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    Military Lessons Applied to Startups

    Mar
    11th
    Categories: Entrepreneurship, Leadership, Networking Leads, Podcasts
    Author: Scott Burkett
    Publication Date: 11 March, 2009 (23:13)
    Tags: , , ,

    A few weeks ago, I had the pleasure of sitting down with Jason Jones of CresaPartners, who hosts a podcast called “Battlefield to Business” for Business-to-Business Magazine.  If you don’t know Jason, he’s a great guy, and a former naval aviator who served on the aircraft carrier U.S.S. Enterprise.

    “With a small unit, like a startup, there’s no margin for error. If someone lets the team down, you’re all going to pay the price.”

    We had a great candid chat about how my personal military experience translated into the business world, specifically the world of fast-growth startups.  We covered a variety of different aspects of startups, ranging from team building, cross-pollination, culture, problem-solving, hiring employees, risk taking, leadership, and the applicability of small unit tactics. I shared some stories not only from my Army days, but also anecdotes from my day job as well as other tidbits from throughout my professional career.

    Thanks to Jason for the opportunity to hang out and share my perspectives on a subject that is near and dear to my heart.

    It was great fun, and hopefully some folks will find some value in my ramblings. I will admit, having now done nearly 40 podcasts for StartupLounge.com, it felt very different being on the other side of the microphone – good fun, though …

    :)

    You can listen to the podcast here on their site, or locally using the embedded flash player below.

    Cheers.

    Comments

    Comment from Duncan Freeman
    Time: March 13, 2009, 5:23 am

    Fantastic comments Scott! You’ve spoken some real truth in this podcast. It should be required listening for folks wanting to get involved with a startup, as most people have no idea what kind of commitment it takes, and you can’t instill these kinds of work ethics in people – they either have a mission critical mindset, or they don’t. Again, great stuff Scott. Hopefully you’ll be asked to present this topic at many events over the coming years.

    Best, Duncan Freeman (former Navy LT)

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