How Hungry Are You?

[Dan Furman]

I just got to thinking about this earlier today, because I lost out on a job to someone far hungrier than I.

A guy has a nice e-commerce delivery platform, and needed a copywriter. He e-mailed me (and likely a few others) Friday. I took a look at his site, gave him a few thoughts, told him we'd converse more early this week, and then promptly took the weekend off (like I always do - my attitude is, I'm not working weekends at this point in my life.)

Another writer spent the entire weekend rewriting what was on the site. His initiative worked - he got the job. He worked while I drank beer on my deck.

I'm more thirsty than hungry, I suppose ;)

[Spider]

So, you helped someone get a job. Nothing wrong with that. Maybe he needed the money more than you. Maybe his kids went to bed hungry on Friday night.

I think you did good, helping someone less fortunate than yourself.

[vangogh]

I'm very hungry, though it's lunch time now. :)

Good question Dan. I guess my answer depends a little or rather needs a little rephrasing. It depends what you're specifically hungry for. Years ago I would have taken on most any job. I was hungry for work in general. Now I won't take on many of those same jobs for various reasons, but I don't think it makes me less hungry. If it's a job I really want I will go after it same as I would have in the past.

Maybe the best analogy is yes I'm still hungry, but instead of cheap ground beef I want to eat a really good steak.

I'm still hungry, but I'm more picky now in what I'm hungry for.

[Harold Mansfield]

Dan, I'm was just discussing this with someone.

The last 2 months I have not been as aggressive, nor attentive as I should be and it has cost me work. Not returning phone calls in a timely manner. Taking days off. Getting started late.

I recognize that recently I have been doing just enough to get by and I am looking to rectify that and recharge.

[Dan Furman]

So, you helped someone get a job. Nothing wrong with that. Maybe he needed the money more than you. Maybe his kids went to bed hungry on Friday night.

I think you did good, helping someone less fortunate than yourself.

Yes! I feel the same way. In fact, I replied to the guy and told him essentially what I posted (well, not the beer :) ) and at the end said "good for him or her" (meaning the other writer)

I do honestly feel that way, too. Ten years ago, that was me.

[greenoak]

i think its good to put limits on what you will do.you probably havew good reasons...... i fight that all the time, people want stuff i cant/dont choose to offer....... i feel like working within our limits makes us better in the long run.....
maybe getting off weekends is really good for your busness and your frame of mind...
i do make exceptions tho , it all depends...
like i told a customer she couldnt bring her great big dog in....and she said ~~last time i was here i spent 1000$$$ and shes a good dog and its too hot in the car for her~~~~~~i backed down and bent my rule...

[Russ in Vancouver]

digging for some change** aha, I found my 2 cents

It seems that the client needed a rush, high pressure, eat home baked pizza at the desk job done chop chop. I think one has to draw the line somewhere. The body and the mind needs to recharge.

When one aquires a certain level of experience and wisdom, one usually knows when to let a job go to some other go getter. I think thats what you did?

[vangogh]

one usually knows when to let a job go to some other go getter.

Yep, that's exactly how I was thinking about it too. We all reach a point where we don't need or want every potential job. At least hopefully we all get there.

[billbenson]

Yep, that's exactly how I was thinking about it too. We all reach a point where we don't need or want every potential job. At least hopefully we all get there.

It's not even not needing the business. I'm still way in debt, but I hit a saturation point about a year ago. I started doing things for fun that will slow down the process of getting out of debt. In my case, I just put the stuff that makes the most money higher on the priority list. I also took up a sport I enjoy and work out at that for three hours every week night with rare exception. That certainly cuts into my pocket book. Great for my mental health though.

[vangogh]

True. It doesn't have to be about the money. I think that's what drives most people to be hungry and also where some of the hunger goes away, but you could also be hungry for other things and be more selective about new business regardless of the financial situation. Though I would think most people are hungrier for more business based on their financial situation.

[Business Attorney]

I know people who always seem to have the drive to go that extra mile to land the business. They aren't really hungrier, they are just "on" most of the time. They'll spend extra hours on a weekend to land the business even if they are backed up and don't need more work, because they can't stand to lose out to someone else. They won't necessarily cancel a golf game or miss their child's Saturday afternoon Little League, but they will find a way on a Saturday to fit in what they need to do to stay ahead of the other guys. Sometimes, I think that, for them, landing the business is more of a game than a job.

[vangogh]

I'm curious now how we all define being hungry in business. David I could easily say the people you described do what they do because they are hungry. They can't stand losing out so it makes them hungry. On the other hand I could look back at Bill's post and say he really isn't hungry. I could say the same thing about my first post in this thread as well. By being more selective in what projects I take on does it mean I'm not as hungry as I was a few years ago.

Do we define being hungry solely as something financial? Can we be hungry for other things in business like doing work that's personally satisfying? Or does the latter suggest we aren't hungry at all, but motivated by something else?

I've always thought of being hungry in business as something to do with want and desire and being willing to do more than most to get what you want. It's being motivated to go the extra mile. It's staying up till the wee hours of the night working on some aspect of your business when most sane people are long asleep. It's working on Sunday after having put in six straight 14 hour days. Things like that.

Is that a reasonable definition?

[billbenson]

I know someone who is quite wealthy. Making money is his job and pass time. He doesn't golf, chase girls (divorced), go on exotic vacations. He tries to make more money or researches new businesses. Thats an example of someone IMO who is not hungry. He has no friends or personal life. Lousy way to live, I guess he likes it though.

[Business Attorney]

vangogh, I think of "hungry" as being different than internally driven. Some people eat because they are hungry, some people eat because they enjoy the food, others eat compulsively.

In business, I think that the ones who are motivated by external forces, whether it is paying debts, meeting payroll, or even the driving need to just get the business to the next level are the ones I call hungry.

The ones who just love to win the deal for the sake of winning are more like the ones who eat not because they are hungry but because they truly love food - the taste, the texture, the presentation. There is a five star restaurant here in Chicago - Alinea - where if you go in hungry, you will probably leave hungry as well. Their food is art, not sustenance.

Then there are the workaholics - they work not because they are hungry nor because they enjoy it but simply because they can't stop.

All three types will stay "up till the wee hours of the night working on some aspect of your business when most sane people are long asleep" but for very different reasons. While I guess you could call all three of my categories of people "hungry," I put the last two into a different category.

[vangogh]

He has no friends or personal life. Lousy way to live, I guess he likes it though.

Lousy way for you to live maybe, but not for him. I don't think you can say he isn't hungry. I think he just hungers for different things than you do.


I think that the ones who are motivated by external forces, whether it is paying debts, meeting payroll, or even the driving need to just get the business to the next level are the ones I call hungry.

That's an interesting way of looking at it. I have another question though. What constitutes an external force. For example you mention meeting payroll. I wouldn't think that would be external. Let me use myself as an example. My prime motivation for what I do has much more to do with things that are outside my business.

I am the type who will stay up into the wee hours working. When I do though it's usually not because I'm trying to finish a project, but rather because I encounter a problem and feel driven to solve it. The problem is probably something I encountered working on a project, but the motivation for solving it has nothing to do with the project. In fact much of the time I find a workable solution quickly, but stay up late because I want to find a better solution.

On a similar line I'm currently working on a redesign of my site. I've been at this long enough that I could easily create a build a better site than what I have now. From a business perspective it would make sense to do so. However instead of doing that I find myself striving for a perfection I know I can't reach and don't expect to reach. I know though along the way I'm going to teach myself a lot and while it'll take longer to get the new site finished I'll be much better at what I do on the other end. The motivation though is simply to better at what I do, because I genuinely enjoy what I do and want to be better. That I'll have increased skills and be able to charge more or take on projects that bring in more revenue I see as a benefit, but it's secondary to why I'm doing things the way I do.

I'm definitely driven, but I guess I'm not really hungry.

Another thought about hunger in business is when we go above solely for the sake of the business. For example working Sunday not because you enjoy the work or you can't stand losing out, but just because it will help the business. I think that still fits all 3 of your examples.

[greenoak]

mainly i want to be there when a good opportunity shows up....but i dont want to waste time on things i know i dont want to do....im out there and curious and feel like i could do more...hungry not desperate.....