Transitioning vision into reality for a new business, a new model, or simply an internal process may require pushing well beyond the status quo.

Reddit co-founder Steve Huffman (who also co-founded Hipmunk and is a 2011 Inc. 30 Under 30 honoree) is teaching a Udacity online course on Web application engineering. In one of the instructional videos, Huffman reveals that many of Reddit's "users" in the early months were actually fake accounts, created by the founders.

Huffman goes on to say that these fake users were critical to building Reddit:

• The appearance of activity created momentum with "tons of content" and made the site feel alive, rather than a "ghost town" empty website.

• The articles set the tone for the site, in terms of the topics that were useful or interesting. The community Reddit built in the early days and that continues to this day was driven at least in part by the content the founders posted.

Within a few months, the site had gained enough momentum and a strong enough sense of community that the authors no longer needed to post articles under fake accounts.

In the video, Huffman talks of willing Reddit into existence. An entrepreneur must have a vision of a better world he or she can create, but vision alone is not enough. He or she must also make his or her vision real and powerful to potential customers and investors. Otherwise, he or she will never gain the resources and momentum he or she requires to be successful.

In this context, a "smoke and mirrors" approach can sometimes be critical to willing a business model into existence. The forces of skepticism and inertia can be strong among investors and potential customers. To combat those forces, we need to create a compelling vision of the future and make it seem more real and inevitable than the status quo:

• Create a compelling vision by showing customers and investors that there is an objectively better state of the world we can create, in which we serve customers better and are more richly and sustainably rewarded for doing it.

• Make it real by showing (through prototypes, pilot programs, small-scale tests, etc.) how this better world tastes and feels (in a very visceral sense), and why it is compelling and rewarding.

• Make it inevitable by painting a very clear path from vision to reality and bulldozing through (or routing around) obstacles with clear conviction and determination. Also, by rallying and motivating the resources needed to make it happen.

Important Note: By "Smoke and Mirrors," we are not suggesting entrepreneurs do anything unethical or illegal. As you will see in the example below, we are talking about ethical actions to gain traction in building a new business model. In the Reddit example above, our view is that the founders' actions were not misleading to their early customers, nor unethical.

In one recent engagement, we convinced a client that it needed to guarantee its customers 24-hour turnaround on purchase requests. This was vital to addressing a major reason for customer dissatisfaction and moving to a higher spot on customers' approved vendor list.

However, we also needed to convince the client that 24-hour turnaround was achievable, when the status quo for most requests was 72 hours. To do so, we launched a pilot program to address key bottlenecks and resource gaps. For a select set of customers, we simplified the entire process, from the level of information needed to fulfill the request to the level of judgment and process needed to approve or deny the request. The pilot results were very positive; customers were happier with a quick denial than with a drawn-out, back-and-forth approval.

Not bad for a model that we created out of thin air.

We then made 24-hour turnarounds inevitable, through the simple technique of "burning our boats behind us." We moved employees from their current teams to new "SWAT" teams and built into those individuals' performance goals and incentives a significant bias toward quick decisions. We gave them no choice but to make decisions quickly.

We also placed the SWAT teams in charge of the entire purchase request process and helped them revamp it so that they could make good decisions quickly. We allowed them to have an above-average "reject rate," because we did not want them to make bad approvals (whereas we were fine with an overly restrictive approval process and high reject rates).

Along the way, we encountered all manner of doubt and inertia. We boiled our vision down to its essence and communicated it at every opportunity. When told "it can't be done," we responded (politely, of course!), "It must be done, and here's why. Either get on board or get out of our way." Where necessary, we borrowed or appropriated folks, taking them away from their day jobs (or simply redefining what their "day job" actually was) and asking for forgiveness instead of permission.

With the successful pilot in hand, we are adding more SWAT teams across the rest of the organization.

Note that at any point in time, senior executives could step in and stop or delay this whole operation. If they did so, they would see behind the curtain, see the "spit and baling wire" with which we were holding the whole operation together. Major processes and team structures are in flux, and we're learning as we go. However, the executives remain very supportive because we have made a compelling case (and continue to make the case) that the status quo is untenable.

In this way, we are faking it until we make it.

Have you willed your business into existence? Share your thoughts with us at karlandbill@avondalestrategicpartners.com.

MGC Showcase

Multi-Cultural Greek Council

Thursday, February 7, 2013

7:00pm

University Center, Ballroom

UMBC ID = FREE (Limit 1/ID)

General Admission = $5

Ticket #: 78 of 299

Ice Skating

(seb)

Saturday, February 16, 2013

Bus departs The Commons Circle @ 7:00pm

All Guests = $10

Ticket #: 12 of 48

Philadelphia Bus Trip

(seb)

Saturday, February 23, 2013

Bus departs The Commons Circle @ 9:00am

All Guests = $20

Ticket #: 3 of 50

Kenan Thompson Comedy Show

(seb)

Sunday, February 24, 2013

7:00pm

Retriever Activity Center (RAC)

All Guests = $12

Ticket #: 1191 of 2700

New York City Bus Trip

(seb)

Saturday, March 2, 2013

Bus departs The Commons Circle @ 8:00am

All Guests = $30

Ticket #: 6 of 103

Oz Midnight Premiere

(seb)

Thursday, March 7, 2013

Bus departs The Commons Circle @ 11:00pm

All Guests = $5

Ticket #: 2 of 260

Medieval Times Bus Trip

(seb)

Saturday, March 9, 2013

Bus departs The Commons Circle @ 6:00pm

All Guests = $35

Ticket #: 1 of 49

Fellow Sigma Alpha Lambda Members!

Welcome! I'd like to extend greetings to all new members, as well as a welcome back to our returning members! I am excited to start off this new semester, and I hope you are too!  I would like to invite everyone to our Kickoff Meeting for this semester, where we will meet each other or catch up, discuss our upcoming events, and enjoy free snacks and refreshments! The Kickoff meeting is:

Date:    Monday, February 11th 2013 
When:   12:15pm-1:00pm (Free-hour) 
Where:  Sondheim 101

Second, for our facebook users, we have a group set up just for our UMBC Chapter. Once you join, you will have access to announcements and messages that I will send through facebook.  Here is the link where you can request to join: 

http://www.facebook.com/groups/SALUMBC 
We will meet every Monday during free hour (12:15pm)

All of our meetings will be held in Sondheim 101.   Feel free to email me with any questions that you may have, and I hope the start of school has gone smoothly for everyone!

It would also be great if you guys could let know know if you will be able to attend so we can anticipate the amount of food we need :) 

Thanks 

Author and advocate for introverts Susan Cain offers three tips for quiet types to master the art of public speaking.

You can't choose how much talent you have for an activity, but you can choose how you view the relationship between talent and excellence--and according to recent research, that choice makes a big difference.

Telling your kids they're smart, for instance, sounds like a good idea, but psychological studies have found that believing performance is down to inborn ability actually creates anxiety, reduces motivation, and leads children to underperform. Believe that achievement is mostly down to hard work and practice, on the other hand, and you're more likely to grow to your full potential--and perhaps outshine even those blessed with natural ability.

And what's true for fifth grade math students or young violinists is also true for public speakers.

Sure, you may be a born introvert, utterly lacking in the desire to listen to the sound of your own voice, but according to Susan Cain, author of Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking, that doesn't mean you can't become an excellent public speaker.

The first step is realizing that you're not doomed--effort and skill matter more than personality. The second is to learn some basic techniques to better approach the challenge of addressing a crowd. Cain, who is developing a course on public speaking for introverts, recently shared some of these tips for quiet types on the blog of presentation guru and designer Nancy Duarte, including:

Be yourself; good speakers are not necessarily "naturals." Have you ever watched a fiery orator or a speaker who has the audience in stitches, and thought, "I can’t do that"? You might be right--and that’s okay. The best speakers are not necessarily dynamic or hilarious – they are simply interesting. They communicate valuable information. "People think that being a good speaker means being funny or glib," says David Lavin of the Lavin Agency (who happens to be my lecture agent). "But that’s wrong. The best speakers are compelling. People underestimate the power of content and of storytelling."

What do Malcolm Gladwell and Lady Gaga have in common? At the same time, public speaking is a performance, and that’s a good thing, even if you’re not a natural actor. Have you ever wondered why people enjoy costume parties? It’s because they feel liberated when interacting from behind a mask. Dressing up as Cinderella or Don Draper removes inhibitions as effectively as a glass of wine. Think of your onstage persona the same way. Surprisingly, both Gladwell and Lady Gaga have this in common.

Serve the audience. Introverts are phenomenal listeners, which attunes them to the needs of others. And that’s why speaking (instead of listening) can feel uncomfortable--unnatural, even. But remember that public speaking is not about you. It’s about the audience. Your job is to take care of the audience, not to be judged by it or even to entertain it. Remind yourself that you are not seeking approval or love. You are a teacher, a giver, an enlightener.

Check out the complete post for the rest of the tips. Or, if you're struggling to make your reserved personality work for you in other areas of your professional life, these resources on promoting yourself despite your shyness and how to survive a party or networking event with your nerves intact may be useful.

If you're an introvert who has mastered public speaking, how did you conquer your natural reserve?

After a while, your coding fingers start asking for a break. During that free time, your mind wanders. And, sometimes, it wanders into dangerous territory. You might start thinking about marketing. You’re reading this, aren’t you? You’re asking yourself: “When’s the right time to step back and start planning my marketing strategy?”

When your mind is finally taking a bit of a rest (and isn’t overly excited about the prospect of buying a new mousepad), you start thinking about how you’re going to attract a user base. It’s in that random moment that all hell breaks loose. If you’re not thinking about whether you’re too early to start a marketing campaign, you have no idea where you’re standing. It’s that simple.

You know you’re considering marketing a bit too early when:

• You’re still worried you’d make a fool of yourself by presenting the product you have made so far to the public. This should be a no-brainer.
• You’ve got a major update coming up. When someone sees a major change in your product just after jumping on your boat, it’s something that might make this person jump off right away. Major updates right after a major sign-up streak are basically your way of saying, “What? You thought we were stable? HA!” The period after a major update, on the other hand, is a completely different story. Also a minor update, such as moving a button from the left of the screen to the right, shouldn’t give you much trouble. It’s those enormous face lifts that happen right after a bunch of people join that really bugs ‘em.
• You’d best describe the product as an “alpha-stage” project. That’s like those kids in high school that get a band together and attempt to throw a concert after their first two rehearsals.
• People other than your family members haven’t tested your product and given it a good roasting. This is by far one of the most important. Your family is more inclined to say, “Hey, Billy! That’s one sweet project you got there!” They’ll say this even if you make the most horrid thing to ever reach this green Earth. Get strangers in and tell them to give you two things: What they loved about your product; and what aspect of your product made them want to curl into a little corner of the basement.

While nothing’s worse than starting a marketing campaign too early, there also is such a thing as starting one too late. For example, if you already blew chunks out of a budget developing the project to the point you’re broke, it’s time to reconsider its fate unless you get your hands on a pot of gold real fast.

Also, do not misinterpret this as a motive to delay the release of your product. If you’re still in the pre-release stage, just make a solid product that people will use. Release the product early! Once it’s released, pull the reins on development and focus on marketing exclusively for a while. Once you get some users, you can add the features you want later on. This way, you can upsell your product when you feel it’s time to start pulling in more revenue by releasing a new feature.

When’s the right time to market? Consider marketing when your work has turned into a well-polished and finished-ish product, you had enough people test it to death, and (most importantly) you have the confidence and pride to show prospects a product that you would use yourself in your daily life without a single second-look at any other software of its nature. Oh, and don’t forget that you need money for this!