Here is something that made us stop and think this week:
I read Walter Isaacson’s biography of Einstein. It took me over two years to get through it, so I feel like finishing the book was an accomplishment in itself. I mean, I took Astronomy in college and love Star Wars AND Star Trek Next Generation, so I can nerd out, but it is 550 pages of some dense physics! But I made it through, and I even picked up a couple of key takeaways along my arduous journey through the book.
First, Einstein, although he was one of the smartest people to ever live, could also be very humble. Nearing the end of his life, he was asked what was the source of his accomplishments, and he said “I have no special talents, I am only passionately curious.” How about that?! A human as intelligent as Einstein crediting such an attainable skill for his world-changing insights and accomplishments!
I am no Einstein, but I also believe that humility and curiosity can be a powerful combination. At Spark, we carry these with us as we speak with Founders and Entrepreneurs who are considering selling their business. And we also commit to approaching the transition post-acquisition with the same combination of humility and curiosity. We know there will be a lot to learn about the business before we will have full confidence about making large changes.
Second, Einstein was smart enough to understand the most complex theories and equations of the universe. Yet, he refused to believe the universe was actually complicated. He searched his whole life for a set of simple, unifying theories that would explain everything from why stars twinkled to how beetles moved across curved leaves. He used his incredible mind to struggle through complexity in order to find simplicity.
Again, I’m not Einstein, but I also believe that simple systems and operations can accomplish incredible feats. However, we at Spark know that building and maintaining simple systems can be incredibly complex for Founders without enough time and resources. In some ways, it is much easier to build complex systems. You get bullied by a big client to make an exception and then get persuaded by a partner to make another exception. This is one of the areas where we can add value after the acquisition. We have built and rebuilt operations, processes, and systems that have kept up with companies that grew over 100% per year.
For the last time I must say that I am no Einstein, but if you are a Founder who would like to talk about selling your business to curious, humble, and simple folk, please reach out to us!
Have a great week!
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