The Polar Express is a delightful story that infuses the simplicity of Christmas with an element of faith. Children ride the fabled express in an effort to reclaim trust in something they no longer believe in.
A pivotal point is evident at the end of the story when a little boy says, “I believe” after steadfastly denying the existence of Santa. The magical world of childhood reopens for the boy and we are left with the very warm fuzzies the author hoped we would feel.
Whether by DVD or by book this story is shared each holiday season to the delight of children everywhere.
I think this movie and/or story should be read/seen by everyone who decides to venture into the world of ecommerce.
It is possible (and even probable) for business owners to become a bit jaded in their view of a new business venture. If they have been part of business startups in the past they can treat business and, well, business. They can lack the passion they need to infuse their startup with something more than tried, tested and proven methods.
Sometimes a business startup will only make sense in context of the heart that is evident in the personality stamp of passion.
Yes, business is about calculated risk, business models and executive foresight, but without passion the business may be more cookie cutter than maverick.
Perhaps that is one of the biggest difference between the heart of those who really “believe” in the entrepreneurial idea they are pursuing and those who simply act in response to numbers.
That’s not to say a more corporate approach can’t work, but the reason many small businesses hang in there is because the owner “believes” so much in the product or service that they will passionately pursue their belief even if it leads to a failed startup.
One approach can seem cold and calculating while the other is new territory with no map in sight. It may seem that knowing everything about what you’re doing is a better approach, but this approach takes the personal and makes it something much less.
I tend to believe that a more corporate approach only works when team building occurs. Where individuals with complimentary gifts can make the new startup personal. If this happens the team can infuse passion into the most sterile startup.
Ecommerce is an arena that is perfect for exploration and discovery. It is a place where belief thrives and prospers. Ecommerce is a place for brave people to bring the faith of a child and imagine the impossible as possible and then prove the unbelievers wrong.
