. It may not be coding, but ideally it is something tangible and measurable - e.g. the ability to PM a project or being comfortable enough to lead design/UX. Conversely, someone only willing to handle a single discipline - sales, fundraising, marketing, PR, etc. - will have limitations that become obvious right away.
• Domain expertise. May not necessarily have to be down to the exact problem domain but some level of familiarity helps in hitting the ground running.
• Comfortable as a distributed team. Since you brought up the location issue, it would probably help to have someone experienced in working virtually. Communication becomes even more crucial if you won't be interacting outside of a screen on a regular basis.
Where I would look:
• My network and extended network.
• The thankless, yet tried and true method of "pounding the pavement" and networking in person. Having "Terminator Vision" here using the above criteria is invaluable (there will be a LOT of noise to filter out).
• I'd consider looking around for past startups in a similar space that may not have worked out. Perhaps individuals from those teams still have that "itch."
ha, that's a great parallel to draw. miyamoto is behind many of the most iconic videogame characters AND game designs ever seen. so, in fairness to miyamoto, he's got a little steve in him as well.
>>It's essentially a propaganda piece and the choices it gives you are no-win by design (so that the game has opportunity to lecture you on the plight of low-wage workers). Real life is not so restrictive.
Agreed. From a design standpoint, it's structured closer to an advergame that way - get your point across (scraping by on a low wage while dealing with what life throws at you) and quickly before the player loses interest. The events of the game over the course of a month are more indicative of what could happen spread across a wider span of time.
I think there is some value in presenting statistical data as a narrative. I love Choose Your Own Adventure!
I don't think much encouragement is needed there. I hear the phrase "If / When I win the lottery..." cited too often as a cure-all. That weekly or daily lottery allotment would be better spent elsewhere but unfortunately isn't.
I, Bruce Lee, will be the first highest paid Oriental super star in the United States. In return I will give the most exciting performances and render the best of quality in the capacity of an actor. Starting 1970 I will achieve world fame and from then onward till the end of 1980 I will have in my possession $10,000,000. I will live the way I please and achieve inner harmony and happiness.
This is something I'm trying to hone in on these days.
Recognize and appreciate the little moments in life. At times, we absorb ourselves in the grind of our projects that we easily lose sight of simply enjoying the little things for what they are - a good conversation, a nice view, putting together a nice meal, etc.
A topic after my own heart. I think to perform well with minimal sleep is an art form.
Identify where you do your best thinking and make it a habit. I find that a good cup of coffee or a good workout bring out the best in my productivity. With some luck, there's a late night coffeeshop nearby you can frequent. Being around people alone can help keep your energy up.
The gym helps me decompress and gather thoughts - all the clutter of the current project or the events of that day can be reflected on and next moves can be put together. My regular gym has late hours so it's not unusual for me to get a midnight workout in followed by some more work. I can almost feel my brain sorting through the clutter from a workload as I work up a sweat. Best part - it's a natural way to boost energy and it works.
More than anything, being predisposed to that type of lifestyle helps (i.e. insomnia). I have instances where I'm dead tired but my mind is still racing - these are cases where it's hard to make myself fall asleep.
To sum it up, find a system that suits you. There's a strong possibility that that method requires you to be active (rather than passive) as you navigate through your day. Integrate it into a routine so when those occasions pop-up where you need to pull an all-nighter, the ramp-up isn't as dramatic.
There's anecdotal evidence that Prius users were already making a game of "beating their (mileage efficiency) high score." Nice example of Nissan taking this phenomenon and applying a competitive layer. As a next step, they should let these Leaf owners take on a userID, opening up marketing and promotional possibilities.
"Made with no money, just a little time and a lot of passion."
Complete accuracy of that claim aside, the behind-the-scenes video (http://vimeo.com/17761334) is a good reminder of what ingenuity and passion can do.