A Moment to Reflect.

I, like others, learn from failures. That certainly doesn't make failing any more enjoyable. Tomorrow, I won't get paid. This will be the first time that this has happened since Reach was founded. Most likely, payroll will just be delayed by a week or so, but that doesn't make it feel any better as an entrepreneur. So, I'm forced to ask a question: how do I do better? And, a connected question, how can I find others that can help me be better?

1) In some ways, I've sacrificed the short-term to develop necessary relationships that will serve Reach in the long-term. In the coming weeks, I'll have to be more creative in the ways that we seek funds. Does your school offer "dress down days" that could benefit Reach? Can we throw some quick bar benefits? Does your company give to charity around the holidays? In my efforts to think about grants, signature events, and major donors, I forgot that I need a stable income as well. To make that happen, I need to be more creative, more strategic, and more willing to explore opportunities for immediate income.

2) I also have to more successfully make people understand the value of this idea. While so many that know me support Reach because of my association with it, it's also important that I make a convincing argument about the concept. Reach is about producing a new generation of Untouchables. We will take those kids that have been failed by the current system and systematically demonstrate their ability to achieve beyond what was previously considered possible. At the 2009 Harvard Educational Enterprise Innovation Competition, one of the judges told me he thought of Reach's model as a form of disruptive innovation. While it was high praise, I think he's right. We will deliver a better product, to a hard-to-reach population, at a lower cost. I must be more convincing.

3) It is absolutely imperative, in this economy, that I convince more donors to become involved. So many feel that their contribution would not be valuable. Did you know that Reach's facebook group now has 352 members? If each non-donor from that group gave $10 today, we would collect over $2,500. That's a huge deal. $10 does matter to Reach. And lots of $10 bills matter even more. How do I get more people to send that $10 to Reach?

Additionally, I've started to get some questions that might be worth tackling on the blog. In the coming weeks, I hope to give a better idea of what this process has really been like for me, how the idea continues to evolve, and where I see Reach going in the future. I have confidence that these small failures will help me to make Reach stronger than ever. I appreciate your well wishes and support as we continue to navigate the start-up journey.

Thanks, as always, for reading.

Mark

Founder and President - Reach, Inc.