By Darius Maxwell Fisher, President and Co-Founder of Status Labs
If you are anything like John Hammond (Jurassic Park’s founder and CEO), you will face challenges in the midst of turning your brilliant business idea into reality. There is a science to creating a successful startup, whether you are cloning dinosaurs, or trying to avoid the hiccups that come with establishing a thriving business.
Here are five lessons any startup can learn from the Jurassic times:
1. Look out for raptors.
Be on the watch for raptors, aka social media trolls. They study your every move, attack from every side, and even adapt to your defenses. Be on your toes at all times by monitoring your social media accounts for suspicious activity. Utilize social media monitoring tools like Topsy to track your brand name mentions. If you are attacked, plan the appropriate course of action. If you do respond, do so tactfully and cautiously. Never sink to the trolls’ level. Remember, some things are better left unsaid.
2. Find the right park employees.
If Hammond would have kept a closer eye on his staff, he could’ve prevented the employee corruption that lead the theme park into destruction. Find employees that are loyal and dedicated to your business goals. Utilize the help of recruiters that specialize in finding top candidates for your company. In addition to candidates having the qualifications and technical skills to do the job, company culture is an important element to consider when selecting the right team member. Conduct the “airport test” and ask yourself after each interview: “Would I want to be stuck in an airport with this person?” By assessing the candidate’s soft skills, you gain a better understanding on how they will interact with the team and whether or not their values align with yours. Corruption can ruin a startup faster than you can say “extinct.”
3. Get rid of your “Jurassic” habits.
Positive change is good, even if it means altering the way things have “always been done”. Innovation is key when it comes to differentiating yourself from the startup-herd. Sites like com encourage creativity to boost you out of a mental rut. Be original, and find out what unique aspects your business has to offer. Don’t be dinosaur.
4. Prepare for attack.
Ready or not, sooner or later a crisis will occur. Be prepared. Have a crisis management plan in place. Anticipate and list what could go wrong in your company. Take a position and draft a plan of action for each scenario. Create a strategy to prevent crisis situations from coming to fruition. A public relations firm or crisis management team may save the life of your business when faced with ferocious predators.
5. Avoid extinction.
As Hammond explained in the film “All major theme parks have had delays. When they opened Disneyland in 1956, nothing worked, nothing.” Don’t be discouraged if your startup endures obstacles or failures. Thomas Edison made thousands of unsuccessful attempts at inventing the light bulb. Utilize tools to help get your startup going and increase investor interest such as Angel List. If you can survive raptor attacks, corrupt employees and social media disasters, your business will be its strongest, even if you come out with a few scratches and bruises.
Darius Fisher is the President of Status Labs, an international reputation management firm that helps leading brands and high-profile individuals to look their best online, protecting them from reputational damage. From increasing a brand’s digital footprint to crisis management, Status Labs offers creative solutions tailored to a client’s unique needs. Headquartered in Austin with offices in New York and São Paulo, Status Labs works with clients and media around the globe to fulfill international marketing, social media, and PR goals.
I really liked how Darius Fisher used the movie “Jurassic Park” to help startups prepare for challenges when doing business. I liked step one “Look out for raptors” and step four “Prepare for attack.” I feel like these two steps go together. By being prepared to look for raptors and when they do strike to have a plan in place so that they do not get the best of a person. I feel one of the best ways to prepare for raptors in is by having a legal entity document created.By having this document created a startup company will not have to stress about the attack. If a startup owner wants to learn more how legal entity documents they can see https://www.linkedin.com/company/legally-mine-llc.
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