A few minutes ago, I came across this tweet from my friend and co-founder at HubSpot, Brian Halligan.
This got me to thinking (which is often a dangerous thing), am I taking enough risks? Am I being daring enough? Am I being a hero? Answer: Not often enough.
So, here's advice to my future self and all of you: *DO* be a hero.
1. Be a hero. Go after that big, powerful incumbent that doesn't delight its customers enough.
2. Be a hero. Hire that awesome, amazing person -- even though they don't fit any of the roles you're currently looking for.
3. Be a hero. Make that sacrifice that will negatively impact your profits but completely aligns with your passions.
4. Be a hero. Make that really, really hard decision that even the smartest people you know can't seem to agree on.
5. Be a hero. Say no to that accomplished, super-successful person that your team interviewed, loved and convinced to join -- but doesn't fit your culture.
6. Be a hero. Kill that stupid company policy that nobody can recall the rationale for, but you suspect was because someone (maybe you) had a friend who knew a guy that had read about a startup that didn't have that policy and that company failed.
7. Be a hero. Launch that super-secret project you've been working on even though it's more likely to fail than succeed.
8. Be a hero. Admit that you've changed your mind on the decision you so passionately advocated for a few months ago
9. Be a hero. Confess to your team that sometimes you take the safer path out of fear and rationalize that you're doing it for the good of the company.