I used to doodle ideas for t-shirt slogans on my notebooks. I thought I started doing it last year, but when I was clearing out a bit of the clutter in my room, I actually found sketches from way back when I was in JC. Turns out the idea was older than I thought. (Relevant TED video: Where do good ideas come from?)

Shit, I should have kept those sketches and scanned them in, just for history’s sake. Ah bummer. I’m not even completely sure if I threw them out. Maybe I’ll find them again. (It’s funny to think about that, huh? How much good history is out there, hidden? And how much has been destroyed? If the existing knowledge and information we have about the world forms 1 unit, we’ve probably lost over 20 units.)

I’d constantly daydream about doing something about my idea, and every once in a while I’d actually do something. It begins like this.

The Statement Story:

1: I went onto MS Paint and made a bunch of sketches of how I wanted the t-shirts to look like. This realistically took me a few minutes, but I was procrastinating at Starbucks while I was doing it, so it took me a couple of days.

2: I shared this pictures on Facebook, with my friends, and with my mastermind group. Desmond Chua from imprfct stumbled upon it, and he sent me a long message about how he’d like to work with me to make the t-shirts a reality. I didn’t even need to read the message- a quick skim and I knew I wanted him on board.

3: I met a chap named Eugene Tay, who runs his own t-shirt business called Less Than Positive. By doing what he did, he unintentionally gave me permission to do the same. I bought him a drink and picked his brain for insights and wisdom. He shared lots of wonderful information with me, saving me lots of unnecessary trial-and-error. One of the best investments I’ve ever made!

4: I set up a Facebook page that functioned as a point-of-entry for people who wanted to get our t-shirts. Our sales mechanism remains primitive- talk to us, and we’ll work out something together, and deliver or mail it to you personally. I wanted the t-shirts to function as conversation-starters, and that principle guides the way I run my business, too.

5: I met Desmond for dinner- we got to know each other better, and we casually worked out some plans together. There’s a quote somewhere: “Plans are nothing, planning is everything.” The planning process forces you to think through the right issues. But no plan survives contact with the enemy. We work out our fundamental intent, and then we play by ear.

6: Our fundamental intent is: Be human, be authentic, and make people happy.

7: All business decisions are driven by that fundamental intent. How should we interact with our customers? How should we reach out to them? How should we handle the actual sales process? You don’t need an MBA to figure this stuff out- you just need to have a heart, and the balls to fight for what you believe in. We will go the extra mile. We will exchange or refund your t-shirts if you’re not happy with them.

We’re not in this to make money- we’re in this to make people happy.

8: Desmond might be a bit shy to read this, but he’s the main reason why Statement is up and running right now. He brought his passion and work ethic to the table, which forced me to up my own game. He deftly handled all the dry, difficult grunt work that I’m normally quite averse to doing.

If you’re a lazy, idealistic, procrastinating perfectionist like me, you need to find some Desmonds in your life to hold you accountable. And you better have something to bring to the table, too.

TL:DR:

Daydream, and listen carefully. Have faith in the good ideas. Take concrete, baby steps. Seek the input of others, but have faith in yourself. Seek advice from trailblazers before you. Work with others who complement you. Dare to believe in yourself, and in something greater than yourself, and dare to take action. Be human, authentic, and make people happy. If anybody criticizes you, respond- “Don’t tell me I can’t do it- tell me how I can do it better.”

PS: Buy some t-shirts!