I regularly write about the importance of being human, of momentum and of the need to continuously try new things. Top experimenter John Saddington is a living example of doing all the above.
John is linchpin who I recall wore a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle t-shirt to Seth Godin’s Pick Yourself event in Tribeca, and asked Seth a question about blogging platforms. It should have come as no surprise to me that John was asking for input because he was in the process of developing his new (and awesome!) blogging platform app, Desk.
John has been blogging for more than 14 years, so it goes without saying how much of a privilege it is to have him be part of this series. Without further ado, welcome John.
Q: You’re a hacker and a human. Tell us how you got into hacking. What’s your story?
John: Yes, that’s my tagline. I think it’s important to let others know that I am a human being. This is one of those “duh” statements but it carries a lot of personal importance to me. It means that I suffer and struggle with just as many things as the next person. But, I have “hacked” my way to a solution that works for me.
I will always be looking for more solutions to life, just as the next person, to ensure that I can survive and thrive in the limited amount of time that I have on planet earth.
Q: What qualities are needed in a person for them to become successful hackers, humans, entrepreneurs?
John: A willingness to experiment, be wrong, and fail. A desire to get help, all the time, and to stay humble. To be curious about learning new things and tenacious about not giving up. To be a person of integrity, honest, and true.
Q: For this next question, I’m sure there are hundreds of answers, but just write about the first two or three that come to mind. What are some hacks you can share about entrepreneurship?
John: Time box everything. What I mean by this is create a “start” and “end” point to all your experiments and projects. This helps create momentum and helps you establish objective markers for whether or not it’s actually working.
Secondly, get help. Do more things with others and less alone.
Q: Tell us a bit about Desk PM: How did you go about strategizing a publishing app so it would be as successful as it is? What sort of questions did you ask and answer before you built and shipped the app?
John: There wasn’t a strategy. It was luck and a long marinating process (over 12 years) as I thought about this application as it tied so closely to my writing and blogging over the last 14 years. Then, I executed. That’s about it. I didn’t deliberate or try to do massive planning or anything like that. The only question that I asked was this (and one that I continue to ask): Do I still love this app? Am I using it every single day?
If the answer ever becomes “No” then I’ve lost the original vision and I should throw it all away.
Q: What’s the most recent big decision you’ve had to make and how did you rationalize your decision?
John: The biggest decision recently was to join with some friends to work @ The Iron Yard. This was the culmination of long-standing relationships and a deep love for education (I got a Masters in Education). I joined them full-time in late 2013.
Q: Would you mind sharing one of your biggest failures and how you worked past it or what you learned from it?
John: I raised ~ $300,000 and spent much more than that on a failed iOS app that netted, over a two year period, just north of $1,300 dollars. I am still learning from this fiscal failure of an app and project. I am still recovering. I wrote a few things here.
Q: Who and where do you go to for motivation? Any particular mentors or bloggers?
John: I go to my friends and most importantly my wife and kids. I find a ton of motivation in my quiet times as I reflect on spiritual topics, God, and through meditation.
Q: Perhaps there’s a couple quotes or life mottos you live by?
”Never give up.” – Dad
“Always have options.” – Dad
“It never hurts to ask.” – Dad
Q: What is the biggest challenge todays entrepreneurs are faced with?
John: I’m not sure. Does that matter?
Q: This one might be a toughie, answer however you would like. What does it take to create something remarkable?
John: It starts with a decision to pursue it and then it requires the courage to not quit.
Q: Where can people find you and you art? What’s the best way to reach you?
John: My personal blog: http://john.do
Stay Positive & Publish On
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