Trying Times, But Lots of Love

Not sure who actually said it, but the idea that you really get an idea of who your friends are when the going gets tough is a classic indication of concluding just that: knowing exactly who your friends are!

We all know the road for start-ups isn't all poops and giggles, right? Anyone who has read the book, Start Up, a story about an electronic tablet developed by Go Corp's Jerry Kaplan and friends way before the iPad was ever conceived... well, it was a great idea with a fair share of obstacles to overcome. In the end, Jer and Co just couldn't get the darn thing off the ground. There are a number of theories or reasonable explanations as to why—not enough start up capital, not enough engineers to work the various bugs out, not enough connections in the highest of places, etc. etc.—but in the end, after I read this crash and burn tale, I came to the simplistic, perhaps naive idea that it was simply a condition that Go didn't have enough "real" friends that were ready to stand and deliver with Jerry and his inner circle when the poop hit the fan. They all jumped off the bus before the thing had a chance to fly or crash. Of course they were doomed!

I know a similar story... one that involves my dad, Bob, who started a company in a then infant Silicon Valley in 1967. He had a very similar story to Jerry's. A fledging young company with a great product and a lot of brilliant people. They faced their fair share of adversity and in so many ways, could have gone under in an instant, especially when they hit the slumping early '70's and '80's... However, in the end, in understanding my dad's story vs the one I read about Go, I understood just how important these inner circle of "friends" were. When my dad and his group sold the company, Finnigan, to Thermo Electron (based in Boston) in 1991, the most fascinating part of the story to me wasn't how much they were ultimately able to settle on with the sale to Thermo, but the fact that every one of the original members of the original team that started the company back in 1967... were still there! How many times does that happen?

Of course Finnigan was going to make it. These founders were bound and determined to see this thing through, no matter what. True friends, through thick and thin.

Race Swami seems to have a good core of people, both inside and outside the "inner circle." One can only hope as we traverse these sticky situations, our friends both near and far will bear with us and realize that if we simply problem solve our way through these trying times, that we will all be the better for it and our bond will grow stronger. Working together. Listening. Considering other alternatives. Thinking outside the box. Having the capacity to laugh even through the most adverse of times. It's a must for a fledging young up and comer. There are few stories of the easy road because rare are these times when one just waltzes through life... life tends to get it's sausage-like fingers into everything eventually.

Some stories end so awesome-like. Others, maybe not so much... But the biggest difference between the two just might be the friends who either decide to stay aboard to ride out the storm (damn the consequences!) or jump off to save one's own hyde. I'd like to think Race Swami's got the lifers on board.

Race Swami is certainly determined to fight our next fight(s)(s)(s)... as they will all surely present themselves to us as we move forward, month to month—and day to day. And we'll do it together! We love our team... we love it's understated, underdog-like demeanor. We've got scrappers who will go the distance. And who knows... maybe we'll even be the next great story! Little swim club out of Rose Park... delivers on it's mission to serve the community.