Shadow Estate
17.06-18.02
I teamed up with my partner from DIRECTV/AT&T to create a new-media company.
It was an exciting opportunity and experience. The feeling that you are afraid to turn off the lights to your new office because you are afraid it will all disappear was both horrifying and exhilarating. I will not start another business soon, but when I do the lessons I learned from this experience will be my foundation.
OPPORTUNITY
Take years of experience in creating new-media advertising and make it available to startups
SOLUTION
Created a small company, and produced creative content for a variety of businesses
RESOLUTION
Eight months of high-quality work with terrific, but too few, clients
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NO STRESS
Directly responsible for managing daily company operations
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BUSINESS NERD
Profit and loss, business development
Project costing
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GET THAT NAME FELT
Overseeing marketing initiatives
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WHO YOU KNOW
Managing client consulting engagements
Client relations
New product management
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MAD PEEPS
Hiring and managing project personnel
Staff evaluation
| Role | Skills | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Co-Founder | Set up the company, found clients, managed partnerships | Decide on projects and clients to take on, look for avenues of interest outside our traditional scope. |
| CEO | Built Studio, Team Lead, Budgeting, Purchasing | Providing support for projects and team within defined parameters. |
| Creative | Concepting and Design, Project Pitching, Motion & 3D Graphics, Video Production | Make sure production matches the client's expectations while adhering to internal standards of excellence. |
GET TO KNOW YOUR NEIGHBORS
Our studio was in an office building, and we got our 2nd largest client by talking with our neighbors.
START WITH A (MINIMUM) 3 PERSON TEAM
There are countless reasons why this is important, but I'll start it off with "how do you break a tie?"
BUY WHAT YOU NEED NEED NEED
100% of the first six months came out of pocket, you will be surprised what you get for free, and asking doesn't cost you anything.
NET NEUTRALITY
Working with Time Warner to set up our cable took over 6 months, 100% internal issues on their part. Cost us $1000s in time and opportunity.
BUDGETING PROJECTS
"Full Price" is the friend rate. People who want deals are not friends. This goes for the business and the employee, no one works at a discount.
