It is a fact of life, all of us will end up with the same destination, ultimately on time on this green earth will come to an end, this we all know. So what makes that inevitable destination more palatable is the journey that you take to get there. It is the experiences that you share with others, friendships that you make, places that you go that make the journey all the more better. For some, they grab a hold of this concept and take it to the limit, for others they just wander through the experience, taking whatever is there before them and nothing else, and then there are some that just rush through it, thinking that there is something else at the end, and do not take the time to smell the roses.

The same can be said for startups. The ultimate destination (at least it is my assumption) for startups is that they become wildly successful and either exit as an acquisition or go IPO and become the next Google (good luck, but it can happen). Nonetheless, they (being startups) all seem to want to have the same destination: success. So why is it that some startups go to great lengths to make the journey so memorable while others just rush through the journey with blinders on? I watched a video yesterday on ColoradoStartups that Gwen Bell shot that gave us an up close and personal look at the Fuser offices in downtown Boulder. Jeff Herman (President and COO) gave a great tour of the digs and it was very apparent that the leadership team at Fuser is well aware of how important the journey is, they have gone above and beyond to create a fun, collaborative environment for their team to create lasting experiences throughout the Fuser journey that they will be able to look back upon and revel in the fun and good times they had along the way.

As a leader, you should inspire your team everyday, make each one enjoyable so that when you do reach that destination, there will be a plethora of experiences that the team can look back on and reflect and realize that their journey was a good one. There is a quote or saying (depending on how you look at it and I am not going to get it right), but it basically says that when hiring a team, pay them well, and do everything in your power to keep them from thinking about the money and you will build harmony in the workplace and have a happy team. It is creating those experiences, whether it be team building activities, social outings, or supplying the office with games and food to keep them happy, whatever it is, that is what they will remember and be thankful that you (as the leader) helped facilitate those great experiences throughout the journey.

After all, it is the journey, not the destination, so make it a good one and all will be thankful as a result.