Sustainability.

Why don’t businesses talk about sustainability more? I think of it as a core business philosophy for the company I’ve raised. Sustainability and Reinvention to me as part and parcel of a strategy.
Yesterday, another “consulting firm” (aka a solo guy with a shingle out) approached me for “collaboration” (code name for work).
I asked a couple questions about personal philosophy as it relates to business — what motivates you, what is the grand vision of why you do what you do, and what do you hope to do be doing 5 years from now — those kind of questions.
And I learned what many have said before him. He’s in it for the money, until one of the businesses is so interesting he joins them as CEO or other executive. Not unusual and I don’t fault him. I just have no interest in this approach.
And this guy gets business, regularly enough to make a living. As do many others like him. Smart people who are in transition until the next thing comes along.
Our firm has taken such a different approach over time. I believe in reinvesting in our methodology, training my people, going to conferences as speakers and as listeners so we stay relevant, coaching people to new levels of ideas and synthesis, and mostly following a rigor of our process so we make sure what we produce is unbelievably good ideas, good strategy. I’m not sure anyone else cares about what happens behind the scenes that makes us sustainable, but I do. It matters to me that we plan our business so we not only live for today but can be around when the phone rings in 2 years. We don’t over extend. We don’t over hire. We don’t overcommit and under deliver. And we’re not just here until the next big thing comes along.
I want Rubicon to last and be viable but not for me or even for those that are here at Rubicon today, but for those that need us. We ought to be there for them.