September 2005 Archive

Recently, found myself getting involved in another political campaign - this time, at the beginning of the campaign. And, as warned by others, the campaign is primarily focused on the business of campaigning - raising capital. I learned it before in startups - cash is the blood of the company/campaign. If it is not raised - people do not get paid, campaigns limp forward, and supporters have no reference in which to compare to you. In the absence of a market - fundraising becomes the measure of success.

But how can a candidate raise capital and increase visibility when the campaign does not sport a lightning rod like Katherine Harris or Gov. Schwarzenegger? Compare yourself to other candidates - when they are all Democrats? Campaigning on issues you are not sure will resonate with others - how do you know what a person will care about one year from now? The paradox is to generate a buzz about a candidate that get people interested in investing (read: donating) without losing the opportunity to position yourself in the best light at the time when most people are looking.

So, how can a campaign, like a startup, define the product when the customer does not provide you with a true understanding of what they want a year from now?

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