Comments on: Why Chief Coffee Drinker is my most important entrepreneurial role http://anthillonline.com/why-chief-coffee-drinker-is-my-most-important-entrepreneurial-role/ Business help for entrepreneurs, startups and small business owners in Australia | Business > Innovation > Technology > Entrepreneurship - Anthill Magazine: It's Where Ideas and Business Meet. Fri, 10 Feb 2012 14:06:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1.1 By: Julia S http://anthillonline.com/why-chief-coffee-drinker-is-my-most-important-entrepreneurial-role/#comment-28628 Julia S Mon, 08 Feb 2010 02:32:32 +0000 http://anthillonline.com/?p=17186#comment-28628 Hi Sahil, this a great article and great advice. As a graduate last year in a new city I had very few prospects on finding a job - so I networked like crazy and had lots of coffees with strangers to ask them about what they did and how they got there. The people I had coffee with recommended others to network with and while these meetings never directly resulted in a job, I practiced talking about my skills and built my confidence. I now have an awesome job and I have these coffees to thank. Coffee? Hi Sahil, this a great article and great advice. As a graduate last year in a new city I had very few prospects on finding a job – so I networked like crazy and had lots of coffees with strangers to ask them about what they did and how they got there. The people I had coffee with recommended others to network with and while these meetings never directly resulted in a job, I practiced talking about my skills and built my confidence. I now have an awesome job and I have these coffees to thank.

Coffee?

]]> By: David Vidos http://anthillonline.com/why-chief-coffee-drinker-is-my-most-important-entrepreneurial-role/#comment-14278 David Vidos Tue, 15 Sep 2009 13:22:13 +0000 http://anthillonline.com/?p=17186#comment-14278 Great article Sanil. I think your 5 coffee's a week is a great idea, I usually have 3, but finding the time to find the people to connect with can be hard. I thought I would create a LinkedIn group called "Australian Chief Coffee Drinker's." to allow us all to have a common meeting place to help fill our coffee quota. I hope you all join. Great article Sanil.

I think your 5 coffee’s a week is a great idea, I usually have 3, but finding the time to find the people to connect with can be hard.

I thought I would create a LinkedIn group called “Australian Chief Coffee Drinker’s.” to allow us all to have a common meeting place to help fill our coffee quota.

I hope you all join.

]]> By: Peter Clutton http://anthillonline.com/why-chief-coffee-drinker-is-my-most-important-entrepreneurial-role/#comment-14249 Peter Clutton Tue, 15 Sep 2009 02:26:17 +0000 http://anthillonline.com/?p=17186#comment-14249 James ... thanks .. good to know the wheels are turning. Sahil ... quite understand your preference for one-on-ones. Not sure how we can bridge the gap ... a bit like trying to set up "organised spontaneity". Needs more thought. James … thanks .. good to know the wheels are turning.

Sahil … quite understand your preference for one-on-ones. Not sure how we can bridge the gap … a bit like trying to set up “organised spontaneity”.
Needs more thought.

]]> By: Sahil Merchant http://anthillonline.com/why-chief-coffee-drinker-is-my-most-important-entrepreneurial-role/#comment-14248 Sahil Merchant Tue, 15 Sep 2009 02:13:34 +0000 http://anthillonline.com/?p=17186#comment-14248 Hi Peter - While I am all for online interaction and while I have tried structured approaches to getting external points of view, nothing has worked for me as well as old fashioned sitting down with someone for a chat. Maybe it is a me thing, but I find one on one personal interactions much more useful for taking me outside the box. It also forces me to give back, in that the other person can easily tell if I am not genuine about listening to their issues and points of view. There is no hiding in person. Thinking about someone else's issues is often what gives me insight into my own. I appreciate the value of brainstorming, but I also think there is value in meeting people simply for meeting people. When I do meet someone new, I prefer to focus on them only. That is why I am crap at the social networking meet ups etc... I find it too hard to talk to many people in short sound bites. Is there a danger that we overthink this? You summed up my post pretty well with the phrase "thinking in isolation". Is the cure to this a very basic "don't think in isloation" or is that too simplistic? Hi Peter – While I am all for online interaction and while I have tried structured approaches to getting external points of view, nothing has worked for me as well as old fashioned sitting down with someone for a chat.

Maybe it is a me thing, but I find one on one personal interactions much more useful for taking me outside the box. It also forces me to give back, in that the other person can easily tell if I am not genuine about listening to their issues and points of view. There is no hiding in person. Thinking about someone else’s issues is often what gives me insight into my own.

I appreciate the value of brainstorming, but I also think there is value in meeting people simply for meeting people. When I do meet someone new, I prefer to focus on them only. That is why I am crap at the social networking meet ups etc… I find it too hard to talk to many people in short sound bites.

Is there a danger that we overthink this? You summed up my post pretty well with the phrase “thinking in isolation”. Is the cure to this a very basic “don’t think in isloation” or is that too simplistic?

]]> By: James Tuckerman http://anthillonline.com/why-chief-coffee-drinker-is-my-most-important-entrepreneurial-role/#comment-14241 James Tuckerman Tue, 15 Sep 2009 00:23:57 +0000 http://anthillonline.com/?p=17186#comment-14241 Nice. :-) We're currently working on a few things behind the scenes. We dabbled in Forums last year, with similar ends in mind, but it didn't play out as we expected. All I can say for now is watch this space. Nice. :-) We’re currently working on a few things behind the scenes. We dabbled in Forums last year, with similar ends in mind, but it didn’t play out as we expected. All I can say for now is watch this space.

]]> By: Amantha Imber http://anthillonline.com/why-chief-coffee-drinker-is-my-most-important-entrepreneurial-role/#comment-14239 Amantha Imber Mon, 14 Sep 2009 23:55:49 +0000 http://anthillonline.com/?p=17186#comment-14239 Sahil - what a great post! I am inspired to increase my 2-3 coffees (or peppermint teas, in my case) up to 5 per week. Peter - I think that's a great idea. I'd love to help out with this by donating some of my company Inventium's creative thinking / brainstorming tools to the mix to help stimulate people's creative juices. Are you up for it James T? Sahil – what a great post! I am inspired to increase my 2-3 coffees (or peppermint teas, in my case) up to 5 per week.

Peter – I think that’s a great idea. I’d love to help out with this by donating some of my company Inventium’s creative thinking / brainstorming tools to the mix to help stimulate people’s creative juices. Are you up for it James T?

]]> By: Peter Clutton http://anthillonline.com/why-chief-coffee-drinker-is-my-most-important-entrepreneurial-role/#comment-14237 Peter Clutton Mon, 14 Sep 2009 23:35:20 +0000 http://anthillonline.com/?p=17186#comment-14237 OK James (Tuckerman) ... how do we make good use of this latest Sahil post, rather than just let it be a good read... and actually apply the message. Sahil is highlighting one of the major problems of all entrepreneurs .. thinking in isolation or within a static or confined group. Does an Anthill member post a brief summary of his/her current business challenges and invite "coffee thinkers" to post their input ? Maybe some other structure or approach ... but one that allows more people to gain "unconditioned" input and suggestions. "Anthill coffee-time brainstorming"?? OK James (Tuckerman) … how do we make good use of this latest Sahil post, rather than just let it be a good read… and actually apply the message.
Sahil is highlighting one of the major problems of all entrepreneurs .. thinking in isolation or within a static or confined group.
Does an Anthill member post a brief summary of his/her current business challenges and invite “coffee thinkers” to post their input ?
Maybe some other structure or approach … but one that allows more people to gain “unconditioned” input and suggestions.
“Anthill coffee-time brainstorming”??

]]> By: lucio ribeiro http://anthillonline.com/why-chief-coffee-drinker-is-my-most-important-entrepreneurial-role/#comment-14235 lucio ribeiro Mon, 14 Sep 2009 22:49:12 +0000 http://anthillonline.com/?p=17186#comment-14235 it's a relief when I hear other CTC's like me talking about the tangibility of intangible. Great story Sahil, Lucio it’s a relief when I hear other CTC’s like me talking about the tangibility of intangible.
Great story Sahil,
Lucio

]]> By: Sandi http://anthillonline.com/why-chief-coffee-drinker-is-my-most-important-entrepreneurial-role/#comment-14192 Sandi Mon, 14 Sep 2009 08:55:27 +0000 http://anthillonline.com/?p=17186#comment-14192 Sahil, what a brilliant article. As someone who has sat and had a coffee or two with you, I can assure you that it's as beneficial for us to do so, as it is for you. I suppose this proves that word-of-mouth is still one of the strongest forces driving business. I'm really enjoying your blog - keep up the awesome (and very real) advice. Sahil, what a brilliant article. As someone who has sat and had a coffee or two with you, I can assure you that it’s as beneficial for us to do so, as it is for you. I suppose this proves that word-of-mouth is still one of the strongest forces driving business.

I’m really enjoying your blog – keep up the awesome (and very real) advice.

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