Why Moxiant?
The question was inevitable. As soon as people hear a start up’s name, it’s only natural to wonder what the inspiration was. How and why did I pick the name Moxiant?
In the HBO sitcom “Silicon Valley” there’s a relevant episode where Erlich heads to the desert to meditate (aided by illicit pharmaceuticals) and come up with a new company name.
I wish the naming of Moxiant was as funny as that scene but alas, I was on the dock, not the desert and no outside chemical stimulants were utilized other than maybe a glass or two of wine when the final name was selected.
Much to my family and friends chagrin, I decided to crowdsource ideas for names and the brainstorming process took months versus days. It became the central conversation topic in all my social interactions long beyond the shelf life of others interest and attention span. While not a formal intervention, I was told enough was enough and I should pick already since I had become the steward of a list with over 200 names on it. I decided to abandon my left brain for the right and found myself pulled toward the word “Moxie”. It stands for nerve, courage, determination and force of character. Those traits are important to me.
Why is Moxie Important to me?
When I think of all the good things that have happened in my life, the best things came from taking action when I was uncomfortable. As a young man I was convinced I was an introvert albeit an ambitious one. My first professional job was as an entry level headhunter working straight commission. I remember being told during the interview that people with “moxie” had a better chance of being successful.
My primary objective every day was to make hundreds of phone calls to companies and candidates to make a match. With zero knowledge, no industry connections, and a preference for reading versus talking to strangers, it felt like the phone weighed 500 pounds. However, if I wanted to eat I had to pick it up and persevere until I filled a client’s job. While I didn’t know it at the time, it was the beginning of a wonderful career for me.
Fast forward to me meeting my wife. She was bold, outspoken and a woman of action. At first, I was put off by her assertiveness. It made me uncomfortable, but I was drawn to her. Eventually I decided I couldn’t live without her. I married a woman with moxie. As our family blossomed so did my career and I found myself in management roles assembling teams. While I believe people are too complex to stereotype into rigid boxes, I did notice something interesting. I tended to hire two types of people: ones whose defining traits were amiability, conscientiousness and easily managed, and those that were assertive, somewhat disruptive and harder to manage. Guess which ones turned out to be the most productive? The ones with moxie.
As I rose in the ranks and management roles turned to leadership roles, I eventually learned that amiability and assertiveness aren’t necessarily mutually exclusive personality traits. I consider myself fortunate in having worked with successful people that have both. They are just rare. Nevertheless, I found myself challenged with becoming a leader of leaders. The greatest value came from those leaders that were willing to speak their convictions, tell me uncomfortable truths, and take action. You can correct mistakes and adjust trajectory with driven talent, but business is too competitive to reliably hit goals with people that need to be pushed to accomplish.
Back to the Name…
With that history (and the fact that domain name availability would get the last word), I sent a final list of 10 company names to friends I hadn’t alienated for feedback. All of their feedback was insightful and appreciated but the most entertaining responses I received (Thanks John, Mike and Audra) were:
“Moxiant sounds like a company that gets s*** done.”
“Moxiant makes me think of those guys in the suits that ran around chasing Neo in the movie The Matrix."
"It oozes competence and credibility.”
Mr. Smith indeed... I was sold.
Having spent a couple of years working under leadership that was more flash than substance, Moxiant was perfect. At Moxiant, we want clients to know they can count on us to be transparent and straightforward versus throwing smoke screens when encountering obstacles. We want to deliver substance versus managed perceptions and to be differentiated by passionate and devoted follow through versus making excuses. As we grow our team, you can guess the type of people we’ll be hiring.
Ones with moxie.
Tony
P.S. Did I mention that our dog is named Moxie?
