Everybody needs a ... Doug Richard !

Not sure how many people may remember the name of a song by Fatboy Slim called "Everybody needs a 303", but today I surely found a good paraphrase for it: "Everybody needs a Doug Richard !"

Doug is one of the sharpest people I have got the chance to see and I think that's what it makes him best suited at what he does: teaching entrepreneurship and reviewing business cases. And we get a pretty good number of chances seeing that during the School for Startups program. He slices through your business plans like bread and challenges your (preconceived) ideas with the sharpness of a cold blooded shark — all that while putting a big smile on his face. And, boy, by the end of the ordeal, do the "full stop" sentences fall with the weight of a thousand pounds hammer. And that's exactly what you need if you want to take your business for a reality check tour. One can only wish to take his chances with him once in a while — I know I do. On the other hand, now I understand what kind of horrors the unprepared entrepreneurs might go through when pitching to him.

That's why I think every business would make good use of such a presence in their company, to take the pulse whenever things appear to go slippery. Just like the TB-303 was an unmissable tool for the dance scene of the 90's, a reference presence like Doug would be invaluable for every business, hence the title of the post.

Now if only we could clone Doug...