When the world is running down, you make the best of what's still around

Well,  the Dot-pocalypse part deux appears to be in full swing.  Amazing how fast it arrived, but not that amazing that it *has* arrived.  One moment, the Web 2.0 Happy Bus was rollin' along; then, within a few weeks, it was like we'd entered this strange, alternate timeline.  Companies were going belly-up, layoffs began in droves, and the stock market plunged deep into the abyss, then back up again, then back down again further.

Of course, this is all very familiar-feeling to anyone who was around for Web 1.0.   

Some of you heard me talk about my first experience with this sort of thing at LA Startup at UCLA earlier this year, and then just last week I repeated most of that talk with some new tidbits on Andrew Warner's Mixergy.com podcast and site.  In short, I lost my shirt, got very depressed and survived by living on boat.  Yes, that basically really sucked.  I learned a lot of very hard lessons.  And then, I came back to life and sold ZeroDegrees to IAC, wrote the Max Quick Series and now am fortunate enough to be at Mahalo.

But for those of you kids from the 2.0 world, fasten your seatbelts.  The carnage is just beginning.  And already, this typhoon looks like it will be a lot worse that it was the first time around. 

My advice?  Look for a job, any job, any salary.  And stay there.  Don't try to raise money right now.  Just hunker down.  Be scrappy.  Save up.  You still have a little time left, but not much. 

I know what you're thinking: Oh yeah, Mark, of course you'll say something like that.  Mahalo's hiring and this is how you'll get the best deal.  It's in your interest to scare people.

To that, I say this: Those of you who know me, know that is not what I am like.   Yes, I will always act in the interest of Mahalo.  Of course I will.  I owe that to Jason.  I wouldn't be much of a CTO if I didn't.  But I say this because I really think a lot of the new kids don't really grok yet how serious this nasty bit of business headed our way really is.

That is perhaps forgivable: the first bust was nearly unthinkable at the time it happened.  I didn't believe it until it was here and then some.  And that is also why I am sounding the alarm; maybe some of you will listen.  I guess this is future-wiser-me talking to stupider-past-me through one psychoanalytic prism.  Or like Cartman talking to himself on the Crank Prank TimePhone.  But I digress.

This is serious.  Please take it seriously.   Find shelter, and fast.  Don't be greedy or too proud.    

But also, the dawn will come again.  The earth will still go round the sun.  You still live in America, and that is still pretty cool, despite the problems.  This will be bad, but it will end at some point as well.

Either that, or Apes will be running the planet.  But it's not over until then! :)

Comments

[Jesse Skinner]

First off, I don't live in America, I'm a Canadian living in Germany. But most of my clients live in the US, plus this is a global situation, so my business is far from immune.

I really don't agree with closing up shop and looking for a day job. The last place I want to be is employed by a company who may be unable to access credit to pay my wages.

Instead, I'd recommend looking at the changing landscape closely and finding new gaps in the market. For example, people are looking to save money in all sorts of ways. Refocus your business to help people save (or earn) money and help them adapt to the new reality.