Mr. TellBlast and I managed our college’s solar car back in the day. (The team’s adviser told me over the weekend that no one has raised as much money as I did.) Mr. TellBlast visits the solar car garage almost every time he’s on campus, and I think we’re both better people because of it.

When we hung out at the Stage 4 Checkpoint last weekend, we drove home and had a conversation of reflections, recollections, and lessons learned. I’ll give the negative, then the positive. There was only real one negative issue I remember from the solar car.

What I learned from working on the solar car

1. There are bad-hearted people out there. (In case you are wondering: They used to be in Earlham, now they are in St. Charles.)
2. It takes talent to match up skills and jobs and personalities.
3. Cold calling is not bad if people understand your cause.
4. Desktop publishing — resizing images, leading, fonts, etc.
5. Big vision + daily plan are more powerful together than separated.
6. Public relations is a sticky business.
7. The university is self-insured.
8. Not everyone has the same work ethic that I do. Related: Finishing a job is important. Finishing well is a bonus in time crunches like a rayce.
9. Interpersonal communication skills is necessary with a diverse group united for one cause.
10. Do interesting things if you want an interesting life filled with lifelong memories.