Doug Wagner, Author at Sunwapta Solutions

27 Jan 2010

Who Is Right?

By Doug Wagner|2017-04-03T11:59:02-06:00January 27th, 2010|Categories: Business Strategy, Doug's Blog, Mindset and Motivation|

Read ten different business books and get 10 different stories on the secret to business.

Talk to 10 different entrepreneurs or business owners and you will get another 10 answers.

The reality?

There are many paths to business success.

Most companies will make lots of mistakes along the way. Some will have some luck and some will have some hard luck. Some will ride a trend and some will pick one that doesn't pan out. Some will survive and some will thrive. Some will bloom quickly and fade just as quickly and some will struggle and bloom later.

Just like judging people, it is easy […]

25 Jan 2010

Lessons from the Coyote and Hare

By Doug Wagner|2017-04-06T12:48:47-06:00January 25th, 2010|Categories: Business Strategy, Doug's Blog|

This morning I saw a hare (big rabbit) duck under our fence with a coyote hot on his heels. The hare stopped and went motionless. The coyote could not fit through and stood 20 feet away, staring at the hare, trying to figure out how he could salvage his breakfast.

Who is trying harder?

The predator or the prey? The obvious answer is the prey. However, if the predator doesn’t eat on a regular basis they will eventually become too weak to catch food.

If your business is struggling, it may feel like you are the prey and the market is out to […]

17 Jan 2010

How Software Development Really Works

By Doug Wagner|2017-04-03T11:59:38-06:00January 17th, 2010|Categories: Doug's Blog, Software Development|

This post is based on a presentation we sent to a client when they wanted early screen shots of the working application and said we seemed to be a serious bunch. We are serious about our work (building great software) but do have some fun doing it.

Initial Specifications – Build Something that Works

Make it better than a horse and buggy but not too fancy.

During the budgeting phase the requirements are a little down-played.

Project Startup – Application Framework

The developers scramble to put together the framework and plumbing that […]

12 Jan 2010

Development and Business Optimization

By Doug Wagner|2017-04-03T12:18:53-06:00January 12th, 2010|Categories: Business Strategy, Doug's Blog, Software Development, Technology|

The other day a developer asked me what we really know about business optimization; after all, developers build software not run businesses.

I would suggest that the right kinds of developers are exactly the right people to help with business optimization. I say help because no one person should be responsible for business optimization; it should be something done by everyone in your business and any external advisers as a team. No one person has all the answers and every business is different.

So if you are great developer what talents and skills can you bring to the table? Great developers:

Regularly work […]

11 Jan 2010

Great Idea Equals a Great Business

By Doug Wagner|2017-04-03T12:18:59-06:00January 11th, 2010|Categories: Books and Courses, Business Strategy, Doug's Blog|

Apparently this is a bit of a myth. Sure some companies were founded on great ideas and become very successful.

I think this feeds into our desire to find the quick fix.

Great idea. Build a great strategy. Start a company. Instant wealth.

In 99.99% of the cases "instant" is actually many years in the making; kind of like the odds of winning the lottery.

In "Built to Last" by Jim Collins, they dispel this myth.

"Why? Because the great-idea approach shifts your attention from seeing the company as the ultimate creation."

Essentially, you focus on the product and not the […]

7 Jan 2010

Who You Are – Consistency

By Doug Wagner|2017-04-03T12:19:03-06:00January 7th, 2010|Categories: Business Strategy, Doug's Blog, Leadership, Marketing, Sales|

Over the past few months, we've had a few clients approach us that had important work that needed to get done quickly; and they had limited options. You may be thinking…

Ka-Ching!

Wrong.

You may get the business once that way, but people will ultimately remember you hosed them.

That is not how things are done here. Here we value ethics, honesty and long-term relationships.

We believe we are entitled to fair compensation for our work including reasonable profit margins (every business needs this). But we don't believe in "between a rock and a hard place" pricing.

Sure, if costs are higher because of a rush […]

6 Jan 2010

The Ultimate Secret to Everything Revealed

By Doug Wagner|2017-04-03T12:19:08-06:00January 6th, 2010|Categories: Business Strategy, Doug's Blog, Mindset and Motivation|

What is the ultimate meaning of life, the universe and everything?

How can I guarantee personal financial success?

What is the magic product or service that will guarantee success?

What is the secret to instant business success?

Where is that magic bullet?

We are all looking for answers in some ways; easy answers preferred. Low risk. There is a book for every subject and they all contradict each other to some degree. Who is right? Many of them are.

42 is an easy answer and the big joke in The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. But applying it is the trick.

The ultimate secret? There is […]

4 Jan 2010

Think Positive, Set and Achieve Your Goals

By Doug Wagner|2017-04-03T12:19:12-06:00January 4th, 2010|Categories: Doug's Blog, Mindset and Motivation|

I find it interesting how when you are in a certain frame of mind, you notice (attract) more of the same things that reinforce that frame of mind.

Beware negative thinking. It begets more negativity.

Sometimes my mood is like a bouncing ball being chased by a border collie, up, down, sideways and everywhere in between. Retrieve and repeat.

Lately, I have been pretty positive. Pumped up positive. Eager to take on new things; make things happen.

My last couple of posts were reflecting on how focusing on your strengths (generally a positive thing) builds success.

Well today, I received newsletter from ProCoach. […]

31 Dec 2009

Why Not Be Great?

By Doug Wagner|2017-04-03T12:19:16-06:00December 31st, 2009|Categories: Books and Courses, Business Strategy, Doug's Blog, Dream Teams, Leadership, Mindset and Motivation|

It is funny how the closing of a year brings reflection on the past… and a fleeting commitment to fix all the things you weren't happy with.

Sure, getting rid of some destructive bad habits is a good thing. But is spending your time dwelling on your mistakes and trying to fix your non-talents (weaknesses) the way to go?

In "First, Break all the Rules…" by Marcus Buckingham and Curt Coffman, their research basically determined that you should focus on your talents and figure out ways to minimize the impact of your non-talents.

This is based on the science […]

29 Dec 2009

Sales – Greatness Versus Failure

By Doug Wagner|2017-04-03T12:19:21-06:00December 29th, 2009|Categories: Books and Courses, Doug's Blog, Leadership, Marketing, Mindset and Motivation, Sales|

What makes one salesperson great and another fail?

We often think greatness is the opposite of failure. That if we look at why people fail and do the opposite we will succeed. Perhaps this is because it seems logical… the easy solution. Maybe the opposite of greatness (or failure) is merely average. Maybe greatness and failure are merely variations on each other.

This is discussed in "First, Break all the Rules… " by Marcus Buckingham and Curt Coffman.

"By studying the best salespeople, great managers have learned that the best, just like the worst, suffer call reluctance. Apparently the best […]

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About Doug Wagner

Who is trying harder?

Initial Specifications – Build Something that Works

Make it better than a horse and buggy but not too fancy.

Project Startup – Application Framework