Boxers or Briefs? Shane and Peter Interview Their Readers
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A few days ago I was chatting with Shane from Shane and Peter and he sent me a question saying he’s very proud of it. He told me that the question was one from a set of interview questions he was planning to send out to some interesting entrepreneurs out there.
We talked a bit more about the questions and how it could be a good idea to also ask the questions from the blog visitors. And then after a while, out of the blue, he says: “You inspired my next post. Should be up in a few minutes.”
And there they were, Shane’s interview questions.
I figured that I have no choice but to do my best to answer them. So here it goes. (By the way, can you guess which question was the one Shane said he was proud of?)
What’s your personal mission statement?
Turn being insanely interested in everything into a blessing rather than a curse. And do business in a way that is good for my family, my friends, and the whole environment around me.
What’s the biggest mess you’ve dealt with this year?
I can’t think of any single mess, but my biggest headache is definitely how to make most of my time so that I can get my business to fly while spending time with my family and working full time in a regular job.
What current entrepreneurial efforts consume your time?
Officially, I started my company about a year ago, but in reality I’m still in a rather early stage of getting it kickstarted. So, I’m currently working on three fronts:
- I do blogging to make a name for myself and create a brand for what I stand for.
- I’m doing some rather small-scale contract work to get some money from my business.
- And finally, and most importantly, I’m working on ways to make my business into a real business rather than just a hobby that I call a business. I’ll write more about these actions some time early next year when my first product comes out.
Why do you do what you do? What inspires you? When do you get most excited?
I’m interested in too many things to be completely happy in a normal job. I’m not unhappy doing what I do now, but I just feel like I’m missing on a big part of the action. I want to be able to follow my dreams and see if my ideas will fly or fall.
That’s one part of the motivation.
The other, equally important part, is that I believe people should work from their homes (At least I should) so that they can be close to their kids. I’m a bit of an idealist, so I think there is no need for an office. Most companies however don’t think so, so I want to be out there as one of the people leading the way.
Boxers or Briefs? or as Naomi says, Bikini or Thong, duh?!?
Boxer briefs. Black.
What do you do when you’re not [designing | programming | managing | writing | toiling for the wo/man]?
Try to make Oiva laugh. Decorate my home. Read. Watch Japanese TV series (with English subtitles). Think of new ideas.
What one thing made the biggest difference when getting started?
I’m still getting started, but there are many things supporting me:
- My wife is my best critique. She tells me when my ideas make sense and when they don’t.
- My son gives me the reason to carry on.
- My brother shows me the example that it can be done.
- The blogging community gives me the fuel to aim higher.
What’s your exit strategy?
Jonathan Fields had a good answer to this question: Death.
Seriously, I haven’t thought of my exit strategy that much. The way I’m planning my business to be in the long run is such that I can keep doing it even after I retire, exploring all the different things that interest me. And then, maybe I’ll pass it over to Oiva…
Have to think more about this one, still.
What is the last thing that made you belly laugh?
Oiva.
Have you ever been in business before?
Depends on what you call a business. As a kid I sold my own magazine to friends and relatives and earned money to buy some candy.
And if you ask my wife, I’m still not in business. ;)
At what point do you consider yourself successful?
I’m successful when I’m progressing towards my goals. When I stop moving, success starts fading. I also try to realize that on some level I’m already successful: I have a wonderful family, a nice home and inspiring projects to work on.
And my blog has more than 200 subscribers. It’s not that much, but it’s already a small success.
What was your first experience with a computer?
I think it was my 10th birthday when I got an Atari 800 as a birthday present from my uncle. There was some hassle with it, and pretty soon we switched to Commodore 64. The greatest computer ever.
Steve Jobs vs Bill Gates in a jello wrestling match, where’s your money?
What money?
Where do you do your best thinking?
My best thinking happens when I’m alone. Either early in the morning or late in the evening (like right now). One of my favorite places is my Sauna. I’m usually the last one in our household to stay in the Sauna so I just relax and let my mind wander.
Usually when I’m ready to leave to Sauna and call my mind back home, I see that it was wandering around new ideas on how to make my business better and actually make some money out of it.
What does your average daily work / life balance look like? How much time do you work, play and sleep?
I’m a huge fan of balancing the work so that there is a lot of room for my family. My son is just six months old so I spend a lot of time taking care of him. But I also work full time in a regular job, so my business is something I do in my spare time.
Currently my way of balancing the work and life is that I sleep less than the rest of my family. It’s not a lasting solution, so I’m working on ways of making my business less time consuming. But for now, this is the only way I can have time for all the things I want to do in life.
If I could introduce you to anyone, who would it be?
Currently I’m most interested in talking with people who have managed to turn their insane curiosity towards everything into a profitable career:
Serial entrepreneurs.
People doing multiple jobs, but still having time for a good life.
Freelancers working on many kinds of different projects.
Leonardo Da Vinci.
…In fact, through this interview project, you just introduced me to one person who seems to fit the description: Jonathan Fields, the “shotgun entrepreneur”.
What stops you from giving up when you are frustrated?
My goal of working at home and having a great work / life balance. I like to think that my business is my key to freedom. Freedom to stay at home when my kid needs me more than my work. And also freedom to express my insane interest in all the different things out there. Not just doing what my job description says but being my own job description.
If Chuck Norris and Steven Hawking had a baby (hey it’s my damn interview), would you vote for her for president?
I can’t vote for her, I’m in Finland. So sorry, my preference will remain a mystery.
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12 Responses to “Boxers or Briefs? Shane and Peter Interview Their Readers”
6 mentions in the press
- IttyBiz » Bikini or Thong: My Response To The Challenge
- Interviewing You: the Entrepreneur at The Shane & Peter Inc. Blog
- PIBlog » Blog Archive » Interviewing myself for Shane & Peter
- Interview Yourself: Shane at The Shane & Peter Inc. Blog
- At Home Mom Blog » Posts Worth Reading
- Interview Yourself: Final Chance to Win at The Shane & Peter Inc. Blog
December 7th, 2007 at 3:53 am
That was completely and utterly delightful. Except for the sauna thing. Sadly, since you have a sauna, we can’t be friends anymore. The jealousy would be overwhelming.
December 7th, 2007 at 4:34 am
yeah - cuz according to jamie all they do in canada is iceskate!
December 7th, 2007 at 6:37 am
Dude, Atari 800…I’m seriously jealous!
December 7th, 2007 at 11:55 am
ahhh a sauna. I would love that.
December 7th, 2007 at 12:26 pm
@Naomi, Shane, ses5909: Ah, the sauna. I love it too. All the new apartments in Finland have one built in.
Our previous home was in a house built in 1950, and it didn’t even have a decent bathroom (there was a bathroom, but it was so small that you could barely move in there). That why when we started looking for a new place to live about a year ago, having a real bathroom and a sauna was one of the biggest reasons for getting a bigger mortgage and buying an apartment from a new house. ;)
@Jonathan: It’s a shame that we didn’t spare the Atari when we got the C64. It would be fun to play with it these days… Luckily I still have my trusty old C64 for those nostalgical moments.
December 7th, 2007 at 9:39 pm
so a sauna in finland is the equivalent of a kidney pool in southern california. You’re just not anyone if you don’t have a pool!
=)
December 8th, 2007 at 7:52 am
“I believe people should work from their homes (At least I should) so that they can be close to their kids.” Oh I completely second that!!! Every day I bless the fact my husband and I can both work from home. (Of course I’m not sure if it counts as work for me yet when I do it in the spare moments my daughter is asleep and don’t make money yet.)
December 8th, 2007 at 8:54 am
Rose, Don’t even stress that. It took me a while to bootstrap and the fact that you are home and can make $$$ without selling tupperware (though if you want to thats ok) is such an amazing option.
December 12th, 2007 at 10:21 pm
@Shane: I have never thought of it that way, but your description of the importance of a sauna is quite accurate. Ahh… There’s nothing like having your own sauna ;)
@Rose: That sounds great! I’m so glad you’re doing it. It’ll take time to bootstrap (I’m on the same boat, still trying to get this thing started), but I’m sure it’s already pretty great.
December 28th, 2007 at 8:45 am
I found it interesting that you mentioned Leonardo Da Vinci as one of your inspirations, since I was working on a blog entry about him at the time.
I hope you enjoy it!
December 28th, 2007 at 8:46 am
At the time I read this entry. (Just to be clear. :-) )
December 28th, 2007 at 2:06 pm
Hey Joshua! Thanks for sharing your blog post. I love it!