Are You In The Arena?

I have a question. If you've never been curled up in a ball on the floor in the middle of an intense panic attack because somehow you need to make payroll by the end of a sleepless week, do you have the right to call yourself an entrepreneur?

Another question, if I may. Let's say you've read the words Teddy Roosevelt spoke in Paris on April 23, 1910. Still, you could not honestly relate—at least not in any meaningful way—to the message the former president conveyed with such brutal honesty in his famous "Man in the Arena" speech. Do you have the right to judge, criticize, or otherwise comment on how another human being navigates their life?

In his speech, Roosevelt praises those who strive for greatness, despite the risk of failure, over the critics who only observe from the sidelines. He argues that the accurate measure of a person lies not in their successes but in their resilience and dedication to noble causes. Roosevelt extols the virtues of hard work, courage, and determination, asserting that the individual who dares to make a difference, even if they stumble along the way, is far more admirable than those who never attempt to make an impact.

Are you in the arena? Or do you spend your life throwing arrows at and idolizing those who are?

The Art of Life Measurement

In "How Will You Measure Your Life?", Clayton Christensen, the esteemed Harvard Business School professor and author, presents a groundbreaking theory for personal fulfillment, urging readers to examine their lives through business and management principles. Drawing on his personal experiences as a cancer survivor, a father, a husband, and a devout member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Christensen constructs a framework to help individuals navigate the complexities of modern life and achieve lasting happiness.

Christensen's theory revolves around three fundamental questions:

How can I be sure that I'll find satisfaction in my career?
How can I be sure that my relationships with my spouse, family, and close friends become an enduring source of happiness?
How can I live a life of integrity and stay out of jail?

Christensen delves into various management theories to answer these questions and demonstrates how they can be applied to personal lives.

Resource Allocation and Prioritization

Christensen posits that aligning personal values with career pursuits is critical to career satisfaction. He encourages readers to view their time, energy, and talents as resources to be allocated by their priorities. By understanding the concept of opportunity cost and the importance of trade-offs, individuals can effectively balance their professional and personal commitments and make decisions that maximize fulfillment.

Creating a Culture of Trust and Commitment

In personal relationships, Christensen draws on the concept of organizational culture to emphasize the importance of nurturing trust and commitment within families and friendships. He argues that solid relationships are built on shared values, open communication, and a willingness to invest in one another's well-being. By applying lessons from successful companies, individuals can foster a culture of trust and commitment in their personal lives, leading to enduring happiness.

Living a Life of Integrity

Christensen's theory also addresses the importance of living a life of integrity, urging readers to establish a solid moral compass and adhere to their principles, even in adversity. He cites numerous high-profile cases of corporate malfeasance to demonstrate how small ethical compromises can snowball into more significant moral failures. By remaining true to one's values and cultivating self-awareness, individuals can avoid these pitfalls and lead a life of integrity.

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Ola Sars: The Veteran Music Tech Entrepreneur Changing the Music Industry

Ola Sars, a veteran music-tech entrepreneur, is revolutionizing the music industry through his company, Soundtrack. By offering a B2B streaming service, Soundtrack provides businesses with customized music selections that cater to their needs and customer base. The platform helps brands create unique and memorable customer experiences while ensuring that artists receive fair compensation for their work.

With clients like McDonald's, Uniqlo, and Lululemon, Sars' innovative music streaming approach is transforming how businesses and artists interact in the modern music industry.

Sars recently talked to CEO.com about founding Beat Music, Spotify Business, and his impressive career in music.

Full Interview

🍿 May 8, 2023 | 12:00 PM MDT | Mel Torrie

Mel Torrie is the founder and CEO of Autonomous Solutions. He started his engineering career working on research payloads for the STS 77 and STS 91 NASA Space Shuttle Missions. After those launches, Mel got down to earth and started Autonomous Solutions Inc (ASI) 22 years ago at the request of John Deere to start their robotic equipment program. ASI partners with the largest industrial OEMs and producers to field autonomous vehicles in markets like Agriculture, Mining, Construction, Logistics, and Automotive Autonomy Testing. ASI recently partnered with SoftBank to accelerate robotics adoption in the Landscaping and Logistics markets through their Mobius multi-vehicle fleet orchestration platform. Mel grew up on a farm in Canada and got a master's degree in electrical engineering and computer science at Utah State University. He and his wife Raeghn have additionally started a restaurant, a school of rock, and a non-profit foundation that aspires to help people lift themselves out of poverty in countries like Guatemala.

Autonomous Solutions, Inc. designs and manufactures unmanned vehicle systems, software, and components for a variety of industrial, agricultural, automotive proving ground, and military customers. From small bomb disposal robots to massive mining haul trucks, the company has extensive experience automating vehicles of all shapes and sizes with an emphasis on multi-vehicle command and control, mission planning, sensor fusion, obstacle detection & avoidance, teleoperation, and point-and-click ease of use.

Autonomous Solutions began as a spin-off company in 2000 from the Center for Self-Organizing and Intelligent Systems (CSOIS) at Utah State University (USU). ASI was founded by a group of researchers from the Center in order to take the ideas and technologies developed at the center into the commercial sector. From this beginning, ASI has grown to become one of the largest privately held robotics-focused companies in the world. The company employs a team of world-class computer, electrical, and mechanical engineers and support staff at our 100-acre proving ground facility in Northern Utah.

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