I found them. (MTIE Day 2012 - Rant)

I did it. I found them.

They’ve been here all along and, come to find out,...we have a reputation. They’re just like you and me. Not any superhuman specialties to speak of except, of course, a legendary Montana work ethic. When I say legendary, I’m really not exaggerating. There was 110% agreeance among the panel elites that Montana holds a special significance for many in their network. Be it a dinner party or board room, the word on the street is that we are sought after…and that should make you feel good. It’s the embodiment of all those feelings that you always thought, but never voiced. It’s the reason that you and your friends find excitement and common cause across disciplines that others might deem unrelated. It’s the knowing that you, coming from whatever background, in one of the (perceived) least consequential states in the union, are going to change the game. 

You shake things up, you don’t take “no”, you politely proceed to prove all your doubters wrong.  It’s the way you’ve always been and always will be.

And you know the great part? There is an extremely willing network of people ready to help you make your mark. They have connections to Silicon Valley, Alley, Slopes, and Hills. They are NYC, SF, CHI, Boston, Austin, Bombay, Tokyo, London, Shanghai, Paris, and on across the map.  By their own admission, they aren’t special.  If you walked past them on the street, they don’t emit some sort of glow. They aren’t flashy, they aren’t selfish, and they let their actions and works speak for themselves. They are incredibly understated and generous. They wield a wealth of knowledge and use it to call their own shots, punch their own tickets, and drop it on those who would have it.

In other words, they’re just like you and me.  We collaborate. We share the love…and the pain. We know the difference between lip service and real commitment.  We sacrifice and study and strive.  We don’t take “no,” we don’t know “can’t,” we take the help when it’s offered, and we all understand that you only get one ride. So you might as well make it count.

They are us.

We are they.

Montanans united. (More than you know).

Let's party.

I’ve been giving a lot of thought as to how I might best kick off this site lately.  No longer content with consuming the brilliant spectrum of content available out there, I’ve decided to join the party late – or more accurately, your party.  Better late than never though, right?  The good part is that an amazingly large and generous community around the world has written countless articles, books, blogs, commentary and wikis on exactly how to do just that.  Coupled with a certain carefree drive required of anyone willing to broadcast themselves to the world, I’ve decided to leap.  Just mix a little SEO with a little social media - add in your target audience, your tribe, your followers, your fans, your potential, just a dash of resilience and a healthy dose of patience, and voilà! Nothing to it, right?  Not quite.

This whole process has already produced a decent amount of lessons learned. (And this is just the first post)!  I’ve been told to have at least 10 blog posts drafted and ready to launch with a good contest/giveaway/etc.  Excellent suggestions to be sure, but unfortunately, I have neither the time nor focus between family and day jobs to come up with something especially catchy for all of my potential fans or keyword searches. This is compounded by my default kung fu “action” setting which, aside from allowing me to kill with one blow, tends to override complex, coordinated planning operations. (Seriously, there’s a switch on my back that hasn’t moved since my parents bought me and turned me from demo mode). So, I've just decided to go.

I bet you're wondering why I’m at your party.

(clears throat)(ahem)<proper british accent>… "In a perfect universe, Montrepreneur.net is a fount of entrepreneurial knowledge delivered in an easily accessible format that allows my visitors to inform and challenge their notions of what it is to take the helm of fate and plot a course for success."  But we know that the universe isn’t perfect, is it? Rather, it is only as perfect as our pursuit of perfection in it, so here’s the non-flowery version:

Montrepreneur.net is a place for people with a driving curiosity, creativity, and sense of humor to dig in, connect, and share the best ways to change the world, with a focus on their little corner of it.

As of now, this is a one-man show. But I should warn you, I have a growing army (network) of fantastic people (FFF’s*) with whom I have crossed paths who can’t wait to get their hands dirty in providing you the best in real-world case studies and startup knowledge to be found.  As I’m sure you’re aware, there are many great resources out there doing the same thing (I will get to my favorites in time), so my plan is to augment what they provide in as enjoyable a way possible. We’re all on the same team here.  If you ever disagree with me or would like to elaborate on any topics covered here, please do so early and often.  I want to use this platform to hopefully learn as much or more than I ever have the privilege to provide.  Please join me on this journey.

Welcome to my world, and thanks for inviting me to your party.

-Andy

 *Family, Friends and Fools – high five if you got that right away.