Tipping Point Partners

Last month, we were surprised (or not?!) to find that we all had eerily similar Meyers-Briggs personality types.  But on our team retreat to Shelter Island this week, we discovered we had even more in common!

Fondness for FIFO

It didn’t take long to realize we share a fondness for FIFO.  As Wikipedia explains, FIFO stands for First In, First Out, “an abstraction in ways of organizing and manipulation of data relative to time and prioritization.”  Now, preparing a meal with Art is awesome, but preparing a meal with a team of FIFO All-stars is even better!  In accordance with the credo, we queued tasks seamlessly, self-selecting for skill level and completing each task in its entirety, including cleanup, before beginning another.  For a First-in, First-outer, lending a hand is not just about generosity, it’s an instinct.  Turns out Tipping Point can’t have too many chefs in the kitchen!

The Knack for Falling

Later in the day, the incredible Paddle Diva, Gina Bradley gave us our first Stand-Up Paddleboarding lesson in Gardiners Bay.  It was the perfect group activity; we could paddle together but separately, all in one direction but each at our own speed.  More than any of these things though, what we enjoyed most was falling.  Art was the earliest proponent of “Fall-Down Paddleboarding,” but it was Brad who really made tipping-over tempting.  He dared me to edge forward on my board, to test the physics, to cease trying not to fall.  Giving in was a powerful reminder that falling can be exhilarating and even self-indulgent.  A reminder that fear of failure is a fun-kill.  That it is paddling, not balance, that moves you forward, and as Buddha once said, “the foot feels the foot when it feels the ground.”

What a great experience on the perfect summer day.  There were so many memorable moments; I guess that’s why they call it a “re-treat.”

Ever wanted to hear the stories of a startup gone wrong? You’re in luck. I’ll be speaking at the inaugural Founders at FAIL, a new lecture series hosted by Schuyler Brown of DFJ Gotham, along with my former GoCrossCampus co-founder Matthew Brimer. I encouraged Schuyler to make this happen, as I love the concept — candid discussions of businesses that didn’t make it and the reasons behind their failure.

I’ve long believed that failure is replicable, while success always contains an element of luck. That is, the reasons why companies fail are often repeated across the spectrum of startups, and taking a deep dive into the causes of failure can be incredibly helpful to entrepreneurs at any stage. The lessons of failure often drill down to the nuts and bolts of entrepreneurship — relationships with team members, technology and marketing decisions, hiring and other core elements that can get lost in blow-the-doors-off success stories, but are utterly critical to giving yourself the best shot at creating a great company.

Matt and I are in the position of having a fairly amicable end to our venture, so it’s not too difficult to talk about. According to the event description, Matt and I will be talking about “[our] experience running a kickass business into the ground”. Should be fun.

If you’re interested,  check out the event here.

Today TPP had an impromptu Fried Chicken + Ribs Feast by the Hudson River.  In addition to the collard greens, we loved the diet beverage selection at Cornerstone Grill on Greenwich and Duane.

Brad caught red-handed.

Thanks to Lauren Perkins and Charles Simon for joining!