How are you defining “B2C businesses on Main Street.”
The reason I’m wondering is because it’s striking how much more financially challenged my Main Street is compared to Vc texh.
I see so much opportunity for a small medium business consultation in the analytics and process space but these companies are like really strapped for money and largely set in their ways in my experience.
In my experience, people are open to solving their problems. It’s just the money is hard making it financially viable so it’s just the big money is just like an order of magnitude smaller.
Another thing I’ve noticed is that I think the general level of sort of like process thinking and data driven decision making in tech is at just like a higher baseline than on Main Street
A lot of my discussions are challenging how to sort of like present the problem in a way that somebody that doesn’t have decades of experience and operations understands.
Another challenge that I face regularly with Main Street companies is just people seem to be happy like they’re not trying to continuously optimize like I’m used to doing coming for a big tech. Even when it’s easy to present like positive ROI opportunities there’s just like a comfort with the way things are done and a lot of people seem just happy governed by their scaling factors in exchange for that that comfort.
TLDR; challenges are financial and mentality.
I define B2C businesses on main street as everything from a regional chain of plumbers to a medical practice with 10 or 15 doctors in one area, to a realtor.
It sounds like you are very much motivated by optimizing processes and profitability, and/or the income that doing so provides you. What I've realized is that in many ways I'm not sufficiently motivated by that. What motivates me is the gratification I get from seeing every day people impacted by my work.
Nothing wrong with that, just different things for different people. In fact, you may be a more "enlightened" being because you can focus on the longer term rewards.
I think you’re right. For many businesses the tech is a background enabler rather than the focus. But if you find the right business and culture and leverage the tech, that’s the sweet spot. Tough to find though…
100% right. Any tips on finding it?
One thing I'm hearing over and over is "focus on impact, not process." Which is something I think is something you're seeing become a growing need in tech as well.
Tough to say without knowing you, but I’d say figure out what you’re good at, what motivates you and look for people you enjoy working with. Maybe that takes you to a certain industry but maybe not.
> Even when it’s easy to present like positive ROI opportunities there’s just like a comfort with the way things are done
I could see that getting pretty frustrating