The app has been submitted!

Today, July 31st, the Morph driver app has officially been submitted to the Apple App Store. We have one week to wait and hope that what we've built is good enough to be accepted. It's a tough thing, and certainly a huge personal weakness, to have no ability to help the technology process. I feel, in many ways, helplessly incapable in a situation like this. I could do nothing but sit back and watch as Oscar and David work on coding the app. I had nothing to add, no background to help me edit and no knowledge to help structure and guide the process. All I could do was make more demands about functionality and design. If the app get's accepted, its a win for us all. A rejection means I, as the CEO, am responsible. I couldn't help build, and I couldn't attract the right talent to take over.

However, this is a lesson in the value of doing what you do best, and hiring superb individuals to do the rest. Sure, I can sit down and learn to code. But in the many weeks it would take me to get even a basic level of proficiency, I would miss out on developing the skills that my role requires. Additionally, would I ever actually get good enough to want to be coding my own projects? No- I want to be able to identify strong opportunities, recruit premier talent, and focus on building great companies.

Regardless, the app has been submitted, which is an exciting big step. Not as huge as getting accepted will be, but still a fun moment. Our website, www.ChooseMorph.com, went live a few days ago. It is still very raw, and few features are working as they should be, but the skeleton is there, and we're about to start adding some muscle.

If everything continues to go as planned, our beta launch will be the week of August 17th, followed by a full launch (small at first, to be scaled up weekly) on August 31st. I know I still haven't said anything about the pivot and our customer, but I'm waiting on legal confirmation before getting into anything. Our relationship has developed well, there is great trust and belief in helping each other. I am confident that we will be working together...but as much as I love getting in trouble, I'm going to have to play it safe with this one.

Soon, kids. Very soon.

-Adriel

The Juggler

While in Israel (on a business themed Birthright trip) a number of us were having the debate of the value of a non-technical CEO. The business guy shouldn't be leading the company, some said. He has nothing to contribute to the product, nothing to add to the company. Sure, managers are important, but do they actually do anything worthy of being a technology company's leader?

My response is that the CEO of a company, especially a startup in its most early days, needs to be a juggler. My own experience with Morph is highlighted by my need to be able to consistently manage multiple projects. I'm working with a dozen people in as many fields to create insurance policies and legal contracts, manage the customer relationship and the employees' work, consider investment and gather advisers. All of this is in addition to the actual work of building marketing strategies, designing the platform, writing the copy for the website, and everything else.

It isn't the easiest thing, juggling all these knives. You forget about one, or don't manage it properly, and the rest come crashing down, signaling the end of the company. It can be nerve racking. It is certainly difficult. But it is also exciting. You get to work in so many fields, meet so many people, and have control over so much. It's the reason anyone wants to get into this whole job.

So is there value to a non-technical CEO? Yes, there most certainly is. The vision, the management, the relationships: all this needs to be juggled by someone who can do so. Technical abilities are, undeniably, an amazing plus. But management of time, processes, and people is a skill just as necessary.

Back to work

I know I said (over a month ago) that I'd talk about an exciting pivot we've had, but I think I should hold off until that is all signed and set in stone. Wouldn't want to mess anything up before its started- but oh man its good. And I'm still as stoked about it as I was when I learned about it back in March.

I've taken much of the past month off for travel. I started with brilliant 14 day trip to Israel, highlighted by brilliant new friends, a lot of discussion about Morph, personal aspirations, and founders roles in businesses. Then, after a one day lay over in Brussels (lots of french fries, Delirium Tremmons, and a crepe), I moved onto an 8 day road trip of Southern Ireland with my family. It was an incredible month (one that I did not completely expect), and I relished the adventure of it all. It was a good break, and, I expect, one of the last long ones I'll be able to take for a long, long time. I cherished it, because there is nothing I love more than the adrenaline of exploring a new city. But now, after a month of rest, its time to get back to work.

Just to clarify, it wasn't all rest. I took calls at 3am to conclude legal issues surrounding foreign visas, contracts, and stock options. But finally, finally, it seems like we're done. Additionally, I had a few chats with Oscar and David, checking in on their progress, and the meetings they've had with our new customer (more to come when I'm actually confident we've signed them). All is going well, their work looks outstanding, from the samples they've showed me, and we're moving at a great pace. 

And that's an important aspect of the whole "start a company" thing. I could be on vacation, 10,000 miles away. It doesn't matter- when problems arise, all else goes out the window, and I must be there to solve them. As friends hang out around me, I take calls, answer emails, and schedule meetings. But I am able to find even these grudging activities fun! Because its all for something I love- its all for Morph. 

In a few days, I'm returning to North Carolina. I'll be back on July 20th, less than a month before our hoped for beta launch. On the to do list? Insurance, pricing negotiations with our customer, contracts with the customer and drivers (I just love legal work!) and a push to hire, and build some marketing campaigns out for recruitment. We've got a busy month, but I'm ecstatic to get started! This is what I got into the entrepreneurship game for. I look forward to the challenges.

Sababa!

-Adriel