Cedric Rogers On Building A Business That Lasts

The journey to building something from nothing and making it last is hard work. Those who have pulled it off identify key factors to ensure an entrepreneur is able to continue operating and scale. In Part 2 of his conversation with GHOGH host Jamarlin Martin, Cedric Rogers, CEO of Culture Genesis, provides insights on key components of building a company that will last in an environment that is approaching economic recession territory.
Culture Genesis is a Silicon Valley-based digital studio focused on remixing digital technology for Black and urban multicultural audiences. CEO Cedric is a former longtime Apple executive. His chief technical officer, Shaun Newsum, is a former developer for VEVO and MLB digital. Culture Genesis is credited with diversifying the digital landscape by creating interactive media platforms with live video streaming.
Find a strong partner
Cedric highlighted the importance of finding the right partner to link with to build a venture. He points out that a good partner offsets your areas of weakness. Further, he states that your ability to recruit a partner serves as a test of whether the idea is big enough to focus on building. The following are resources as you think through finding a good partner:
- CoFounders Lab
- Looking for Love in All the Wrong Places – How to Find a Co-founder – Steve Blank
- How to Find a Cofounder – Guy Kawasaki
- How to find a co-founder for your startup – Jason Calacanis
Listen to GHOGH with Jamarlin Martin | Episode 62: Cedric J. Rogers
Part 2: Jamarlin continues his talk with Cedric Rogers, co-founder of Culture Genesis, a digital studio focused on remixing technology for underserved audiences.
Develop emotional intelligence
As a founder, you are tasked with building a team and culture that sets the tone for your business. Cedric highlights the importance of emotional intelligence in that journey. He says that it’s key for founders to be humble and patient, and focused on being the best cheerleaders for their teams. Here are some resources with best practices for developing emotional intelligence:
- Emotional Intelligence by Daniel Goleman
- Leading Above the Line
- How to Become an Effective CEO: Chief Emotions Officer
Run a lean business
The humility you develop with increased emotional intelligence aids your ability to fight the temptation to burn a lot of cash. Cedric and Jamarlin stress the importance of running a lean business in order to have some buffer in the event of a downturn in the economy. Here are some resources for running a lean business:
- How to run your enterprise like a lean, mean, startup machine
- 5 Things You Should Know About Running a Lean Startup
- Want To Run A Lean Startup? Follow These 15 Money-Saving Tips
Build something people want
In tough times, Cedric points out that a key component of remaining in business is building a product or service that people actually want. Here are some resources for ensuring you’re building something your customers actually want:
Communicate
When times get tough, you’re going to want your investors in your corner helping you make it through. They can’t do that if they don’t know what’s going on with the business. Cedric stresses the importance of communicating regularly with your investors, keeping them abreast of good and bad news. Here are some keys to making that happen:
- How to Communicate with Investors When Things Are Going Horribly Wrong
- How to communicate with your board in tough times
- You Should be Asking Your Investors for Help. Here’s How.
Cedric Rogers shared a number of gems for entrepreneurs taking the risk to build something from nothing. Here’s to you finding a good partner, knowing yourself, running lean, building for your customers, and communicating! Let’s GHOGH!
Kwame Som-Pimpong leverages relentless research, a knack for connecting dots, human-centered design approach, and effective communications strategy to help organizations realize their strategic objectives. Over a 10-year career, Kwame has supercharged grassroots political organizing efforts, assessed the effectiveness of U.S. federal agencies, managed an international program, founded a digital media startup, and advised government agencies on delighting their end-users. He earned a BA in Political Science from Davidson College and Master of Public Administration from the University of Georgia. He can be reached at kwame.som.pimpong@gmail.com.