What do you buy for someones graduation that they can keep and will mean something to them? Our philosophy in the Barclay household is that you have to work hard to get somewhere, it won't just fall at your feet.
We have always been quite up front, saying if something is not good enough, or rewarding them for great work.
I'm all for encouragement but their comes a point when you have to be honest, the outside world is a tough place and sometimes very unkind. We have always felt its better to have been told by someone you know that something is not good enough, than from someone who will do it unkindly.
Basically you have to get shit done, as no one is going to do it for you, its all down to you.
Both our son's now have high expectations of most things, not really wanting to settle for mediocre, maybe sometimes it's not a good thing but that is how we are.
So here is part of Sam's graduation present.
What the poster means: One competitive advantage is the speed at which you can achieve. You cannot achieve by doing nothing. You cannot achieve by only talking about what you are going to do one day. You must get shit done. And you must surround yourself with other people who get shit done. Aaron Levie has done this by promoting an execution-oriented culture at Box. It’s a dynamic culture built on doing and improving. At Box they get shit done. And they do it well.
Not a great picture above and below as this is from my phone. But you get the gist.
The luggage labels on the back of the frame were sent out to people that Sam knows, some are friends, some are teachers. They were asked to write a graduation message to Sam.
He loved it, and hopefully will keep it intact until it goes on to the wall of his London or New York loft apartment that he hankers after!