Visit from Erik Hanberg

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We were visited by Erik Hanberg last Tuesday. He seems to me like one of the most successful people we've been able to meet with, but that's because the businesses he pursues seem like the most relatable to me. Mr. Hanberg has started several different small businesses with his wife and himself as the only two working for it. This sounds ideal to me because I have far too many hobbies that I start, stop, renew, or keep year by year.

Mr. Hanberg mentions something called Multiplier Skills saying, "If you have many skills- writing, design, marketing, persuasion, programming, psychology, etc. - Put it online!" Meaning that, try to make a business out of something you have skills in. Because I have a lot of hobbies, I tend to pick up a lot of general proficiency in many subjects, so this too sounds attractive to me. He does mention that a lot of people who have these skills don't pursue opportunities they could benefit from having their own business around it.

Mr. Hanberg mentioned a Seth Godin quote that struck home for me: "... the new laziness has nothing to do with physical labor and everything to do with fear." It's something that I think has stunted me in the past, because I haven't really believed in the interest I have around my hobbies. By that I mean, that I don't always believe what I find interesting will be interesting to others, ESPECIALLY for a price. My pick for a business plan in this class is a technological boardgame, which seems very ambitious, but a lot of fun. I'm hoping that as I piece it together, that I can see the modularity of it that I envision it to have. Mr. Hanberg has also mentioned that diving into these multiple start-ups always costs some money, but it's not a loss if it doesn't work out. It's great for finding out what the market is around it, so if what I end up building doesn't appeal to the board gamer market, then at least I can find out what they do like about the game and move on from there.

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