Am I Crazy?
Each year I speak with dozens and dozens of new people to learn about who they are and the work they do. Part of that is just how I’m wired – always trying to stay curious, learning, and connecting. But it’s more than that because I have learned that every new conversation is a potential spark, either for new ideas or even unexpected business opportunities.
Back at the very end of 2012, one such spark turned into a flame.
We had just launched the earliest MVP of our online Verifier – the first program of its kind to use video and animation to introduce cognitive preferences instead of the traditional questionnaire approach. To attract beta users, we offered free access to a popular (and polarizing) blogger’s audience: Penelope Trunk. She had long been a vocal supporter of our approach, but we had no idea what kind of people her community would bring to us to test the new system.
That’s when I got an email from one of her beta users saying he “needed to talk to me.” I was skeptical. Was this a troll? A scam? Something else?
Meeting Mark Abbott
After a few cautious emails, we agreed to meet for lunch in Miami. That beta user turned out to be Mark Abbott, founder of Ninety.io. What started that day has now become a 13-year collaboration.
At lunch, Mark laid out his vision for a future where technology acts as a personal guide for business leaders regarding all aspects of their role and responsibilities. He described an AI-powered “butler” that understands each user deeply and offers timely, practical advice to help navigate every area of life. He even envisioned that it would incorporate the user’s cognitive preferences in crafting its suggestions. It was a bold and sweeping vision, probably too much for a lot of people to take seriously. And, back in early 2013, it also seemed light years ahead of what even far off future technology could produce.
After walking me through it, he paused and asked the question every ambitious founder eventually faces – both in the mirror and with potential collaborators, investors, etc.: “So… am I crazy?”
A Smart Filter
It’s a brilliant question. On the surface, it’s an invitation. Underneath, it’s a filter. Can you see what I see? Are you the kind of person who gets it (or not)?
I don’t always get someone’s vision immediately, but I pride myself on staying open long enough to try. I don’t feel an impulse (as some do) to rattle off reasons why something won’t work. Rather, I try to stretch my imagination to see if I can connect the dots and get to the place where the other person is coming from. And in Mark’s case, I could. “No, you’re not crazy,” I told him. “You’re just really ambitious.”
Confidence vs. Hubris
But here’s where things get tricky. A bold vision by itself isn’t worth much and definitely doesn’t guarantee success. So, founders also needs to ask themselves and their trusted advisors:
- Is this actually possible?
- Are we delusional, or just very early?
- Is this confidence… or hubris?
On the last point, I’ve always said the difference between confidence and hubris/delusion is usually only clear in hindsight. If things work, well, it was confidence. If it doesn’t? Well, maybe it was hubris.
Years ago, I hit a perfect golf shot over a lake on a par 5, against all odds. As I set up to swing, my buddy Russ leaned over in the golf cart and whispered to my dad one word: “Hubris.” When the ball landed softly on the green, they both laughed. Hubris avoided that time; it was confidence after all.
Why Founders Need Their Tribe
Founders walk that confidence/hubris line every day. It’s a lonely, pressure-filled path and if you don’t have people around you who get it, the internal question becomes louder and louder:
“Am I crazy?”
And if no one is there to say “No, you’re not crazy, you’re just early, etc.” the journey can stall. Not because the vision is wrong, but because the energy to keep going can’t survive in isolation.
I’ve lived this for two decades. Every day I depend deeply on a small circle of trusted advisors who see and get what I’m trying to do. Most of the time they understand it. I encourage them to challenge my choices and my direction. But they always support me, even if they disagree with what I am suggesting at any given fork in the road.
I believe that the vision has to come from within, but that the conviction to keep going is at least partially fueled by your people.
My tribe includes Carly, my co-founder at TypeCoach… our amazing team… and a really small group of my most trusted advisors (including Mark Abbott!). Fewer than 15 people truly know the full scope of what we’re building. But without them, it would be easy to look around and think, “Maybe I am crazy!”
Final Thought
If you’re a founder or anyone chasing a bold, unconventional path it’s critical to find your tribe – the people who listen, who challenge, and who believe. They may already be in your orbit, or you might have to seek them out as Mark did by contacting me back in 2012. But they’re out there waiting to be found and they’re essential. Even if your idea is early, different, or seemingly impossible, it’s the people who believe in you who will help make it real.
One conversation. One believer. One spark. That’s all it takes to start a fire. So no, chances are you’re not crazy. The real question is: Who’s crazy enough to come with you?
For more on this: here’s Larry Ellison’s take on the same principle.
