I didn’t sleep much for a couple of nights
A few years ago I wrote a post called “9 to 5 = average“. It was largely inspired by a couple of people who we had been working with. In some respects it was a bolder post than I intended and in retrospect, I probably should have toned it down a notch. I have to say that it resulted in a bit of a “shit-storm” that I found pretty tough.
Beyond being told that I was an asshole repeatedly, I received some rather venomous hate-mail as a result of the post. At the time I avoided saying much about this as I worried that doing so would weaken the discussion. Some time has passed though, and I suppose it’s fair to open it up now.
The fact is that some people were just plain mean. It was one thing for people to disagree with me (which was fine), but I was surprised and offended by those who would send anonymous messages that were harsh personal attacks. I ultimately decided that these comments weren’t fit to be approved, but I had to wonder if such things would ever have been said if I met these people face-to-face.
It was a weird time, and some of those comments really stung. Truthfully, I lost a few nights sleep over the whole thing. It’s the strangest thing to have an anonymous stranger come out and tell you that you are a bad parent, a walking cliché, and a handful of other things, even when they don’t know you at all. Sure, it shouldn’t matter much–this is just the nature of the web. That being said I really did feel the impact of those messages. (It takes a little while to harden oneself to those sorts of attacks.)
The funny part of the whole mess was that that my point came down to something really simple: If you want to be good at something you will probably have to work hard on it; additionally, what you put into something is often proportionate to what you get out. I’m not looking for anyone to give-up their life for a job, but I do think it’s strange when people feel as though an opportunity is owed to them or that they’ll accomplish something great when their heart isn’t into it.
Part of the problem with the article I wrote was that I had imbued it with too many personal frustrations that I was feeling at the time. This was certainly a shortcoming on my behalf, and I’ve become a little more careful in separating such feelings from my essays as a result. (This also tends to make for a more well-formed argument.)
Additionally, I think that part of the misunderstanding about my post came from the fact that companies work very differently depending on their stage/size. Now, if we’re talking about Enron, the whole story would be different. Similarly there are soulless money-grubbing pricks like Conrad Black who do terrible things. It’s not hard to understand why the image of the “corporate tyrant looking to squeeze every penny out of their staff” is so prevalent given some of the deplorable examples of leaders we have.
In reality though, there are a greater number of small companies out there, working to carve-out a living, than there are ruthless Gordon Gekkos. Let’s be realistic–companies like ours aren’t focused on “lining our pockets with cash”; typically, we just work hard to get jobs, complete them on time, and make sure that everyone gets paid.
There are times when we’ve really struggled to make payroll or cover big bills. That being said, as a matter of principle (and in spite of how small we are) we’ve never made anyone wait for a payment. On a few occasions Eric and I have gone without a cheque for a couple of months, but we’ve always paid our people even when it meant that it we needed to do so with personal funds. (Although few entrepreneurs tend to speak of this, most of them probably know this feeling pretty well.)
The point I’m making is that when you’re working so hard to make sure that everyone is taken care of, it’s really difficult to watch someone slack-off. One fellow who worked for us would screw-up all day, and still be packing his bags to head home early. I’d be at my desk thinking, “Come on man… Just try a little!”
That sort of thing is really hard to stomach, and in retrospect, the only thing I regret is that we took so long to flush the toilet on a couple of those assholes.
Some people thought that we were nuts for posting that article. A couple of friends even asked me if I worried that people would no longer want to work with us, given what I had said in it. The interesting part though, is that I think it has instead worked out to our advantage.
Today we have a great team. I believe that’s in-part due to our forthright nature and work-ethic. At smashLAB we’re working as hard as we can to build great stuff, and I think everyone feels good to be a part of that. What I love about the crew at smashLAB today is that every one of us really cares about what we’re doing. (If we ever do see a little cash float in here it will be awfully nice to share it with these folks.)
Hey Eric,
This post was much clearer in your argument, even with your personal feelings included. Reading the original essay, I did not pick up that your main points were “If you want to be good at something you will probably have to work hard on it; additionally, what you put into something is often proportionate to what you get out.”
You could have likely said that from the beginning, and I would have been on board right from the get go. (Though, I didn’t write any nasty comments or call you any rude names. I just didn’t agree.)
Eric, your tone is always a little harsher than I am used to, but I have a lot of respect for you by putting yourself out there like you do. It’s unfortunate that people reacted as they did, and that you would be up at night thinking about it all.
It’s been great watching smashLAB change and grow over the last few years, and I hope that you still write with the honesty that we are all used to seeing. And I hope that some cash does come your way!
Cheers!
Thanks guys!
I think it’s part of the challenge with blog posts. Things that would likely sound okay in person just come-off differently when written down. As a result, I find myself using little smiley faces and such, to try to get across when I’m trying to be funny, sarcastic, or what have you. (Sometimes this works, and sometimes not so much.)
The other challenge comes down to trying to hit too many points in some of the ideasonideas posts. Since then I’ve tried to limit the rambling a little, but it’s not always that easy to do. I blabber a little in person, and this tends to come through in the posts as well.
As for that “cash” thing, I’d like that too. :-)
Cheers!
Eric
I was all on board for your first article. I think maybe because I related so well to it, that I was able to move past any of your personal things you mentioned.
I wrote an article a few months ago, criticizing this one website (http://www.fillslashstroke.com/slash/2008/07/incspring-one-mans-trash-is-another-manstrash/)
The feedback was immediate, and harsh. People were rude, and personal (not to the extent of yours, for sure) and mostly in defense of the website. We still get rude comments, to this day, 4 months later.
However, I stand by everything I wrote, and even though the site has gained popularity, I still think its terrible for design. And I’ve had a few smart, informed people agree with me, and enjoy what I said.
i guess my point is, your article was great. I connected with it, and I agreed with it. And I think if even ONE person can benefit from your words, you should never lose sleep over the naysayers.
Also, your harshness is what’s refreshing about your articles.
Hi Mark,
Thanks for that–nice to hear!
It’s funny–I was pretty okay with most of the feedback. (Much of it was in favor of the argument, or well formed criticism, which is always welcome.) It was when I’d get these anonymous postings that were personally insulting that I felt differently.
I’d have accepted that sort of thing from someone who had the integrity to put their name on it. Something about the fact that they were willing to criticize every aspect of my life, without even having the guts to use their name though rather irked me.
Then of course, people often behave completely differently online than they do in real life. I often think back to the end of Jay and Silent Bob, when they run around beating on the people who flamed them online. Very funny. :-)
Cheers!
Eric
We had anonypricks too! But we even had a reverse issue. Someone who was posting with his name, after a few harsh comments and being clearly told how wrong he was, asked us to edit his name so he could hide the fact that he’d said what he said.
We refused of course.
But hey, If they are too small to admit who they are, they can’t really have any value in their opinions anyway right? Hopefully you only lose sleep by overworking, from now on.
Mostly, and from kids. They screw-up the whole “sleep” thing.
@md
I have seen your site, but did not see this post until now. I had this idea as well and though I advocate for proper time and a process to develop my client’s work, a project and opportunity like that is very seductive. I’m surprised they actually sell the brands for a semi-reasonable price.
Secondly, between Eric’s sentiment and MD’s I agree both ways. Honestly, I think that the design field and its practitioners lack fire sometimes.
I’m like you Eric. I freakin’ love what i do. It started with photocopied zines that looked like shit in high school, but I got better and knew that amongst my fellow students I was one of the more passionate. Yet, i’ve fallen off the horse throughout my career. Though I get back on and keep doing it, because I know it’s the only way I will succeed.
I think some designers are scared of conflict. Passivity is a strong character trait amongst some designers and generally discussions about the profession and its inner workings on blogs are fairly tame and unusually positive. It’s not that positivity is a bad thing, but discontent is needed at times, especially as that is at the root of the democratic process in America.
With that I welcome critical analysis. And to say that a blog post, article or the like is a matter of personal opinion and dismiss it as such, is basically a fuck you to the Constitution. Changes happen because of personal opinion. Imagine if we thought slavery was still an acceptable or women didn’t deserve the right to vote.
Oh and when Mr. Bierut chimed in on that post with his Alan Fletcher quote that is exactly how I live my life.
God I love him! Always swoops in, leaves his mark and then vanishes.
@josh
I totally agree, its very enticing. I think that selling some random stuff I made on logo sites would be interesting, but I have a problem with it on a few levels. Mostly just the way they are selling themselves, its not branding!
I think conflict is part of design, dont you? The push and pull of making ideas work, of getting people to think differently, thats always conflict. Getting under peoples skin is half the fun.
@md.
Conflict is good. I admire much more experimental work than I do. It helps me to fight design cliches and traditions that I have to fall back on sometimes. Hopefully through interesting clients and personal projects I can use that personal conflict to develop better work.
Sometimes where conflict doesn’t work is pushing clients. Despite your best efforts to sell them on a direction that will innovate their communication strategies and business, they just resist. Small clients are sometimes the worst about this as they resist logical progression all because they have emotionally invested in items they may have previously done themselves you are now “destroying” in their eyes.