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‘IF ROTARY WERE A TECHNOLOGY START-UP – STAYING CURRENT IN A CHANGING WORLD’

From District 9970 January 2020 Newsletter, article by Graham Dockrill

Graham Dockrill (Christchurch South Rotary) is a renowned successful entrepreneur, investor and company director, focusing on

the technology sector for the past 25 years. Having founded and exited several technology businesses including award winning
design agency Hairy Lemon, Graham is also an Associate Professor at the University of Canterbury Centre for Entrepreneurship.
He spoke at the Regeneration Conference here in Christchurch in September 2019. Here are some excerpts from his speech.
So how does a start-up Become a Success Story
While there is no one-size-fits-all blueprint for building a successful start-up, the following characteristics will
provide a solid foundation. These characteristics are the one and the same for business as well as Rotary.
1. Is our product fit for market?
Selling a product or service customers actually want is important. The market must be willing and able to pay for
what you're selling. Seems straightforward, and obvious, yet many start-ups struggle with defining their product-
market fit. So, let's apply this to Rotary. Is our offering fit for market? When was the last time you did some research
in your community, yes, we do good work, yes, we raise money for good causes and yes we make a difference?
However, can we serve the community in different ways. Have we asked the question or are we making assumptions?
As we all know, Rotary was founded in February 23, 1905 in downtown Chicago. To give ourselves some credit, we
have been changing course ever since. The question is are we changing fast enough to not only survive but thrive?
2. We start with small test markets
Conversely, just because you've found that your product or service is appealing to a large market, doesn't mean you
should tackle it all.
Applying this to Rotary is a little more complex, and yet the answers could be quite simple. Early Rotary (perhaps
even modern Rotary) could be defined as a dominant market player. For better or worse, that market is generally
Pale, Male and Stale. We have dominated that market for decades and we’re very good at it. It’s not a sustainable
market moving forward, it served us well in the past… but it is just that… the past.
3. Passionate about disruption
Successful start-ups are based on disruptive ideas. More than a buzzword, disruption is changing the status quo in
an existing marketplace. Disruptive technology creates new market and value networks that eventually displace
more established ones.
So how do we make Rotary disruptive? It’s a very good question and requires some lateral thinking. Let's look at this
another way, who are our competitors? You might say The Lions, The Masonic Lodge. Well I guess you could argue
that they are our competitors, but that’s not what stops someone joining Rotary. Our biggest competitor is TIME,
or that’s the perception.
4. Foster awesome company cultures
Within a company's first two years, 50 - 60% of their employees will probably quit, according to Forbes magazine.
Their reason for quitting?
It usually comes down to poor management, which directly correlates with culture. Traditionally speaking, a culture
is nothing more than a set of beliefs shared by a community.
If we want to attract new members and diversity, our clubs need to look beyond their current definitions of culture.
5. Take feedback seriously
Another quality of successful start-ups is their ability to adjust to feedback.
Savvy founders form connections with mentors and advisors early on, developing relationships with those who came
before them to learn from their mistakes and success.
Rotary is no different, but how well do we take feedback?
6. Have focus
When starting from the ground up, especially with a small team, it’s easy to take on too many projects at once.
Unfortunately, this can kill your start-up and as we well know, put pressure on a Rotary Club. While we at Rotary
may not be looking for rapid growth, it’s important that each club finds its focus. The more focused we become the
more successful we will be in our communities.
7. Build engaged communities
The most successful start-ups think beyond customer acquisition and work toward community building. Unable to
rely on decades of brand loyalty, like their established counterparts, they roll up their sleeves and engage their target
markets. And that is exactly what has made Rotary successful and will continue to do so in the decades to come. It’s
about grass roots, community bbq, car washes and any number of other fundraising activities that bring us together
as one.
But let's not take that for granted! We say that we represent our communities, but are we representative of our
community? Do our club demographics represent the world in which we live?
How do you figure out what your community values? Ask.
For a copy of Graham's speech in its entirety please email rotarydistrict9970@gmail.com

Rotary on the Move July 2020 Page 3