John Linton
As someone who tends to spend the majority of every day of the week dealing with some of the more difficult aspects of running a small technology company it continually surprises me that I fail to find solutions faster - given that is something I've had long practice in. I suppose, at least in my case, it comes in part from being far more cautious than I used to be. However when I think about it, usually in the context of having spent a long time on reaching a decision only to find, once again, that the end decision is the one that came to mind very early in the 'thinking cycle' and always, and I can think of no exceptions, conforms to Occam's Razor principle.
So having agonised over the problems of ADSL2 delivery for several weeks I made two phone calls and within less than 24 hours those issues that I was getting around to considering to be unsolvable were resolved in the subsequent emails I received this morning. It is so blindingly obvious that the simplest method of addressing any problem is always the best, quickest and often the easiest that I can't understand (having been introduced to clever William's principles at the age of 12) why I waste so much time reaching that conclusion so very often. It must be advancing age and all the debilities that brings with it.
Having, again, been reminded that simple is best I had an early morning meeting with two of the people I have known longest in technology in Australia to discuss data over technologies other than copper wire or cable. As long term acquaintances who have worked together in the long distant past and have done business with each other several time since then, there was no polite mumblings about irrelevant things - just an immediate discussion on whether we could help each other in a financially meaningful way. The meeting lasted around 20 minutes (determined by the time it took to order and drink two coffees) and I came away with a much clearer idea of how to get to the point where a solution could become financially possible - and also a timeframe and rough milestone chart on how to get there.
The interesting aspect of the meeting was that none of the three participants had any knowledge of the solution that was developed and one of them had no real financial interest (other than a possible money investment) in finding the eventual solution (if indeed 'eventual' is a word that can be used in the context of a 20 minute meeting). As with the razor principle, once you remove all of the considerations of why something can't be done and the 'mental baggage' of re-introducing all of the current road blocks you come to realise that either there is no solution or that there is - with no ifs and buts.
As every person who has ever made a decision would already know (and as detective fiction from Conan Doyle to Jonathan Davies endlessly makes the point) all you have to do is "to eliminate the impossible and whatever remains, no matter how improbable, is the solution".
The problem that was resolved so simply was:
PROBLEM: Exetel can buy data over 3G at 25 cents per megabyte but must buy at a twentieth of that price to be able to provide an Australia wide data over 3G solution. The network providers with whom Exetel has had discussions will not move on that price now and suggest that while the price will drop it would be 2 - 3 years, if ever, before Exetel's requested price could begin to be approached.
SOLUTION: Find an entity that buys at one thirtieth of Exetel's price and see if they will sell to Exetel. Problem solved and three possible contacts (names and phone numbers and emails) were immediately provided of entities that would be the most likely, if there were such entities, to buy and sell at the required prices.
So I now know the only way to deliver data at good speeds to end users at competitive prices anywhere in Australia courtesy of a short discussion with two people who had no initial personal interest in how I began the conversation.
A timely reminder that having knowledgable and sharp minded acquaintances (who you catch up with occasionally) is an incredibly important aspect of running a small business.