IS THERE A MARKET FOR VISION? By Jay Jacobson , March 30, 2006 http://kinetic.org It strikes me that of the three primary talents required for a successful technology-based venture (vision, engineering, and sales), a startup can, in theory, obtain two of them with cash. I am not saying that is ideal, but simply that it is possible. There are markets to search for, and find, both sales and engineering talent. However, when was the last time anyone saw a job posting titled, "Visionary Wanted?" Is the critical role of the visionary just often overlooked? Does such a market exist? My personal belief happens to be that bringing in visionary talent from outside the business is just an extremely difficult thing to do effectively. The role of the visionary is often abstract and intangible. How does one write that role into a job description? Further, most companies and executives have a very tactical focus - concentrate on what is right in front of them, not a real "big picture" strategic focus. Without an executive-level visionary, the company's ability to adapt and change to the market is limited to what happens to proverbially smack them in the face. A visionary can bring the insight and strategic thinking to uncover many paths for the company and provide the ability to focus on the right one, as opposed to the one that falls in the company's lap. Does a market for visionary talent exist? More importantly, could such a market effectively exist?