In the spirit of Thanksgiving, we’d like to share a few thoughts about our Qurio and how grateful we are for the people that have helped us, the moments of joy [and pure fear] that this effort is filled with and the learnings we’ve earned.
Qurio is built upon the idea that feedback is a gift and as journalists, we should be seeking feedback constantly. I can’t really talk about the print era from a professional standpoint only because I’m a doomed millennial – but I can talk about the digital era and what followed the blogging renaissance, meaning the disruption of information flow and revenue for journalism by platforms.
Even though platforms enabled us to communicate directly with our audiences we didn’t take full advantage of this function. We used them as a broadcasting tool focusing on reach instead of building meaningful relationships with the people formerly known as the audience.
Now that platforms have grown so big that they explode, we need to take matters into our hands and cultivate relationships with our communities. And to build these relationships, feedback is key. When we lean into gratitude for these relationships, we’ll find new joy and happiness in our work life. Studies have shown that revenue will be included, but that’s for another newsletter!
So here at Qurio, we’d like to express our gratitude to:
People
all the engagement editors, executives, engagement reporters, or just friends who have taken the thare with us anything with us we asked for. All the people that have provided us with their expertise and valuable time.
Some of you have supported us since day one, others whom we got to meet over time, and even the most recent ones who have been helping us build this product and business.
The team at Starttech has been supporting us and helping us grow, build, design, organize, understand, iterate and communicate our vision. BTW check out our two newly redesigned pages: “Coaching” and “Work With Us.”
To our families that have supported us through these very challenging and risky times. Starting a company is one of the scariest decisions you can make. And our families have been extremely supportive.
Moments & Feelings
Starting a new project that turns into a project and hopefully into a business is risky but rewarding too. Mostly because you fill an existential need. The need to solve a problem by creating a solution, accessible to hundreds of thousands of businesses out there. You get the chance to turn into reality something you’ve been dreaming of and you get to see people appreciating your side hustle becoming more and more robust day by day.
I’m not glorifying anything here, of course, the course to the epiphany a.k.a. the “startup journey” is a very rocky boat ride, and the bad days are equally numbered to the good days but even the bad days, strengthen your character, and beliefs. At the end of the day, it matters that a bad day won’t stop you from quitting.
And the ride of entrepreneurship is totally worth it despite the risks, only because you learn every single minute.
The learnings
In sociology, the “iron cage” is a concept introduced by Max Weber to describe the increased rationalization inherent in social life, particularly in Western capitalist societies. The “iron cage” thus traps individuals in systems based purely on teleological efficiency, rational calculation, and control.
Entrepreneurship helps you breathe and live outside of this “iron cage”. Innovation grows outside of these systems and keeps growing at a very idiosyncratic pace.
As entrepreneurs and individuals, we are grateful that this journey has helped us shift our focus from the tiniest of things to some important ones. To focus on our customers, to leave our egos in the past, and build like crazy.
The best is yet to come.
I hope that with these thoughts I made you reflect and gave you some idea of our company’s moral DNA.
What are you thankful for?
We’d be delighted to hear your thoughts and chat if you’d like to get in touch.
With love,
Qurio
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