A few years after executive director Dan Gunn helped rescue Victoria Advanced Technology Council (VIATeC) from the edge of collapse because of funding cuts, he concluded that the organization, by focusing solely on survival, was missing opportunities.
"When you come from a near-death experience, there's a much greater level of caution," he said.
Looking for a way to revitalize the organization, Gunn said he was struck by the can-do attitude of its startup members.
"It's so invigorating and full of energy when you're dealing with startups where there's just a level of enthusiasm and passion, and I've found that it sort of recharged me."
So Gunn decided to try out that attitude at VIATeC.
"I adopted a philosophy of look for reasons to say yes, not reasons to say no," he said, noting that his organization can't always commit funds to a project but that it can provide connections and other non-financial support.
Gunn said this approach brought new vitality to VIATeC.
"We take greater risks than we used to before, but we do it in a very deliberate and planned fashion. We know that our members appreciate us trying to do something fresh and new and leading edge – and as long as you've worked very hard to build a strong connection with your community, they're likely to forgive any kind of stumble along the way."
Gunn said the lesson is particularly relevant to organizations that have become more "institutionalized." He said that for entrepreneurs that still have lots of that early optimism, the challenge is to marry it with rigour.
"If you can add some discipline to more of an eager, optimistic attitude, you can get the best of both worlds."
