Hello all,
To pull you into the mood, I'll start with Ramin's starfish parable, which happens to be one of my most favorite short-stories so far. It goes like this -
"One morning an elderly man was walking on a nearly deserted beach. He came upon a boy surrounded by thousands and thousands of starfish. As eagerly as he could, the youngster was picking them up and throwing them back into the ocean.
Puzzled, the older man looked at the young boy and asked, "Little boy, what are you doing?"
The youth responded without looking up, "I'm trying to save these starfish, sir."
The old man chuckled aloud, and queried, "Son, there are thousands of starfish and only one of you. What difference can you make?"
Holding a starfish in his hand, the boy turned to the man and, gently tossing the starfish into the water, said, "It will make a difference to that one!"
And if Supercool school is about making a difference, then Startup School is more about "who do you want to be, in this story ?". Sounds weird? Let me explain. Read on.
The Starfish - This is the startup (venture/company/individual), knows how to swim, confident of it's core competencies and is equipped with all the stuff required once inside water. Waiting for someone to help entering the sea. Ah yes, if you still haven't guessed it, water is the potential market.
The Boy - This is the trainer. He knows what to do and how, and he is DOING it! And then, he is showing the world how to do it themselves. He is helping the starfish and educating the old man at once. He has the skills and he is sharing it with others for good.
The Old Man - This is the learner. He had nothing to do with the incident moments ago, but now he is very much in. The next day, he is going to be either a startup or a trainer. He is asking questions (similar to requesting classes) and getting the answers in the best possible way, by SEEING it happen,instead of reading it.
So this is your chance. As the platform is invite-only you may apply @ startup-at-supercoolschool-dot-com to receive your personal invite.
Cheers!
- Arun, Startup School Evangelist
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