Hi world,
The internet has been all
a-twitter (get it?) about Super Bowl XLIX, and more specifically, the
halftime show. First we were joking that there were dancers who got
to put “Halftime Shark” on their resumes, then it turned a
little, because the shark on stage right messed up the choreography.
Oh, the wrath that “Left Shark” faced, but then, because the
internet is notoriously changeable, Left Shark became a sort of hero.
Now, from BuzzFeed quizzes to appearances on The Late Late Show, the
Halftime Sharks are everywhere, though it won't be lasting.
 |
| Left Shark: "uhhh.. what?" (from ABC's wbay.com) |
We all make mistakes and
missteps. That is part of being human (or shark, as the case may
be). There is no person who hasn't and as a result, no company, from
the tiniest cottage industry to major international corporations, has
ever made perfect decisions for their entire lifespan. Why celebrate
Left Shark? Because it represents the flaws in all of us. Right
Shark was on point the entire time; Left Shark flubbed for a second
and a half. We're happy for Right Shark, but can relate to Left
Shark, and that is a precious thing in this world, where diversity is
so strongly lauded.
As well it should be.
Acknowledging the differences between us allows us to recognise and
celebrate instead of being fearful and hateful. Also, it keeps the
world from being a very boring place, which it would be, were we all
uniform. Diversity is imperative to growth, for without it, no one
would think outside the box, nothing would be innovative or new. We
should honour diversity for all of its benefits.
However, as with all
things, there needs to be a balance, and the yin to
diversity's yang is
relatability, and the more diverse, the further away something feels,
the more relatable it needs to be to have people care, which really
is the end goal. We care about Left Shark more than we care about
Right Shark, and that makes sense; Left Shark has enjoyed temporary
celebrity based on empathy, making Left Shark more approachable. We
can all understand the situation: everyone has had a lapse at work,
and that is all that was going on. Every presenter has at some point
said “umm....” too frequently, every office worker has
accidentally sent an email in error. We're not extolling the virtue
of error, merely acknowledging the commonality of it.
What
on earth does all this have to do with our startup? A surprising
amount, actually: we learned from it. We didn't learn the how-tos of
a gaffe; we're pretty good on that front, but how mistakes are not
necessarily “bad”, though they are commonly believed to be. We
have talked before about how important perspective is, and how we can
learn from mistakes, and that is commendable, but mistakes can lead
to wonderful things: no one could have predicted how much press the
halftime show would get based on a choreographical blunder.
Something having been created erroneously and having turned out well
is so popular, so well-documented, that if you search for it on
Google, this happens:
From
books (Mistakes that Worked, Charlotte Foltz Jones), to magazine
articles
(http://www.businessinsider.com/these-10-inventions-were-made-by-mistake-2010-11?op=1),
to online news sources
(http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/08/16/amazing-products_n_3749564.html),
there is a virtual bounty of examples available illustrating how what
appears to be a failure can turn out to be the catalyst for the
biggest success.
So
again, what does Left Shark have to do with ShawWaterWorks? Left
Shark reminded us to accept and admit our mistakes, our errors, our
issues, but not look upon them as failures, but rather as
opportunities – to learn, to embrace, and even to succeed.
As a
young company, we are always trying new things, some of which work,
and some of which don't, but all of which teach us something new.
Could our products be more easily developed this way? If we present
this idea to potential investors, does it work? If it does work,
great. If not, why not? What can we do differently? Most
importantly, we're always asking for feedback from everyone with whom
we are in contact. This intellectual diversity (their perspective vs
ours) is a treasure chest of information, and at the same time, most
of the people with whom we work have been in our position, able to
balance the differences between where we are with empathy and
understanding.
We
have learned to not only value but use our (albeit small) network to
its fullest advantage, but are eager for a wider forum, a larger
voice. This is where you come in. Yes, you, individual reader
rather than the more global “world” we address. From questions
to suggestions, everything we hear is an integral part of growing our
company and we're inviting you to help. You are the diversity we are
looking for, as well as the relatability. What questions would you
like answered? What information are you hoping for us to give? What
else could we be doing that would make us more understandable? What
would make you root for us?
World,
you are our best asset, the most appreciated part of our team.
Future customers perhaps, future contributors maybe, but your
willingness to give feedback and cheer for us as we grow is
invaluable. So give us a hand and help us be our best, and we
promise not to mind if you make us heroes when we Left Shark it up.
(Though we would prefer long-term fame over Left Shark's 15 minutes.)
-SWW
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below or find us on Twitter, Facebook, Google+, YouTube, or at our
site www.shawwaterworks.com.
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