What is the dumbest thing you have ever done in this business?

[Nickatilynx]

[quote=DannyCox]
Like most of the "old-timers" in this business, I made more than my share of stupid mistakes and bad decisions. A big one was getting too big, too quickly! In 1999, I had a payroll of just over a million a year, and extremely high overhead. If I knew then what I know know, 80% of the people would never have been, overhead would have been much lower, and I would have still had the same revenues!

[quote]

Amen to that!!! lol

[Hell Puppy]

Always fascinates me to watch people's response when they're asked to be self critical. One group contains people who accept responsibility for their actions, and the better ones even learn from it. The other inevitably contains the "victims". Unfortunately those folks usually never learn from their mistakes and often go thru life blaming their failures on things like bad luck when there's no one else to blame.

[CuriousToyBoy]

Originally Posted by Hell Puppy

Always fascinates me to watch people's response when they're asked to be self critical. One group contains people who accept responsibility for their actions, and the better ones even learn from it. The other inevitably contains the "victims". Unfortunately those folks usually never learn from their mistakes and often go thru life blaming their failures on things like bad luck when there's no one else to blame.

You are so right.

We live firmly in the middle of the me generation.

Hate fuckers who will not take responsibility for their own actions.

2c

[Dravyk]

Originally Posted by sarettag

Do I know something about this ?

Uh-huh.

Originally Posted by Hell Puppy

Always fascinates me to watch people's response when they're asked to be self critical. One group contains people who accept responsibility for their actions, and the better ones even learn from it. The other inevitably contains the "victims". Unfortunately those folks usually never learn from their mistakes and often go thru life blaming their failures on things like bad luck when there's no one else to blame.

I started to write a very long missive just in case I'm one of the alleged victims you're referring to, HP.

Just deleted it. Let me say this instead ... While you might be generally correct that people need to be responsible for their own actions and need to learn, specifically in my case and in the case of others, it is possible to be fucked, fucked good and not see it coming.

So in specific cases, don't armchair quarterback about things you have zero knowledge about. If you've never been fucked, good for you HP, but don't get a high and mighty attitude about it. Cause if you do, there's always Kharma.

[sarettah]

Originally Posted by Dravyk

Uh-huh.

Did I ever tell you how much I hate NDAs ?

[RyanLanane]

Originally Posted by sarettah

Did I ever tell you how much I hate NDAs ?

I figured non-competes would be your worst enemy!

[sarettah]

Originally Posted by RyanLanane

I figured non-competes would be your worst enemy!

Nah, most no-competes are written so loosely they really don't mean much. NDAs are usually straight forward, "I won't talk about what I know about it or what was revealed to me yadda yadda".

And not joining in a discussion with a good story because of an NDA sucks...lol..

Kind of like not being able to talk about what I did in the Navy for the first 20 years after I got out. You hear bullshit bullshit bullshit and you can't jump in and call BULLSHIT because you can't reveal what you know.

edited in: And then you sometimes have to wonder if you just violated an NDA by revealing that there was an NDA (might have to go look at the fine print)

.

[Sysprod]

Working for a certain person… But I did learn how NOT to run a business

[Nickatilynx]

Originally Posted by Dravyk

Uh-huh.


I started to write a very long missive just in case I'm one of the alleged victims you're referring to, HP.

Just deleted it. Let me say this instead ... While you might be generally correct that people need to be responsible for their own actions and need to learn, specifically in my case and in the case of others, it is possible to be fucked, fucked good and not see it coming.

So in specific cases, don't armchair quarterback about things you have zero knowledge about. If you've never been fucked, good for you HP, but don't get a high and mighty attitude about it. Cause if you do, there's always Kharma.

When ever I've been fucked over by a person , say European Lee for example.

It is my own fault.

I was too trusting.No doubt about it.

However I decided ages ago not to be totally "trust no one one , suspect everyone".(It was the mantra of my mentor as a youngman.)
Despite the GREAT business advantages gained by following it.
Its apretty bleak way to run yr life.
Rather take on the chin the few times you get fucked over and weigh it against the advantage of the people whom you put trust in who don't



Serge , fuck off!! LOL

Your mistake was taking holidays!!! ;-))

[RyanLanane]

Nick your 'pearl' about the $100 bill has a good business analogy as well, rather than having a "trust noone" mentality... I think the best way to go is..

"Offer a little trust to everyone, make them earn my full trust"

For every 10 people who screw you small you are bound to make 4 or 5 business connections that more than make up for the $1,000 you would lose. Those numbers are even on the extreme side but helps giving you an idea as to what I mean...

I for one, have always trusted people a little up front as long as I didn't get 'that feeling' about them.. I have been screwed suprisingly few times over the years - Given only 3 or 4 of them were years I was steadily working to make new connections on a daily basis though.

Now in the real world, personal friend wise.... alot of people have burnt me and I wish I had read your $100 bill post.. I would of saved myself alot of agony over the years.. honestly.