5 insights from our conversation:
1. Help me help others
People are saying it all the time. ‘I want to help out with climate change.’ Or ocean acidification. Or deforestation. Or plastic pollution. ‘Give me something to do. Give me a tool.’
People are starved for solutions. Ones that they can be part of. Litterati provides a simple tangible tool so people can take action and feel that they are part of the solution.
INSIGHT
Being part of the solution changes the feeling of overwhelm when you see how much work still needs to be done. The overwhelm changes into inspiration. You feel part of a broader community. You feel like you can make a difference.
2. The antidote to overwhelm
Overwhelm is such a tough mountain to climb. The only antidote is to act. And when you take multiple steps, you create momentum. And looking back you’ll be able to see the progress you made.
Jeff is applying his personal principles to the global community as well. Attacking the biggest problems, no matter what they are. Like the age old saying ‘How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time’.
INSIGHT
Problems any size can be broken down into smaller steps to take action on. All of a sudden this overwhelm turns into inspiration. You’ll feel you can do it. You’ll know where you’re headed.
3. Knowing you’re not right all the time
When wrestling with a decision, Jeff is backed up by a board of advisors from the environmental sector, media, education, government and business. He also leans on his wife quite a bit as well to get fresh perspectives from someone who isn’t quite as buried in.
But he shared no matter how much information or advice you’re collecting, it will always be limited.
The very definition of a startup is uncertainty. You’re on the look-out for product market fit. Like traveling on this unchartered path with a blindfold on. Feeling your way through. Sometimes making the wrong turn and turning back.
In the end of the day, you’re never going to have all information and you just got to go.
INSIGHT
It sounds ideal to find a path that just works. But that’s not realistic, and not what you really want. It helps to learn what doesn’t work, so you can focus on things that show progress and momentum.
4. Doing something worth complaining about
When you’re creating something, people have opinions about it. People might be upset or want you to solve things or move in a certain direction.
When I asked Jeff how these complaints feel, he told me he doesn’t look at it as complaining. These people really care. They want something. They want it to be better. They want it to perform. And that drives them to do better.
If nobody would be ‘complaining’ about Litterati they wouldn’t be doing anything worth complaining about.
INSIGHT
Be thrilled there are people down in the arena with you. With blood, sweat and tears all over their face. They know how difficult it is to create change.
5. Changing what works well
Trying to affect behavioral change or change in company procedures or governmental policies is really really hard. You’re trying to get people to do something in a new way.
People are resistant to change. Especially if they’ve been doing something that has been working really well.
To have people change their behavior they need to be motivated. It needs to be easy. And there has got to be a big reason why that they want it.
INSIGHT
Trying to change behavior? Help people find the motivation by connecting them with a big reason why and making it really really easy.
