The importance of following through

These last 18 months have been a rollercoaster. Not only many of the initial plans we had by coming to Colombia have changed, but realizing how difficult this path seems to be makes keeping the motivation up a challenge.

If I try to measure the results of this effort, it is hard to find positive indicators. From an economic perspective, we have taken several steps back; from a quality of life perspective likewise; and from a social impact perspective the seeds seem to have been sown, but the harvest will take a lot of time and luck to take place. The aspect where we have had visible results is the interaction with our extended families which certainly has enriched our lives and those of the girls.

We certainly have gained a lot of experience, and have grown up in many ways. But none of this would have happened if we had not followed through with our plan to be here, or the efforts we have made. For example, thotz.net is the result of a plan to create a company, a global startup based in Colombia that helps people organize their information in novel ways. Because we believe knowledge and the ability to find it is key to develop a society, we created an application to visually empower people to find and keep the content most relevant to them. We are yet to see the results of this effort, but if we don't follow through with this goal, we will never know whether it works.

So, now that you are reading this, take some time to look at thotz.net and let us know if you find it useful. We believe that to be the case, but need your input to see if following through with the project makes sense. We believe it does, do you?

The Process of Entrepreneurship

It has been a while since I post in this blog. And although having been very busy is just an excuse, it is the reason behind not doing it. Over a year ago I started an entrepreneurship effort in Colombia. I came all the way from Australia, started a company and began trying to build-up something worthwhile. And I went into it not having a clue about what I was doing.

 

I started by trying to replicate my last few jobs as an employee. And I, obviously, failed miserably at it. More by luck than anything else I sold a couple of projects, aimed at anything and everything, and at the end didn't achieve much. Through the months I spent on that route I realized I didn't have any idea about entrepreneurship. However, I was lucky to count with great people around that believed in me. And that is when I decided to actually create something. I pivoted, and started to try and build a product to solve a corporate need I knew existed. A product based on my experience abroad. And when I started knocking doors to hire a company to build it, I ran onto one of the biggest disappointments I have had: out of 15 companies I talked to, I could only come out with a single proposal. 

As it turned out, this took me all the way to the end of the year and given how things slow down in Latin America in Christmas, I decided to put the plans on hold. That gave me space to rethink the process, change the idea a bit, and decided I had to develop it myself. And while on this process, the Founder Institute came about. An incubator based in Silicon Valley, brought to Colombia by Alan Colmenares, it opened a chapter in Bogota, and it helped me focus in a way I couldn't have done on my own. Not long ago, seven companies graduated after a intensive, hard, challenging but worthwhile process. I did write a post about it about it (in Spanish) and here is the pitch done at the end of the process (Spanish as well):

The best outcome of this process, is that it is just beginning. The company has just started, but with a strength and momentum that on my own (and here I should mention Andres Cifuentes, cofounder) I would have never achieved. And something else: I have realized I will no turn back from being an entrepreneur. It makes all the sense to me. It is wonderful.

Children: Teachers we tend to ignore

In this journey through life -figuratively- and in this journey back to a life in Colombia -more specifically- there is a thermometer that helps us gauge the status of our situation and that won't lie in regards to it: children. In our case we have been able to see and live how our daughters try to make sense of the situation, get used to it, how they normally respond well to new challenges and how they trust us blindly when they are at a loss on what to do. These moments can make us feel quite powerful in their (and our) lives, as well as completely lost. Often times we ourselves do not know what to do, and tend to pretend it is not the case, or that we won't need help and can handle it on our own.


However, deep down we all now we often need help, we know we are interdependent and, as social animals, we wouldn't survive long both mentally and physically if forced to live isolated. Depending on our degree of personal maturity we are more or less able to reach out and ask for help, and tend to look only toward those we admire or trust as peers for support. In other words, we reach "up" to people we admire or depend on, we reach "out" to peers and people we trust, but rarely we reach "down" to people that depend on us, or that we consider somehow "inferior" in some sense, whether intellectual, financial, or other.

And is in this last group, when reaching "down", that exists a group that can teach us a lot and that we usually do not consider as such: children. Those little beings that completely depend on us, that we believe to be lost with out grown-ups, can give us valuable life lessons if we only do three things:

1. Listen to them

2. Believe in them

3. Give them our best.

Each person that has some kind of responsibility over a child, has responsibility over a world. And on that person's hands and acts lies the ability to create a better world. There is no room for excuses. There is no room for fear. Every day we neglect to give those children our best will become a week of frustration and trying to turn back time. They know it, and they do teach it to us. But we are usually too busy to listen.

I think I could say a lot more, but Adora Svitak says it wonderfully. We have to listen to this child.

To TRY? or To DO?

Not long ago I attended a personal development course. As I believe myself to be "developed", I thought it to be a waste of time, but after a few experiences I have learned to give things a chance. And, as usual, I was wrong. 

The people attending the course came from all walks of life, and were very interesting. All of them (and the course itself) made me see again that there is plenty to be learned, plenty to develop individually, plenty to understand, a lot to be done. Actually, they helped me remember that we learn every day and that we can grow every day. The day we can't learn or grow anymore better be our last day on this earth. 

I learned a few lessons. Right now I'll talk about the first one: One should not TRY, one must DO. Those who have read the initial posts in this blog will remember that one of the motivations behind coming to Colombia was to try and make a difference. Try to make this country move towards a better future. Try to help those who need it most. Try to make this a better place. What do all those phrases have in common? to TRY. But that is not the point. The point is to DO. I've come to realize that to try is to have an excuse ready for when things go wrong. A way to unload the guilt of not doing by saying that I tried.  What we need to DO is DO. Do make a difference. Do change the way this country is going. Do change the life of those who need it most. Do make this country a better place. When something is done, things happen. When something is tried, one is not committed to it. That is why we need to be the pig and not the chicken at breakfast time.

What do the chicken and the pig have to do with this? Well, at breakfast time there is a difference between the role of the Pig and that of the Chicken: the Chicken is involved, the Pig is committed. Hence, one has to be the Pig.

Road Rage

Earlier this morning I was almost run over. People who have experienced the way most drivers drive in Bogota -and in the developing world- know it is a risk we have to live with everyday. However, I consider myself a good pedestrian. I usually use the almost non-existent pedestrian crossings, or cross the road at corners, or -as a last resort- wait until the road is completely empty before crossing. Two reasons for this: Common sense and part of living in a society, and because it is a habit I'd like my daughters to have. I don't believe cars have priority over people and believe drivers should be responsible and respect pedestrians.

What happened today? Same as everyday, Emma and I walked to her school. On my way back I took the usual route. I know how bad the traffic is, hence I rather walk down secondary streets where there is less traffic and less stress. I got to the intersection of Calle 118 (In Bogota, "calles" run from east to west) with carrera 21 ("Carreras" run from north to south) and waited for the traffic to subside. At the time (8:30 am) there are enough cars to make one wait for about a minute before crossing is possible. When a chance came by I crossed carrera 21 (east to weast). There was a green car heading east on calle 118 but it didn't have a blinker on and also had a stop sign to obey. However, the car didn't indicate and missed the stop and almost hit me. It may have not been awfully close, and knowing local traffic likely an unremarkable incident, but what happened next was absurd:

Green Car Driver: (Crossed looks and gesticulates from inside the car)

Me: (Simulating blinking with my hand) Use the blinker!

GCD: (stops the car and lowers the passenger window) Son of a B^*^%, dic&%ad. What is your problem?

Me: Learn how to drive. I don't have to guess which way you are heading. Use your blinker.

GCD: (Insert profanity every second word) You learn! (and a lot more that I don't really recall)

That was when I decided it wasn't worth it and kept on walking west. The guy drove off and I assumed that was the end of it. About half the way through the block I was thinking about all the come backs I could have used; that he was mediocre, that the absurd reaction of getting upset, swearing and even acting violent when found in error is a bad aspect of our culture, that thanks to people like him we live in a hell of our making. But I was also glad I hadn't reacted by lowering myself to his level and had walked away from a worthless discussion. Or so I thought. What I didn't expect was to find him waiting for me at the next intersection. (He went around the block and waited for me). And it continued:

GCD: (Remember, profanity every third word) What's your problem? I wanna see you driving to see what an Ass you are...

Me: (Glad I had my thoughts prepared) (said what I mentioned above)

GCD: Loser. You don't even have a car. Surely don't even know how to drive...

Me: (LOL and LOL. To me that says a lot about the person) LOL

GCD: (More profanity, said something else and drove off eastward on calle 118)

Note: In Colombia "haves" believe they are better than "have-nots" "making it" implies having money and not being bound by the rules. In their minds not having a car is a sign of a loser.

I kept walking west, a bit upset, but laughing at the guy's reasoning. Essentially, because he has a car, he believes himself better that a person walking. It is sad, and reflects poorly on our way of thinking (and likely a western way of thinking), a way of thinking where your value as a person is tied to your possessions, not your behavior or its consequences. But what really upset me was to find him stalking me when I rrive to my building. And once he saw me watching him, he took off. 

I guess the incident ended there, but I am not sure. And I feel concerned. I believe I acted right, but I am still concerned.

What would you have done in my position? Or,

in the green car driver's position?

What are your comments? opinions?

I'd like to hear from you.

Note: This is my version of the events, trying to be as objective as I can. If the driver shows up maybe he has a different version, but I honestly believed it happened as told.

101 actions to improve Bogota

A british journalist, living at the moment in Bogotá, wrote a blog entry with 101 reasons to love Bogotá. It is an interesting, nice and even romanticized view of the city, but what really caught my attention were some of the comments. Some people loved it, but some others trashed the entry and the author, calling her racist, classist, naive, suffering of a superiority complex, etc. I guess both ends of the spectrum have some degree of truth in their appreciations, as Bogotá has some amazing and some awful things. I do firmly believe that to change the city we need to start by making changes to our behaviour. Here is a list of 69 actions that we all can take to improve the quality of life in this city. Can someone help me get to 101?

1. Smile more often.
2. Cordialy greet strangers a least once a day.
3. Respect queues (lines).
4. Avoid blocking intersections
5. No littering
6. Respect the right of pedestrians to share the roads
7. Cross the roads at corners or at pedestrian crossings
8. Respect pedestrian traffic lights and not crossing the road during a green traffic light
9. Don't park where not allowed. Hazard lights don't make cars magically disappear.
10. If you must stop do it before crossings. Don't create traffic jams under the excuse of convenience.
11. Use the car's indicators. Nobody has to know where you are going.
12. Obey traffic signs. They may be silly, even contradictory. But they are rules, not suggestions.
13. Don't use the car's horn in residential zones
14. Only use the car's horn when necessary
15. Don't bribe police officers
16. Don't do anything that deserves a ticket. But
17. if you do it, pay the ticket, What makes you think you are above the rules?
18. Obey traffic lights. You will have to stop at the next set anyway.
19. If you employ people, have them working legal hours only
20. If you employ people, pay them what is legally required if they work after-hours
21. If you are an employee, be honest and do your work conciously
22. Be punctual.
23. When using public transport let people alight before trying to jump in
24. Don't linger at the doors of public transport buses. You have no hazard lights to announce your presence and are on the way.
25. Understand the stress of cab drivers. It is not an easy job.
26. If you are a cab driver, respect the needs of your passengers. They have nothing to do with your stress.
27. Leave home 10 minutes earlier than you absolutely have to.
28. Recycle
29. If you have a pet, pick up after them.
30. Vote
31. Vote consciously. For whomever you believe deserves your support.
32. If no one deserves your support, or you don't know who does, vote informal. But vote.
33. When driving your car, remember the world doesn't end at the bumper.
34. Sidewalks are for pedestrians. If you car has to use a driveway, remember you have a duty of care with pedestrians.
35. Let at least one other driver a day go through. Tomorrow someone will let you through.
36. If you make a mistake, own it and fix it. Don't become aggressive to justify it.
37. If you are stressed out or mad at something, get out and look at the mountains. Aren't they beautiful?
38. Don't drive your motorbike on sidewalks.
39. Use bikepaths.
40. If you need to go through, excuse yourself.
41. If someone needs to go through, let them.
42. Help someone. Tomorrow someone will help you.
43. When a street kid asks for change, don't give them any. Buy them bread, juice or something else. Is easier to get ahead in life with less hunger and some compassion than with change to disappear.
44. Invite a street kid to some food. It is good for the economy and better for them.
45. Pay your taxes. We need them.
46. If you know of corrupt behavior, denounce it. That guy is robbing you!
47. Buy legal. Illegal merchandise takes away jobs from people who need them.
48. Give way to ambulances. Next time it could be you in it.
49. Exercise. It'll make you feel better.
50. Walk more. Helps improve traffic and the previous point.
51. Don't text while walking. You'll hurt yourself.
52. Respect other people's rights.
53. Look out for others. If you spot something suspicious, call the police.
54. Be part of the solution, not part of the problem.
55. When doing something, do your best.
56. If you commit to something, meet that commitment.
57. Don't be chauvinistic. Women deserve respect above all.
58. Be tolerant. You have not clue about the other person's situation.
59. Don't pay for illegal or false documents or errands. Criminals do so.
60. Plant a tree or a plant. There is too much concrete in this city.
61. If you have been well served, leave a tip. If not, leave nothing. Good service should be again a trademark of the city.
62. Save water. There isn't enough for all of us.
63. Save power. It is expensive and that money can be better used.
64. Remember the good things that happened to you today. I know there is at least one.
65. Take care of parks. Those are for your enjoyment.
66. Watch less TV.
67. Share quality time with your dear ones. Not breathing space, quality time.
68. If its raining, and you have an umbrella, share it with someone.
69. If you really want a better city, stop complaining and change yourself.
70. ??

Sometimes we really wish we were wrong

The last entry in this blog tried to analyze the macabre difference between being rich and poor. Part of the objective of that entry was to show the absurd situation our country lives, where in case of a violent death and depending on your location in the social pyramid you get more or less government concern  and media coverage. 

Well, a few days ago another pair of students was murdered in Cordoba (article in Spanish) and those murders haven't received the same coverage that received the murders of Mateo Matamala and Margarita Gómez; furthermore, they have barely been covered by the media. The main coverage I have seen happened when the mayor of the town where the crime happened, asked the president if this case was going to be ignored or it would receive similar treatment as the other one. What was the President's answer? a COP$100 Million reward (USD$60,000) to find the culprits.

Well, that pretty much gives us an idea of the current going price in case of murders in this country:

-If you are a peasant, destitute farmer or unemployed poor young man, and get falsely accused of being a member of the guerrillas: COP$5 Million (USD$3,000). -see the "falsos positivos" case (Spanish).

-If you are a college student from a lower socioeconomic background: COP$100 Million (USD$60,000)

-If you are a private, elite university student: COP$500 Million (USD$300,000)

It is embarrassing and sad. I'd love for me to be wrong and all this to be just a nightmare. I'd like to know that in this country life is sacred and that justice -even crawling- serves its purpose. But that is not true. Here justice and support from the government is measured by the importance of one's family or the size of one's bank account. We have to have open eyes while loving this country where we sometimes really wish our opinions were wrong.