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Let me explain Leo Tolstoy again by saying, all happy companies are akin to each other, but each unhappy company is unhappy in its own way. The first question that arises from the above statement is how do we differentiate a happy company from an unhappy company? this is easy. The first is an organization where people are excited to work and work together. Regarding the latter, it is best to leave it unsaid. The red thread that binds all happy companies becomes a sly design in all elements of the business.
When we hear the word design, we often associate it with beauty and function. Whether it’s the dynamic user interface of the iPhone or the simplicity of Post-It Notes. These products solve a vital user need while pleasing the senses. In other words, design is a combination of science and art. The genesis of that process begins with creating a well thought out form of disorder. Designers have a knack for seeing patterns that others often miss. Who else goes into constant chaos? That’s us, entrepreneurs, isn’t it? That means building a great company; We must borrow the designer’s point of view.
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Here are a few different tips that entrepreneurs can learn from the way a designer works.
embrace design principles
Whenever we explore a new topic, we should start with principles. We can adopt a design concept called CRAP, developed by Robin Patricia Williams. If there ever existed a perfect acronym, it would be this one. To build a successful venture from scratch you have to go through CRAP.
- Contrast: Too much uniformity leads to dullness and unproductiveness. Therefore, innovative parties promote distinction between ideas and freedom of thought. Complementary skills and contrasting styles give the group uplift and shine. By the way, did you find that line sad? If you answered yes, don’t worry, you and I can still make a great team based on our complementary skills!
- Repetition: Aristotle puts it best, “We are what we do over and over again. So excellence is not really an act, but a habit.” To project professionalism and master their core business skills, teams must practice their craft over and over again. Behind every successful product, for example, lie hours and hours of validation and validation tests.
- Alignment: A perfectly aligned company is like a well composed symphony orchestra. Perfection rarely exists in real life. But it cannot be denied that aligning all elements of a business with its long-term vision and purpose makes for a win-win strategy. In a startup, founders, employees and investors must be aligned with the goals.
- Proximity: Proximity is power for startup. Just as who you hang out with determines your path to success, the way a startup exists, the ecosystem plays a vital role in its fate. Support, shared resources and efficient knowledge transfer make a compelling case for why smart companies often co-localize. Proximity is not limited to geographical locations only. For example, in the era of pandemic most social interactions have moved to cyberspace. The main thing is to keep pace with the times.
benefits of editing
How to convert a rough draft into a masterpiece? By polishing its structure and structure. Similarly, how can we elevate our photos to look more professional? Of course, by using photo editing tricks! To achieve perfection, designers refine their work to remove clutter and keep only the desired elements. Regular house cleaning is also needed to keep the outfits healthy. Toxic elements left unattended can spread like cancer to affect the entire organization. To avoid spillover, be surgically precise in your editing. Adopt the mantra: “Be practical about adding and ruthless about removing.” Why ruthless, you might think. Deletions are usually more difficult than additions because of their resistance to change. The smarter you handle them, the less pain you’ll have. A diamond has to be cut to shine. The result of so much hard work? A cohesive organization.
Handle Feedback Like a Champion
In the early days of my company, the team consisted of a group of scientists who thought that if they could write research papers, a business plan should be child’s play. When we ask for outside feedback, imagine what our faces looked like when we saw the red lines covering 90 percent of our masterpiece. Despite the sting, that reaction forced our team to introspect. We redeemed ourselves by winning the world’s largest business plan competition. In retrospect, what seemed like an insult to our abilities turned out to be what freed us from the confines of group-idea. Encouraging and receiving clear feedback demonstrates patience, while discreetly knowing what to keep or discard exemplifies wisdom. Turning feedback into valuable output is one of the top skills both designers and entrepreneurs must master; This is the reason why his creations are accepted by the market.
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As we conclude our journey into how a designer works, we can see the lessons begin to come together for both designers and entrepreneurs. I started this article by mentioning happy companies. The truth is that the definition of happiness is subjective. No matter how you define it, as its founder, you are the builder of your organization’s destiny. If you want to reach the right destination then design it well.
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