A Dream and a Chasm
Ever notice that when you are insanely passionate about something it tends to occupy every space in your brain, including your dreams? I’m certainly in that position right now as we are working like crazy to improve upon the BigDoor beta and continue to scale and add more partners. So it’s no surprise that our product is playing a starring role in my dreams as well, and last night’s was particularly entertaining.
In my dream I was standing on the edge of a windblown cliff, staring across a massive chasm that seemed to have no bottom. The wind was blowing so hard it was difficult to hear a thing and there was a distinct chill in the air, apparently because there was no sun above – just angry clouds. Across the chasm was another cliff edge that was equally as hard and sharp, but then beyond that were meadows with green grass, gentle rolling hills, plenty of sunshine and I believe even a bunny rabbit or two. Any casual observer of my dream would have instantly understood the meaning of the chasm, and apparently the goal of getting a customer or two to get across this thing is deeply rooted in my subconscious.
In keeping with the discontinuity of dreams, I suddenly had a megaphone in my hand and at times I distinctly remember having a top hat and suit-coat with long tails. I began shouting to everyone nearby to come over and try out my new bike. Yes, my new bike. It was difficult for anyone to hear me above the wind, so I kept yelling louder and louder until one begrudging soul reluctantly sauntered over to see what I was so excited about. I picked up my bike, keeping one hand on my trustee megaphone as I began explaining (through the megaphone) that I wanted this poor guy to ride my bike across this rope to the cliff on the other side. As if on cue, a tattered looking, semi-white rope appeared – loosely connected to each cliff edge by a half-driven wooden stake.
The reluctance of my victim/customer became apparent and he began to back up, but that just got me to yell louder through the megaphone which somehow made him come closer. I looked down to see that my bike wasn’t so much a bike but more like a bunch of twigs and a bit of steel tied together and somehow keeping two wheels in place in the front and in the back. A bumper sticker was plastered to the side of what was supposed to be the bike frame that read, “BETA”. The wind picked up and the sticker loosened and almost blew away but I reached down with my spare hand and hurriedly put it back in place and then quickly pulled my hand back hoping nobody would notice. My new reluctant friend gingerly began to mount the bike, so I began yelling loudly at everyone passing by that they needed to come and watch this amazing feat that was about to take place. Just then a pedal busted loose so I quickly knelt down and reattached it.
I grabbed onto the seat with one hand and began pushing this brave but quaking soul to the edge of the cliff where the rope began. A few interested onlookers had gathered at this point, but there were thousands more that were just a blur as they hustled by without so much as glancing over at the terror that was about to ensue. My parting memory before waking was of this poor chap (now literally shaking) turning to me and whispering, “Is the rope in beta too?” To which I proudly exclaimed, “Nope, it’s still in alpha” and then gave him a solid push.
I can only hope that the experiences of our first brave customers aren’t nearly this frightening, but I awoke this morning with a renewed energy to continue to iterate. And fast.