We'll be having a stand at a conference for the first time this week, and the preparations have been an intense embodiment of the fact that startups like Omnai need generalists to survive.
Last week, I learned to design print files for roll-up banners and brochures—I'm not a design-anything person, so that was a steep learning curve.
I managed to get my hands on a cheap 55-inch monitor, so suddenly, we needed a video to put on it. My co-founder Mads suggested finding a template and simply switching out elements to tailor it to our concept, which I did over the weekend. This was a MASSIVE timesaver, and the result will be far better than anything I could've produced.
Then I realized that we only have a small café table at our stand, so our brochures will have to live somewhere else - cut to my girlfriend Mia and me, roaming around the house to find anything that could serve the purpose. She found an iron book stopper, and from there, my popcorn brain fired on all cylinders. It didn't take long to find a tripod, an old selfie-stick mount I could take apart, and design the holder you see in the image. All left was a bit of cutting, sanding, and drilling, and WHAM - a homemade brochure holder appeared. 😎
With a week like this, I'm genuinely grateful for all the odd things I've done in my life that have granted me the ability to learn quickly and go into anything with an open mind and a can-do attitude.
So to all you generalists out there, who might sometimes silently wonder what the purpose is of being moderately good at everything and not truly exceptional at any one thing - put yourself in an environment where that is EXACTLY what is needed. You will find yourself creating extraordinary value!
Because you are, in fact, exceptional at one thing - and that is to learn anything fearlessly. FAST!
#startup #founder #generalist
