My last several posts have been dealing with a variety of subjects:

- Diversity

- My Quest to be the #1 Douche Bag on Google

- Job postings at Lijit

- VCWear (a snarky/satrical take on a new business)

And the last post I wrote about business (12 days ago):

- 5 Lessons Learned From Gordon Ramsay

So, I was asked this morning, “where are the posts on business, buddy?”

My response? “Everything I post is about business, moron.”

Business, regardless of what is taught in schools, is not really about mechanics. Yes, mechanics are important. Without operational expertise, a business will fail. Bills need to be paid, products need a launch schedule, money needs to be raised, etc.

Business, regardless of what is taught in schools, is not really about business development. Yes, business development is important. Without sales or business development, the business doesnt move forward. The best build products arent seen, sold or used.

Business, regardless of what is taught in schools, is not about the idea or the people. Yes, without an idea or people, there is no business.

Business, regardless of what is taught in schools, is about two things: relationships and connections. (To be clear, not connections or “business relationships,” but how things, ideas and people connect to each other, and how things, ideas and people relate to each other.

Each post I write is about either relationships or connections, and therefore about business.

The douche bag post? It was about the connection I have with my friends, and if that connection could help me rank for a term that I would guess at least 51% of the people I know dont think applies to me.

The diversity post? Its about the relationships we have with each other, and the connections we have with our actions.

The job posting post? Clearly the most about business of the four non-business posts. Funny thing is that I got responses from people I used to work with who all spoke about commenting on what it was like to work with me.

The VCWear post? Well, that was just humor.

But think through your business. Isnt it all about relationships and connections? Isnt coding about the same? Shoot, even databases are relational.

Want to succeed where others have failed? Nuture your relationships and connections. Focus on improving them and growing them.

One side note: Social Networks are NOT ABOUT RELATIONSHIPS OR CONNECTIONS. They are about starting or testing them.

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My friend Andrew Hyde launched VC Wear recently. Before it went live, we were sitting at Trident and I tweeted about the experience.

“Dude,” he giggled. “Can you write a blog post about it?” so I did.

About a week ago or so, my friend Danny Newman instant messaged me a link.

And here is how that conversation went:

W1REDone: dude
W1REDone: what the fuck
MicahB37: what the hell?

Clearly not getting the response he desired, Danny continued:

W1REDone: im starving
W1REDone: have you had lunch?

In both cases, my friends had an expected response, since my responses are always one of four types: Serious, Snide, Snarky or Satirical.

But sometimes, those responses are not immediate. Take the article Danny sent (have you read it?). I read it and thought it was fake because it was so blatantly racist, poorly written, and neither Serious, Snide, Snarky or Satirical. That was a week ago.

Yesterday, I was at lunch and read the Colorado Daily, a free paper here in Boulder. There were articles about protests on campus (I had almost forgotten I was in a college town) which reminded me of the protests we had at UC Davis (contrary to what my parents thought I actually did something besides play Spades and Dominoes, drink and smoke weed while in college). The kid who wrote the piece was suspended. People cried that it wasnt enough.

I read the Colorado Daily’s take on the article. Which reminded me of the stupidity of most people who sit behind a news desk and write opinions. Which made me continue to believe that print newspapers should die in their current format. That solidified the belief that we learn more from each other and doing than we ever do from newspapers or professors or books. Especially in business (but thats another post for another day).

(By the way, the response by the Colorado Daily will ensure that I will never read that paper again. Ever.)

And if the Colorado Daily’s search didnt suck, I would pull up the article I read yesterday about the reaction of professional satirists about the article. Their reaction? Same as mine. Clearly written by someone who should be a student, who thought he was funnier than he really is, and needs to take a couple more writing classes before sitting down and writing again. And, most importantly, doesnt understand satire.

But, I still wasnt planning on posting my thoughts. Until this am. What got me going? Two words in a post by my friend Brad Feld about his rejection process.

What were those words?

“time diversity”

I love this concept. Even with time, diversity is important. Every day, I try to live my life diversely. What does that mean?

For me, it means that each day I try something I have never tried before. I try to be better at something I am mediocre at. I review things about myself that I dont like, and figure out how to change them. I am respectful and accepting of difference.

I learn. I experience. I absorb. I enjoy. I wonder. I respect. I accept. I teach. I fail. I succeed.

This guarantees diversity in my life. It ensures that diversity is just something I do, it has become so ingrained in my existence, that I dont need concious thought to “be” diverse.

I used to serve on diversity committees. The question would always be posed: “Why do we need a diversity committee?” My answer was always the same: “Until diversity becomes so a part of our lifes that its an after-thought, it needs to be front of mind and action.”

Max Karson forgot that.

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Now is your chance. Lijit is hiring several developers and a community catalyst/marketing/evangelist.

Lijit is at an interesting time in its existence. For the past year or so, a group of highly talented folks have been working on a really cool product. Now that we are bringing that product to market, we are finding the demand is accelerating at a pace we didnt expect. While positive, it has also increased the pressure on each member of our team to deliver.

So, we have decided to expand our team, which is also exciting and scary at the same time. What new skills and ideas will these new people bring to the table (exciting)? Will they fit in and produce (scary)? Either way, its a wonderful time to work at Lijit.

Plus, if you find our listing on this post and get hired, look who might buy you a cup of coffee? (Just tell him you saw the job on his post. After all, did you see the title? I am a douchebag, and we dont buy coffee or anyone.)

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