We have a sign like this in our beach house. We got it in New Orleans many years ago.
I thought of that sign when I was on the phone yesterday. I was talking to a person involved in a deal I’m working on right now. He said “you guys are being awfully nice here.”
For much of the rest of the day, I was thinking “are we being too nice?”
I don’t want to talk about this specific deal. Too much information. But I do want to talk about being nice in business. The conventional wisdom is nice and business don’t go hand in hand.
We learned from The Godfather that “it’s not personal, it’s business.” We know that some of the most successful entrepreneurs in tech have been difficult individuals who did what they had to do to get ahead.
We know that a lot of investors, VCs included, will do what is required to make a buck.
So its conventional wisdom that being nice is a bad idea in business.
I have found otherwise. I have found that reputation is the magnet that brings opportunities to you time and time again. I have found that being nice builds your reputation. I have found that leaving money on the table, and being generous, pays dividends.
I am not saying you should be overly generous or nice to a fault. There’s a limit to everything. But I do think that thinking about others, and trying to make things right for everyone (which is impossible and will drive you crazy) is an approach that pays off in business.
It’s not the fastest way to make a buck. It takes time. But it is way more sustainable than screwing people over.
