Having worked on a few startups in the past, I know that the “traditional” way to start a business is to do so under a veil of extreme secrecy – to not speak about the business at all until it has launched. I think those days are largely over. Of course, I can’t reveal the core business idea of Abe & Dotty just yet, but I’ll happily write here about the whole process of starting the business. I’ll write about naming/branding, raising money, hiring people, key strategic decisions, marketing and more. In doing so, you’ll likely be able to figure out exactly what this business is.

I’m not interested in building a business with anything to hide. On the contrary, I want to build a transparent business. One of my favorite authors/marketers/bloggers is Seth Godin. I’ll probably quote him often. In a blog post last week, he wrote “The closer you get to someone, something, some brand, some organization… the harder it is to demonize it, objectify it or hate it. So, if you want to not be hated, open up. Let people in. Engage. Interact.”

I think it’s great advice. I’ll open up. I’ll try to engage. I need you to interact.

Better days are ahead. Two pieces of President Obama’s stimulus plan excite me. I love the focus on “green collar” jobs, leading to innovations that support healthier people and a healthier world. And I agree that the drivers of the recovery will not be big corporations, but mom-and-pop shops motivated by passion for their craft. In this blog I’ll write about my new business – currently called Abe and Dotty – that hits on both fronts. Join the journey to bring Abe and Dotty to life…