It’s now been 3 months since I quit my day job in order to focus on building a company.  It took a long time to build up the courage to quit my day job.  I had all of the typical worries that any of you have about starting a company, and before I did it, I was able to speak to many other entrepreneurs who had advice on each of my worries.  There are also many great articles out there to help you plan you finances, find investments, set up your corporation, and most of all, to keep your sanity.

I’ve found that developing a product is the easiest part of the job.  It is the part of the job that I’ve understood and believed in the most, and therefor it’s the easiest to accomplish.

The biggest surprise I’ve had since starting my own business, was that the most challenging part of my new job would be learning how to become a successful rainmaker.

Rainmakers Need To Create Clouds

I knew that working for myself would be lonely at first, but I figured that would be from a lack of co-workers.  The true loneliness of being an entrepreneur is the image of yourself, with a product you feel massively enthusiastic about, and realizing that at first, nobody is around to hear about it.  Sure, you’ll start out telling friends, family, and business contacts, but at the beginning, it feels as though the world does not know you exist, and your greatest fear is that they may never notice.

In order to gain the eyes and ears of the world, you have to become a rainmaker.  The secret of being a good rainmaker, is to fill the sky with saturated clouds, ready to burst into rain when a lightening bolt of news strikes.

This is the stage I’m in now, and it’s a frustrating process.  I’m sure you know the typical strategies to drive interest and traffic to your product.  Being reviewed by TechCrunch, and other influential niche blogs is very effective, but they can’t be your only strategy.  The best rainmakers have the power to create storms of interest because they have positioned themselves as an expert, or thought leader, in their field.  I believe in some ways, this is what drives the popularity of Twitter, as so many of us strive now to be recognized in our fields, so that we may become more effective rainmakers.

They Sky Is Full Of Clouds, But No Rain

Being an entrepreneur can start to feel hopeless.  Like most entrepreneurs, I have an intense belief in myself and my products.  I know I’ve created something unique, and I’ve started planting seeds in order to build a buzz, but it can feel like the process will take forever.  While I build relationships, blog on topics I’m knowledgeable on, and establish myself within the niche community, I know I’m saturating the sky, I can see the clouds overhead, but it still won’t rain.

I belive this is the time where you have to proove your worth as a rainmaker.  The clouds are in the sky, but you have to continue building layer upon layer of relationships and excitement.  You have to plan for the spark, and for the chain reaction that will create a bolt of lightening, and you have to plan on things not going according to your plan.

Be Patient, And Keep At It

Launching a successful product is as much about the product, as it is about timing.  If you’re doing a good job creating relationships, and building buzz, and the product still isn’t launching, then be patient.  Sometimes you have to work on the environment itself, and to begin to promote your niche as well.  One good example of this, is the way Andy Beal has become such an advocate of Reputation Monitoring.  While his product Trackur is a great product, Andy sees that the market for his product will never be large enough, unless he grows his niche with his own bare hands.  Learn from this, because sometimes the reason rain isn’t falling for you, is because the conditions just aren’t right.

Don’t Lost Your Patience!

When it feels as though the world may never notice your product, there is a temptation to go big, and to start waving your arms in the air for attention.  A review in a big blog, even if you have to pay for it, may seem like your only hope.  While I can’t tell you that this won’t work for you, there is a good chance your traffic will spike, but that there won’t be enough clouds in the sky to create a real rainstorm.  For me, I like to plan for slow, sustained growth that climbs to the right.  Be patient, and your company should eventually grow to be as strong as you know it should.

I’ve written this most as much to inspire you, and to continue to inspire myself.  I’ve become very interested in rainmakers lately, so if you’ve read any good books on the subject, or know anybody who would be willing to be interviewed on the subject, please let me know.