Megan Casey is the founder and CEO of Pack, a community creating online profiles for dogs. Before Pack, Megan co-founded the lifestyle writing platform Squidoo with notable author Seth Godin. As of December 2012, Squidoo is one of the top 40 most visited websites in the U.S.
Megan Casey had a great thing going at Squidoo. She spent seven years building a successful site for users to generate content. But she wanted to throw herself “back in the deep end.”
At Big Omaha, she shared how she did just that, and stand for something in the process. “I wanted to scare the pants off myself,” she said.
Thanks to our sponsor
Pack, a site that states it’s “for dogs and the people who love them,” stands for the need to “slow down in life,” Casey said. “There’s something zen and simple about dogs.”
In order to keep that mission, to stand for something, Casey said it’s important to “know what to say no to.” Pack opened the site to a limit of 1,000 people for one day, then closed it. Then it would open back up to invitations only. At the end of the day, Casey knew it was important to grow through the feedback and support of the most passionate fans. The site could already have banner ads, but it would take away from what they stand for right now: growing a community of dogs and those who love them.
For entrepreneurs, she said, it’s important to remember that what they do has value and meaning. “We’re creating worlds,” she said, as a GIF of a dog typing played on repeat beside her. And, along the way, stay strong in defining what you stand for in that moment.
Tweets
“Boil all of your complexity down to 1 or 2 things to truly stand for” helps with improv and business – @megancasey #bigomaha
— Adam Brehm (@adambrehm) May 9, 2013
“Once you know what to say yes to, it’s easier to know what to say no to” @bigomaha Megan Casey #bigomaha twitter.com/KauffmanFDN/st… — Kauffman Foundation (@KauffmanFDN) May 9, 2013
The first 1,000 people who touch what you create are the ones who will transport it into adoption and success. @megancasey #BigOmaha @pack
— Ryan Hobert (@RyanHobes) May 9, 2013
So @megancasey‘s business intuition is mindblowing. #bigomaha — megan hunt (@lasertron) May 9, 2013
“You can build a man a fire, or you can light a man on fire and he’ll burn for the rest of his life!” 0_o@megancasey #bigomaha
— Marcus Nelson (@marcusnelson) May 9, 2013
Big Omaha is a two-and-a-half-day event that aims to inspire, educate and celebrate the entrepreneurial ecosystem in the heart of the Midwest. Produced by Silicon Prairie News, it’s part of the Big Series, the nation’s most ambitious events on innovation and entrepreneurship.
The Big Omaha Video Series is presented by the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation
Based in Kansas City, Mo., the Kauffman Foundation is among the largest foundations in the U.S. with a mission to foster a society of economically independent individuals who are engaged citizens, continuing the improvement of their communities.
Credits: Video by Quadrant5. Snippet photo by Malone & Company.
