Day 8: What Car Do You Drive

I was 25 years old and in my first eyar of business school. One of the guest lecturers comes in to talk about startups and during his lecture is describing the different types of people need in the early stages of a company. He goes on to say there is the founder and/or co-founder(s), there are technical people, and perhaps even a couple of sales people. So as he begins surveying the room he ask who here believes they could be or are a founder. I raise my hand, he calls on me, and the first thing he asked me was, "what kind of car do you drive?" Now, I'm the last eprson who says that anyting besides talking to me directly is a great way to understand someone. So, taken back, I reply honestly - Audi. His response - of course it is, you're a sales guy, sales guys love having a nice car. There is nothing wrong with it, it motivates you, there is a sense of accomplishment, but you're a sales guy. If you are the founder of a company you need to be selling something, maybe even sales itself.

That conversation was 5 years ago, and it has stuck with me since. Obviously I'm not saying that al sales people drive Audi's or are driven merely by material possessions, but there are certain personalities that lend themselves to great developers, great financiers, and great sales people alike. I'll take my Audi, to be frank - I'm proud to be a "sales guy." 

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