Modern day formula for Success — 30% Delivery, 70% Press Releases!

No. This is not just a story about Elon Musk or his great work for the sustainability of the human race among the stars. Or his…

No. This is not just a story about Elon Musk or his great work for the sustainability of the human race among the stars. Or his revolutionary steps in transportation technology. Or his vision for artificial intelligence. 
This is a story about how those words in italics strike us every time we talk about the entrepreneurial “godfather” Elon Musk!

When it comes to entrepreneurship in the modern digital age, this one trick in the book has made sense more than ever before. I can argue that the ones who are at the top of their game are clearly masters of this trick, who make customers and investors kneel down and scream; “We don’t care, take our money.”

So this trick?

Constantly be in the public eye.

Do as many press releases as you possibly can.

It’s not that hard actually. The age of social media is made for this. When all the mainstream media are merely amplifications of what’s on social media, a tweet less than 140 characters is enough to raise a couple of millions when you’re Elon musk.

So what’s the guideline?

Share everything.

From investments, acquisitions, reorganizations to client deals, verbal agreements, conference appearances to lawsuits, gender inequality, arguments on spy cam footage to a new office ping-pong play area, the workforce going vegetarian for a week to the CEO coming out as gay. . . . . Right. I think we get the picture.

Side note — It always makes me ponder when I see companies publicize their acquired investments as victories. I mean it’s not like they got rich over night. Big investments come with bigger responsibilities. Bigger pressure. Shouldn’t reaching those projections you showed in power point slides be the real victories you should brag about? Then I argue myself, maybe not. In fact closing a successful investment round can be a win. When you publish a feature article about it, it gives the reader that “they-should-be-doing-something-right” feeling. Which might in turn help them to reach those targets. Fair enough. Back to the main note.

Result of being constantly in the public eye? —

Amazon. I mean Amazon’s skyrocketing market capitalization is one of the greatest reflections on the results of being constantly on the news! Just recall how much we hear about Amazon. From their delivery drones (which seemed like a university project but they surely made it more famous that beyonce’), their radically managed warehouses, the futuristic retail stores, billion dollar acquisitions, recruitment of former BBC TV stars to their CEO’s private rocket company and the number of seconds he was the richest man in the world, Amazon is always just like bang! bang! bang!

It’s like being at a music festival and the DJ drops the beat so often that the crowd never stops jumping. Yeah. Amazon in that DJ.

At the heart of this effect is the point I see as the most eye-catching. That is the existence of; here we go;

The Visionary Character

The master story teller. We love this guy.

We’re in the age where “brand image”, which is key for a company, goes beyond the actual products or services it’s offering. Evidence?

Apple. We fell in love with Steve Jobs so much that even after years of his passing away, we are still ready to throw our money into whatever the overpriced tech that Apple is offering.

Here is the power of a visionary’s product. If you thought Apple was just selling iPhones, you’re wrong. They are selling Steve Jobs. If you thought Tesla was just selling electric cars, your wrong. They are selling Elon Musk. And we are willing to pay and wait two year for a model 3.

Takeaways —

Whether you’re a scaled up company or a startup, you should make the most out of today’s connected global community. Digital advertising is the wind for your sails to reach those destinations. It is the driving force.

Share your journey. I can argue that it should not just be about your achievements, but also about those failures and the lessons. All those can be used to mould the image for your company and yourself. This is how modern age entrepreneurship works. Embrace it.

Food for thought.