A New Definition of Lean Startup

Like many entrepreneurs, coming up with great ideas happens too often.  And the great idea of getting back in shape to become a better entrepreneur was not only was a great idea, but one that seemed like it wouldn’t be too difficult to achieve.  But like many other great startup ideas, this one was deceptively hard.  Execution is everything, right?

Today, Micah Lacerte of Hitch Fit showed how hard it can be to execute my whole new definition of LEAN STARTUP—or more fittingly, LEAN ENTREPRENEUR (yes, pun intended)!  In this case, what he had in store for me was a very conveniently placed hill nearby his facility. It looked fairly innocuous, but when you run backwards up the cobblestone street...it really is pretty tough. In fact, it really inflicted some torture on my legs. It’s amazing, that like many other great skills in life, something that looks deceptively easy, when done properly to achieve results, can actually be very, very hard.

Unfortunately, these results might be sometime in the future, but hopefully not too distant future to keep me a believer. As I venture into my fitness challenge, I realize the value of not only expertise, but advice. Micah has the ability to explain to me why I am doing what I am doing, not just telling me what to do.  He caters to my deeply-rooted belief system of “teach me how to fish”.

Perhaps I’m just wired this way, but if I can understand why I’m doing something, I buy into it even more and it helps me understand what needs to be done in order to be successful. Hmmmm...this sounds a bit like entrepreneurship and starting a company.

A combination of hills, weights, other cardio exercise and other things that are deceptively simple looking, when used properly under the skill and care of a good advisor and coach, makes a world of difference.  I am confident that these activities will produce the results that I could not achieve on my own.

So even though I should thank Eric Ries for the lean startup concept (and I do embrace it), my lean entrepreneur mentality has a different spin to the definition of lean startup. The “startup” for me (in this case) is getting back in shape and certainly getting lean.

Stay tuned next week to see exactly how my Hitch Fit training is going and to see if the value of advice and expertise is beginning to pay off. And by the way...this week I can actually lift my arms above my head as I leave today’s workout. But just barely! 

My Entrepreneur Fitness Journey Continues! Ruckus: Check. Next Up? HitchFit.

Last Saturday, May 5^th, I traveled to St. Louis to participate in something called Ruckus. For the uninitiated, Ruckus is an obstacle course race designed to be able to challenge everyone from young kids to the most seasoned adult athletes.  Ruckus is all about sweat, mud and fun—and that’s exactly what I experienced under a sunny day in STL last weekend.  With 1100 of my new best (but very muddy) friends, I was able to take my first step towards achieving a fitness goal—and I used the Ruckus obstacle course race as the initial test.

While running the two-mile “Heater”, I learned a lot of things about myself.  While I was mentally up for the challenge, I had a long way to go physically. As an entrepreneur, I really do like instant gratification. Unfortunately, the world of startups is anything but that. The Ruckus race would prove to be another delayed gratification drill.

While I was able to finish with a respectable time, I found that I wanted to do better. Perhaps it was the 90+ degree heat. Perhaps it was the intense sun beating down on me for my 12:40PM start time. Whatever it was, one thing is for sure: I was not in the shape that I wish that I had been in. While I was in better shape than I was 30-45 days ago, I was still a long way from my ultimate goal. 

I’m an entrepreneur; I like goals. But this fitness goal was still yet to be achieved in my mind. With that, I’m excited to embark on my next entrepreneur fitness journey and still encourage others to do the same by starting HitchFit. HitchFit is the brain child of fitness and body-building experts Micah Lacerte and Diana Chaloux, who are very dedicated trainers and are really trying to make a difference in the fitness world for average people like you and me. While they may appear anything but average, their personalities, humility, and graciousness to be able to help people like myself far exceeds what I really deserve from somebody like them, with their credentials.

So, here I go again.  It’s time for me to continue on in my entrepreneurial fitness journey.  By starting HitchFit next week, I hope to get one step closer toward my fitness goal to be more fit and ultimately become a better leader, business decision maker, husband, father, and friend to others.  At the same time, I hope to start feeling better about my healthy lifestyle choices. 

I hope that this information serves as inspiration to all of you entrepreneurs out there trying to change your fitness regimen.  What do ya say?  Why not turn off the iPhone, step away from the computer and get exercising?  What steps are you taking to get in shape and turn your lifestyle around?  Stay tuned for more. 

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