Dilbert creator speaks about his small business
by Andrew Smith on 26/06/07 at 11:36 am
1 comment
Scott Adams writes a blog about his thoughts on life in general, and also some behind-the-scenes stuff about creating the Dilbert cartoon. Today he wrote about the "Champagne Moments" in his cartooning career, and it sounded a lot like the ups and downs of any small business waiting for that lucky break that will launch things forwards.
There is a lot of hard work:
During one particularly busy year, I held a full-time job at the phone company, wrote and drew Dilbert, and wrote a book called “The Dilbert Principle.” I didn’t sleep much that year.
And big break-throughs:
Finally, I got the call. “You’re number one [on the best-sellers list].” I can’t describe what that felt like. If you’re thinking it feels a lot like being number two, only slightly better, you missed it by a light year. I was home alone when I got the news, and I cried for about two hours. Life changed.
He finishes with some thoughts on what drives entrepreneurs:
I still haven’t popped the champagne. I just raise the bar for what would be the right moment, and tell myself how tasty it will be if I ever accomplish something special in my work. Apparently the thing inside me that makes me work so hard is the same thing that keeps me unsatisfied. It’s a package deal. The best you can hope for is a family that understands.
Andrew Smith is the pedantic systems guy behind Live Alchemy, a SA e-commerce company. Andrew writes for Ideate in an attempt to make the world a more efficient place. View more articles by Andrew Smith.
Miguel dos Santos
Jun 26th, 2007
Awesome insights there. I soo relate to thought on what drives entrepreneurs.