Philadelphia Entrepreneur Suggests You Learn About Yourself
Eric Griffin is the co-founder of the company Clear-Coat, which is a Philadelphia-based company that manufactures and innovates a consumer brand of mobile accessories. Their innovative RapidCut is a cloud-based system that eliminates the problem of inventory for retailers. It is an all-in-one solution for on-demand manufacturing of mobile screen protection and full body skins. RapidCut offers instant access to the brands products leaving them ahead of the competition. Griffin is also a board member of the Philadelphia chapter of Entrepreneurs' Organization, a non-profit network exclusively for entrepreneurs.
What sort of education is needed to successfully do your job?
"Learn about yourself: what you're good at, what you're not good at, and what you enjoy doing. It sounds like common sense, but most of us trick ourselves into thinking we're good at things that we both hate, and we are bad at. Once you know your strengths, and what you enjoy doing, you can step into that role and thrive. It also enables you to free yourself of things you don't like doing, all the while giving it to someone who really enjoys it (and is better at it than you)!"
What is the most relevant aspect of your education that applies to your day-to-day job?
"The problem-solving skills I learned in computer engineering taught me that every situation has more than one solution. Often times, the first set of solutions you identify are only a path to the best approach, which ends up being a blend of all your ideas. Since I'm generally solving problems all day long, knowing this up front makes the path to the best solution that much clearer."
What is the most fun aspect of your job?
"Taking things from idea to reality never gets old to me. When you have an idea you are passionate about, and you have the right people behind it, anything is possible. I love being able to put an idea to paper, bring in the right people to bring it to life, and pursue the best opportunities for that idea. If it fails or succeeds, I get to know that I tried everything I wanted to try to make it work and have no one to blame (or credit) but myself."
What advice would you give someone just starting out in the field of technology?
"Ideas are only 10% of the equation. The other 90% is execution. A lot of people get hung up on the thought that they need to be the first to market, or have an idea no one has ever had before. The reality is that the best companies in the world survive predominantly on executing old or unoriginal ideas better than everyone else. Make sure you have partners and employees who add value to your execution and your vision, and enable you to build a well-run business out of your idea."
Christina Thompson is a freelance writer living in Philadelphia. She reports on various topics such as: Social Media, Local Events, Entertainment, Food and Drink and more. Her work can be found at http://firstsendmedia.com/