Personal experience: hobby = business?
I want to share with Habr's readers my experience in achieving a balance between professional and personal matters. Tell about how important it is to distinguish between them.
I am sure that love for one's own business is the direct and shortest path to happiness. The history of many successful companies confirms this fact. Huge corporations and global brands began with teams of like-minded people who were enthusiastic in their work, who did not work for the sake of financial reports and market share, but because they enjoyed the process itself. It can be said that a hobby is the right start-up capital for a business that has chances of success.
')
Promwad , a company that we graduated from a technical university, founded together with our friends in 2004, developed along just such a scenario. It all started with children's hobbies in physics and programming on an engineering calculator. Then a radio engineering institute and work in the field of electronics design.
In 2002, I participated in a project to develop a new platform for measuring fiber-optic communication lines. Around this ambitious and complex project gathered one of the best Belarusian specialists in on-chip systems (SoC) and Embedded Linux operating system.
For a grocery company, in the walls of which a new device was created, it was unprofitable to keep in the staff so many engineers with deep specializations. But we developed further on our own, put together a team of engineers who want to experiment and test in practice their ideas in the field of developing new devices.
Gradually, we came to the border, where the hobby ends and the business begins. Of course, it was possible to stay at the level of a friendly development team. But we clearly decided on priorities and decided that we would create a company. Then the first conscious steps were taken, goals appeared.
In 2007, we deliberately took a wide niche in the field of electronics development and covered almost all types of consumer devices. For the design of devices designed for large series, it took a lot of specialists, including narrow ones.
In total, over 8 years, Promwad has grown into one of the largest independent electronics development centers in Eastern Europe. About 100 people gathered in our team, and the organizational structure comprised more than 10 departments.
Simultaneously with the development of business in electronics, I was engaged in projects in the field of outdoor activities. Since 2002, together with other people keen on mountain biking and tourism, he has opened cycling seasons, organized festivals and bike races.
In 2007, we established the Promwad Tour adventure racing cup , which includes a series of multisports competitions (running, cycling, orienteering, etc.). Hundreds of people participated in these events. We really were passionate about our project and decided to put it on commercial rails. Developed a strategy.
In 2008 they founded the Federation of Adventure Races of Belarus (ARF). The plan was this: we are entering the market with advertising of sporting events under the brand of the federation, gaining experience at free mass events and at the same time developing a paid sector - we organize team building, corporate recreation and mini-expeditions for companies - all services are at the highest level of quality in the high price category.
All this was done not for the sake of commerce as such, we needed funds for the development of the best athletes and mountain biking in general. We planned to reinvest profits in non-profit projects.
With the advent of such plans, my hobby turned into a business again. However, this time the strategy brought us to a dead end. Most of the members of our team - multisportsmen and travelers - continued to perceive the project as their passion, so they did not use the new rules of business in practice. The strategy remained unrealized.
It was a rewarding experience. I saw that not all projects need long-term plans and financial metrics. Adventure racing again went into the category of a hobby and this decision gave a new charge of energy. A whole community has been formed around our project, new leaders have appeared, who worked just for fun, on the bare initiative.
The organizers were able to freely engage in creativity, to generate ideas, without limiting themselves to the rigid framework of strategies. There is more openness, less competition among the team members. Formed self-sustaining environment. From the side of Promwad, the title sponsor of Promwad Tour and ARF, only legal, financial and ideological support was needed.
The project returned to the non-profit rails, we began to openly share our experience with like-minded people and enjoyed it. Our races have lost a little in quality, but their soulful atmosphere has returned to them. It is for the sake of this freedom and friendly relations that professional teams from Russia come to Promwad Tour events, where adventure races are held at a high level, but as a tough and highly competitive sport.
As a result, we managed to keep the project based on the values shared by all participants: respect for nature and rivals in races, development of fortitude, philosophy of healthy lifestyle and thinking. We have created a natural environment that gives extra energy to many people.
It is very important to make a choice in time: work or hobby. Balancing on the edge is difficult, and not necessary, otherwise you risk shutting off oxygen to your entertainment and you will not be able to go far in business.
These are truisms, but oddly enough, my personal experience is not uncommon. I witnessed how promising development teams face problems precisely because of the confusion of two different approaches. They remain at the level of startups for too long and cannot reach a new level of development.
I will try to draw parallels and highlight the distinctive features of the hobby and business:
Human life is the desire for harmony, and the life of a businessman is the desire for a balance between personal and professional. Therefore, in my schedule there is time not only for work, but also personal hobbies. Hobby has become for me a source of renewable energy that I use business development.
And how do you manage to balance between work and hobbies?
UP. Thanks for the pros in karma. Thanks to you, the article was added to the Human Resources hub, because touches on the motivation of the team.
I am sure that love for one's own business is the direct and shortest path to happiness. The history of many successful companies confirms this fact. Huge corporations and global brands began with teams of like-minded people who were enthusiastic in their work, who did not work for the sake of financial reports and market share, but because they enjoyed the process itself. It can be said that a hobby is the right start-up capital for a business that has chances of success.
')
Promwad , a company that we graduated from a technical university, founded together with our friends in 2004, developed along just such a scenario. It all started with children's hobbies in physics and programming on an engineering calculator. Then a radio engineering institute and work in the field of electronics design.
In 2002, I participated in a project to develop a new platform for measuring fiber-optic communication lines. Around this ambitious and complex project gathered one of the best Belarusian specialists in on-chip systems (SoC) and Embedded Linux operating system.
For a grocery company, in the walls of which a new device was created, it was unprofitable to keep in the staff so many engineers with deep specializations. But we developed further on our own, put together a team of engineers who want to experiment and test in practice their ideas in the field of developing new devices.
Promwad: from hobby to business
Gradually, we came to the border, where the hobby ends and the business begins. Of course, it was possible to stay at the level of a friendly development team. But we clearly decided on priorities and decided that we would create a company. Then the first conscious steps were taken, goals appeared.
In 2007, we deliberately took a wide niche in the field of electronics development and covered almost all types of consumer devices. For the design of devices designed for large series, it took a lot of specialists, including narrow ones.
In total, over 8 years, Promwad has grown into one of the largest independent electronics development centers in Eastern Europe. About 100 people gathered in our team, and the organizational structure comprised more than 10 departments.
ARF: from hobby to business and back
Simultaneously with the development of business in electronics, I was engaged in projects in the field of outdoor activities. Since 2002, together with other people keen on mountain biking and tourism, he has opened cycling seasons, organized festivals and bike races.
In 2007, we established the Promwad Tour adventure racing cup , which includes a series of multisports competitions (running, cycling, orienteering, etc.). Hundreds of people participated in these events. We really were passionate about our project and decided to put it on commercial rails. Developed a strategy.
In 2008 they founded the Federation of Adventure Races of Belarus (ARF). The plan was this: we are entering the market with advertising of sporting events under the brand of the federation, gaining experience at free mass events and at the same time developing a paid sector - we organize team building, corporate recreation and mini-expeditions for companies - all services are at the highest level of quality in the high price category.
All this was done not for the sake of commerce as such, we needed funds for the development of the best athletes and mountain biking in general. We planned to reinvest profits in non-profit projects.
With the advent of such plans, my hobby turned into a business again. However, this time the strategy brought us to a dead end. Most of the members of our team - multisportsmen and travelers - continued to perceive the project as their passion, so they did not use the new rules of business in practice. The strategy remained unrealized.
It was a rewarding experience. I saw that not all projects need long-term plans and financial metrics. Adventure racing again went into the category of a hobby and this decision gave a new charge of energy. A whole community has been formed around our project, new leaders have appeared, who worked just for fun, on the bare initiative.
The organizers were able to freely engage in creativity, to generate ideas, without limiting themselves to the rigid framework of strategies. There is more openness, less competition among the team members. Formed self-sustaining environment. From the side of Promwad, the title sponsor of Promwad Tour and ARF, only legal, financial and ideological support was needed.
The project returned to the non-profit rails, we began to openly share our experience with like-minded people and enjoyed it. Our races have lost a little in quality, but their soulful atmosphere has returned to them. It is for the sake of this freedom and friendly relations that professional teams from Russia come to Promwad Tour events, where adventure races are held at a high level, but as a tough and highly competitive sport.
As a result, we managed to keep the project based on the values shared by all participants: respect for nature and rivals in races, development of fortitude, philosophy of healthy lifestyle and thinking. We have created a natural environment that gives extra energy to many people.
Conclusions: Hobby and Business Differences
It is very important to make a choice in time: work or hobby. Balancing on the edge is difficult, and not necessary, otherwise you risk shutting off oxygen to your entertainment and you will not be able to go far in business.
These are truisms, but oddly enough, my personal experience is not uncommon. I witnessed how promising development teams face problems precisely because of the confusion of two different approaches. They remain at the level of startups for too long and cannot reach a new level of development.
I will try to draw parallels and highlight the distinctive features of the hobby and business:
| Business | Hobby |
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Human life is the desire for harmony, and the life of a businessman is the desire for a balance between personal and professional. Therefore, in my schedule there is time not only for work, but also personal hobbies. Hobby has become for me a source of renewable energy that I use business development.
And how do you manage to balance between work and hobbies?
UP. Thanks for the pros in karma. Thanks to you, the article was added to the Human Resources hub, because touches on the motivation of the team.
Source: https://habr.com/ru/post/169165/
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