Let's go for a walk!
Team Letter | August 19, 2024
August 19, 2024
Happy Monday, Alpaca!
At the beginning of the quarter, we talked about momentum. We talked about momentum as the combination of two things: velocity and mass. For start-ups, velocity is the speed or growth, and mass is the value we’re creating in our products and our company. When we are achieving momentum, we are seeing velocity and mass move “up and to the right” together.
And off we went! Midway through the quarter (that’s last week!), we have shipped Back to School packs to 4,000+ customers, launched new software, and added 23 customers – that’s some momentum!
And yet, we know there is a bit of chaos to our momentum right now. We’ve felt it the last few weeks – that feeling of tumbling and barrelling toward goal after goal and work after work. Is it the right stuff? Are we thinking it through? Are we pointed where we want to go and building the right things? It’s hard to know this when we’re running hard.
As you know, I love running hard. But this week, I think it’s time to take a walk.
Some of the greatest thinkers and doers in history have been big on walking. Beethoven, Darwin, Thoreau, all credit walking with their greatest works. “Walking gives shape to the world, just as writing gives shape to our thoughts.” I like this. Good ol’ Steve Jobs believed that walking could enhance creativity and problem-solving. Jobs often held discussions and brainstorming sessions while taking long walks with colleagues.
For me, walking helps me stay present, and gives space to bigger conversations, more creativity, more context, and more connection to the person with whom I’m walking. So… anyone want to take a walk with me?
What might we learn or figure out if we walked a little? What ideas might we give shape to, or what problems might we come up with a novel solution for? It’s an experiment I’m willing to try.
This week, I’m trying an experiment, and I hope you’ll consider trying it with me, now that the weather is starting to calm down a little bit and we’ve got just a TEENY bit of space to pop our heads up, look around, and see which direction we’d like to point this AWESOME momentum we’re seeing.
I’ve got 5 walking dates on my calendar, one each day, and different times throughout the day. I’m planning to walk for about 45 minutes, with time on either side to change my shoes or get freshened up. :) And if no one is able/interested, I’m still going to go, and see what I learn about our upcoming fundraising process, our product strategy, our sales efforts, and our pack designs as I walk.
Those times are COMPLETELY open to you joining me, whether it’s 1:1 or as a group. You’re invited! The time is not marked as “busy” because it’s open to any/all of you. If you’d like to walk with me one day, just let me know and I’ll add you to the invite. If you want to make sure it’s 1:1, let me know that too.
You are also very welcome to walk on your own or with a work friend on your own schedule. Try it! See what you learn. See what comes to you outside of a traditional “in front of laptops” meeting.
Next week, I’ll share what I learned from the experiment, and we’ll see if it’s something we think we might keep trying.
I look forward to walking with you!
♥️
Kb
PS: Oh, and if you need a book rec about how awesome walking is, I highly recommend this one: Walk in a Relaxed Manner by Joyce Rupp. It’s a memoir of a woman’s journey on the El Camino trail in Spain, and it has stuck with me for years. Enjoy!