Ali, Jason Fried & a Big, Wild Haymaker

I’m late for everything.  Always.  Today’s no exception.  I’m just getting around to making my New Year’s resolution.  This year – Patience. 

If you know me, you know I’m not a patient person at all.  This is the biggest reason I’m not a fine artist.  I can’t stand to wait for paint to dry and that gets me in all kinds of trouble.

Recently, while watching Spike Lee’s Facing Ali, a quote from one of his famous opponents really hit home – “Being a good boxer doesn’t mean throwing the hardest punches, it’s being patient.” You don’t want to waste all your energy at the beginning of the bout, swinging with all your might. You let your opponent waste his energy.  You learn what your opponent is all about. In other words, it’s taking the punches, hanging on until the 15th round and then coming out of your corner swinging smart and hard – and to win.



In business, we call it bootstrapping – something 37 Signals co-founder, Jason Fried, preaches. If you’re in business for the long haul, you don’t want to spend all of your time, energy and money in the early rounds.  And just like that poor wannabe boxer growing up in the segregated south, lack of money forces you to focus on the goal, to focus on building something that works.  It teaches you tenacity and endurance.  It gives you something to fight for.

Some days I feel like Ali – doing the rope-a-dope.  Trying to endure, but wanting to throw a big, wild haymaker at everyone in the ring with me—and even at the people in my corner.  It’s on those occasions, I realize, that I’m not being patient. 

Ali knew he had much more to offer the world than boxing.  The world didn’t realize just what Ali had to give, in all his grandeur, until well after his boxing career was over.  He achieved what I believe to be his main goal – most of which had nothing to do with boxing – offering the world a glimpse at itself – at its poverty, its prejudices, its racism – and redirecting its focus, patiently, toward solutions. 

This is what I resolve to remember – bootstrapping, focus, and patience – they’re all necessary for me, and our company, to achieve more than just great design.  They offer us principles to work by, and a process to solve problems and achieve goals.

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As a side note: Two years ago, I spent 3 fascinating hours at the Ali Center in Louisville.  I’m not a big boxing fan, but then again, Ali is so much more than boxing.  His museum is about life, love and art.