Letters

Readers respond to articles from the January and February issues of Inc., including Mike Hofman's "An American Start-Up", Norm Brodsky's "Your Good Name" and Leigh Buchanan's "The Idealist".

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We received the proverbial shower of letters this month in response to January's Start-up issue and February's story about Platinum Concepts Inc., whose founders chronicle their start-up journey in a popular newsletter. Other readers praised Great Harvest Bread CEO Pete Wakeman for his comments on work-life balance.

Come together, right now
Senior staff writer Mike Hofman's February article " An American Start-up" described two young entrepreneurs who make a computer mouse shaped like the head of a golf club, called the MouseDriver, and publish an E-mail newsletter about the ups and downs of their company's development. One reader enjoyed their story so much, she decided to check out the company for herself.

The feature on John Lusk and Kyle Harrison was amazing. I was so inspired by your story that I flew to San Francisco the following day to meet them! I showed up at the office door of Platinum Concepts Inc., and the positive, creative energy in the room was indescribable.

We work in totally different industries (I sell massage oil, and they sell computer mice), yet we share start-up experiences that transcend any cultural, gender, or social barriers. John and I are now thinking of ideas for starting up some sort of entrepreneurial support group, and we hope to collaborate in the future.

We old-school entrepreneurs (non-dot-commers) don't have to feel "isolated" and "lonely" as often as we do, because there are others out there who do understand. It's just finding and connecting with those people that is the difficult part. Thank you for helping bring us together.

Robyn Statman
CEO and Cofounder
Rubb Inc.
San Diego

Another entrepreneur identified with the founders of Platinum Concepts and noted that he'd steered his business along a smooth course by following tips shared by another old-style CEO in an earlier issue of the magazine.

As a self-proclaimed entrepreneur, I've experienced all the feelings that Lusk and Harrison described in the story about the MouseDriver. During the past 12 years, I've closely followed your articles on traditional companies, especially beverage maker Oregon Chai, which you first wrote about in " No Experience Required," in September 1997. On my third try at starting a company, I based my business plan on many of the principles that Oregon Chai CEO Heather Howitt listed as requirements for success in the food-and-beverage business. I used the sales figures and the margins she described as a basis for building the model that we sent to the bank to seek funding. And as the business grew, I used information in that article to make critical decisions.

Even though we made mistakes, I'm amazed at how that one article prevented us from making so many more. What's even more surprising is that the first person we hired was a former sales manager from Oregon Chai. With his help and a little bit of our own ingenuity, we feel as if we are hot on the trail to success that Oregon Chai paved.

I hope you'll continue to write stories on old-style entrepreneurs like those behind MouseDriver and Oregon Chai. I believe that those stories have a significant impact on the success of start-ups like mine.

David Abrahams
Cofounder
Kalahari Rusks
Atlanta

La dolce vita
In February's " The Good Life and How to Get It," the CEO of Great Harvest Bread Co., Pete Wakeman, explained how he and his wife, Laura, have been able to balance their business with their life. Several readers responded with thanks for the guidance and the reminder that CEOs don't have to work around the clock to succeed.

Thanks for perceiving and going after a compelling story. Thanks also to Pete Wakeman for sharing the way that he and Laura approach life. Although we all want the "good life," the message is clear that it would be silly for any entrepreneur to look at the Wakemans' list and try to copy their actions. Instead we should look at the thinking behind their actions and create our own blueprint for success. The Wakemans demonstrated how they continually ask themselves what they want -- and have the courage to live by their convictions. It seems that before we create our business plan, we need to create our life plan.

Deanne Bryce
President
LeaderStrength Systems Inc.
Souderton, PA.

Thank you, thank you, thank you! Just when I'm starting to feel that I have less and less in common with the 80-hour-a-week entrepreneurs Inc. often features, along comes a story that's truly inspirational for me. Over the past couple of years, I've taken conscious steps in my life and my business to bring balance and more enjoyment to both. "The Good Life" feature articulates so well what I'm trying to achieve now, and it's a great model for me as I move forward.

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