Cedric Rogers On Building A Business That Lasts

Written by Kwame Som-Pimpong

Sep 06, 2019

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:

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:

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:

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:

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.