Companies are like vessels

Photo by Bobby Burch on Unsplash

Earlier this year, I wrote about how your project is a vehicle. I said: “A Project can last 1 week or 10 years. It can stretch across time and involve a team that grows and shrinks according to needs. My next Project will likely last at least 5 years, and being able to package it up and ship that Project, knowing that because of it, more exciting Projects will come my way, is super exciting to me.”

That post came back to me in full HD when I read this Tweet from Brian Kenny of MiniCorp: “Companies are like vessels. They have an origin, a destination, a mission and an interchangeable crew. The power of team spirit and having an exceptional crew is a recipe for success.”

It’s a great analogy for a company-sized version of the solo-freelancer role I based my original post on.

A lot of founders I talk to see their business as being the thing with the logo on it, or the “Ltd.”/“LLC” attached to the end of the company name. 

In most cases, unless your name has “Oprah” or “Elon” in it, your business is simply a container for you and your team’s energy and ambition. You get to dream it into existence, to build it, staff it, and launch it. You get to enrol like-minded people to sail with you, figure out your North Star, bravely point your vessel in that direction…and go. 

Turns out “shipping” means a lot more than just launching.

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