Why Do They Beep As They Pass My By??

For the past four years I have been lucky to have easy access to trails in nature, both for running and biking. But sometimes I need to go for short distances on the main roads, and have experienced an interesting phenomenon. A good percentage of the drivers in these parts (Northern Israel) will beep as they pass me by -- at first I thought it was a reflex time delay, that they mean to beep to alert me they are coming but the actual beeping only happens once they are already passing me. I actually don't like drivers who beep me from behind, as it is usually more startling than helpful, but the intentions are clear, to provide me warning that a car/truck/bus is approaching from behind. But why when passing me? Running yesterday I finally came up with a theory. Completely unscientific, as I have not had the luxury of actually speaking to any of the beeping drivers, but here is my optimistic hunch. The beeping when passing is a sign of identification and support. Even though we are theoretically competing over the same thoroughfare, the drivers want me to know they are with me in spirit, and perhaps even are envious. They are telling me: "Brother, we are with you." This all reminds me of what it is like to be the CEO of a start-up in a space that is quickly becoming competitive. There is limited bandwidth in the world for successful start-ups in the same product space -- top few companies will usually make it, the few after that will drift along, and then massive amount of start-up roadkill... So who are the drivers that beep as they pass me by in my role as CEO of a start-up? An interesting group. There are the other CEOs -- the more experienced know that coopetition is always good, and keep an open channel to the CEOs of competing companies. Just in the past two weeks I have communicated with the CEO of two well funded companies in the messaging space. Yes, we are competitors, but we also identify with each other. Other beepers along the start-up highway are VCs that are not quite ready to invest -- but want to remain in the loop. No, they are not just afraid to say no (well, that too at times) but rather are ready for you to pass them by on the road to success, because they just around the bend we might meet up again. Or the next time we are on the road together. So they beep -- they make connections, introductions, offer (at times) useful critique. And then there are the journalists covering the space, the analysts, and more. All jostling on the same road, and as we pass each other we "beep." This is all when it works according to my rules of coopetition. For those are pur capitalists -- well, they don't beep when pulling alongside. They just run you over! May you blessed to find many of those that beep as they pass by! Shabbat Shalom.