| "The Big Idea" that will make an entrepreneur | | | | that weird thinking might be a benefit. |
| successful is not obtainable by filling in the blanks on a | | | | Seeing Things Others Don't! |
| magic invention template. Where do 'The Big Ideas" | | | | Henry Ford did not invent the automobile. The |
| come from? Why are some people able to develop | | | | Germans Daimler and Benz had perfected and |
| exciting concepts and others, though constantly | | | | harnessed the internal combustion 10 years before |
| scheming, achieve nothing of value? How do serial | | | | Ford. In the first two decades of the 20th century |
| inventors repeat success, again and again? | | | | there were over 200 companies producing horseless |
| Entrepreneurs are born, not made. Thomas Edison | | | | carriages in the United States alone. Who remembers |
| performed over 1000 experiments before perfecting | | | | the Hupp Mobile? Does anyone pine for the Lansing? |
| the electric light bulb. Think of that fact, and apply it | | | | What did Ford see that the others did not? |
| to people in general. He failed 1000 times to get it | | | | Simply, Henry Ford recognized that the automobile |
| right. How many people do we know that will keep | | | | would not achieve it's potential as a conveyance until |
| trying to succeed at a task if they fail three times, | | | | most of the public could afford to own one. He had |
| five times, 12 times? We all know the answer, not | | | | to drive prices down. His success was in the process |
| many. Business school can not teach this kind of | | | | he created, not in the automobile itself. |
| drive, determination, and dedication to a task. | | | | Standardization, scale, motion production lines, |
| Entrepreneurs and inventors are different. Successful | | | | integration of component production and assembly |
| entrepreneurs excel at commercializing opportunities. | | | | were concepts none of the competition were |
| Inventors excel at creating. Not every inventor is an | | | | pursuing. |
| entrepreneur. Nevertheless, creating exciting new | | | | This vision thing can be applied to almost every |
| products is an art that is essential to entrepreneurial | | | | successful enterprise. The originator sees opportunity |
| success. Many inventors employ others to | | | | others either miss, or do not recognize as significant. |
| commercialize their creations. Some entrepreneurs | | | | Howard Schultz realized that in Europe people treated |
| also have the ability to develop exciting new projects. | | | | the coffee drinking experience in a completely |
| There is simply not one silver bullet answer that | | | | different way than Americans. He took the quality |
| defines the requisites for success. | | | | standards of the successful franchise operations he |
| There are, however, several traits that all original | | | | studied, crafted an upscale position for coffee |
| thinkers have in some fair amount. Thinking outside | | | | (actually, now latte, frappe, etc.) and founded |
| the box, pride in weirdness, seeing problems others | | | | Starbucks. He saw an opportunity that had not been |
| miss, acceptance of failure and the Natty Bumppo | | | | commercialized, branded an experience, just not the |
| halo are a few of the qualities we see in successful | | | | invention of coffee drinking. |
| original thinkers. | | | | Acceptance of Failure |
| Thinking Outside the Box | | | | We all fear failure. Successful entrepreneurs, |
| This has become almost a cliché. We see the | | | | however, know that taking risk does not come with |
| term used in advertising and executives trying to | | | | guarantees of success. They do not like failure. Failure |
| spur creativity always are exhorting the team to | | | | is just part of the game. They get up and try again. |
| think outside the box. This is difficult, impossible for | | | | The risk taking precedes the rewards for success. |
| most people, to actually do. They live in the box. | | | | Smart entrepreneurs attempt to mitigate potential |
| They are risk averse. They fear failure. They | | | | losses and failures. Serial entrepreneurs have an |
| certainly do not want to present an idea that others | | | | amazing nose for sorting out potential hurdles and |
| might laugh at! | | | | deal killing situations. |
| For these and other reasons thinking outside the box | | | | Do Not Respond to "Prove It"! |
| is almost impossible in mature organizations, certainly | | | | Most new ideas are met with a heap of skepticism. |
| any organization with an entrenched bureaucracy is | | | | Inventors and entrepreneurs often are asked to |
| not readily open to new ideas. This is one reason | | | | "Prove it'! You can not prove something until you try |
| there is so much opportunity for entrepreneurs and | | | | it, produce it, test it, or verify performance. Denial of |
| small business to succeed. | | | | funding or other needed assistance can not be |
| Wal-Mart has re-engineered the logistics of retailing | | | | contingent on proving performance of a theory. This |
| by designing order flow technology superior to every | | | | is why having working, production quality prototypes |
| other retailer in the mass-market space. W.T Grant, | | | | is so vital. |
| Montgomery Ward and Woolworth were huge | | | | Natty Bumppo's Halo |
| businesses before Wal-Mart existed. They did not | | | | When I was a boy (many moons ago) we read all of |
| think outside the box and allowed Wal-Mart to carve | | | | the James Fenimore Cooper classic pioneer novels. |
| them up with better prices, selection and service. | | | | These were stories set in the pre-Revolutionary War |
| Southwest Airlines was created as a low cost, fun | | | | era and the hero was the Deerslayer, the Pathfinder: |
| alternative to the big established carriers. They have | | | | Natty Bumppo. Natty was amazing. He was always in |
| remained profitable and grown while American, | | | | dire straits, surrounded, outnumbered and betrayed. |
| United, Delta, USAir and Northwest stuck with the old | | | | Just when the reader thought Natty was a goner, he |
| business model and all suffer bleak futures as going | | | | improvised. Utilizing his immediate surroundings, |
| concerns. Southwest standardized fleet equipment, | | | | sunlight, ground cover, knowledge of animal traits, or |
| have stayed non-union, hedge fuel contracts and only | | | | dozens of other frontier skills that he had acquired he |
| fly from cities where they identify huge opportunity | | | | escaped and put things right. |
| to succeed at the expense of the national carriers | | | | I always called this the "halo effect". Natty Bumppo |
| saddled with excess overhead. | | | | was the first great improviser I came upon as a boy |
| Estee Lauder is the recognized queen of the | | | | and he is an excellent model for creative, |
| cosmetic world. She started in the 1950's making a | | | | improvisational thinking today. He was an 18th |
| moisturizer in her home. The product was not | | | | century James Bond. He found answers and created |
| accepted by a single department store. Finally, she | | | | successful strategies out of the available elements of |
| asked the buyer at Pogue's Department Store in | | | | his environment. |
| Cincinnati, "why won't you give me a chance"? The | | | | The successful inventors we work with in our |
| answer: "We already have plenty of moisturizers. | | | | consulting business are normal people. However, they |
| Give us something different". Mrs. Lauder did not give | | | | have been able to improvise in an area of their life |
| up. She reckoned that the product performance | | | | and create an opportunity. I am always amazed by |
| would not open the sales doors necessary to be her | | | | this ability. The level and amount of creativity in the |
| salvation. She designed a new marketing feature: the | | | | world is stunning. I wish there were more |
| gift with purchase. Today every cosmetic brand uses | | | | entrepreneurs (doer's) than dreamers fronting |
| the gift with purchase as the most successful sales | | | | projects and inventions. |
| tool in the history of the beauty industry. The leading | | | | Look at every aspect of your life and consider this a |
| brands of the 1950's (Elizabeth Arden, Germain | | | | fertile area for creative improvisation. Work, faith, |
| Monteil, Helena Rubenstein, Max Factor and Revlon) | | | | recreation, hobbies, and family are a few of the |
| are all either out of business or greatly diminished | | | | areas where each of us has some life experience in |
| while Estee Lauder is the largest fine cosmetic house | | | | many areas. Passion about an area (hunting, golf, |
| in the world. | | | | fund raising, wellness, exercise, education, etc.) is the |
| Ms Lauder, Sam Walton at Wal-Mart and Herb | | | | most likely source for an inspiration. |
| Kelleher at Southwest Airlines did not invent | | | | I have seen a woman, just having experienced |
| cosmetics, retailing or air travel. They did think | | | | delivery of her first baby, successfully patent, |
| outside of the box and create marvelous successful | | | | develop and market a pain monitor for very late |
| businesses. Ray Kroc did not invent the hamburger: | | | | term contraction charting. She looked everywhere |
| he only created McDonalds standardization of quality | | | | for an answer to this need and found nothing |
| assurance and a franchise system to deliver that | | | | available for home use. She saw a need and acted. |
| benefit. Michael Dell did not invent the computer. He | | | | A passionate game hunter was losing too many |
| invented a way to customize each unit and eliminate | | | | shots while in the stealth portion of the hunt. He was |
| the need to carry expensive inventory by pre-selling | | | | a big man and a bit noisy in the field. He designed an |
| each unit before a component was assembled. | | | | over boot to minimize, distort and muffle sound as |
| Pride in Weirdness | | | | he made his approach. This breaks up sound patterns |
| Who wishes to be thought of as weird? A very small | | | | that animals have come to associate with man: edge |
| portion of any population hopes to stand out by | | | | to the hunter. |
| being weird in dress, body markings or other | | | | We have seen firemen invent an elegantly simple |
| appearance feature. For the most part, people work | | | | method for putting out grease fires, the largest |
| very hard at being accepted as normal, in sync with | | | | cause of fires in the home. Board games often come |
| their surroundings. | | | | from families shared interests. A teacher brought us |
| Entrepreneurs are generally average, normal in the | | | | a combination game, teaching tool to coach children in |
| way they talk, dress, recreate and live their personal | | | | proper nutrition habits and combat childhood obesity. |
| lives. It is their thinking that is different, and this can | | | | A social worker has designed a simple, individualized, |
| be weird. They see things differently. The | | | | inexpensive, modular homeless shelter kit. A Little |
| entrepreneur may divine a problem that others do | | | | League baseball coach created a tremendous trainer |
| not see or does not yet exist. They see answers | | | | for perfecting throwing fundamentals. A Christian |
| before the rest of see needs. | | | | Ministry has created a prayer club featuring blessed |
| Who needed the TV dinner before introduced by the | | | | anointing oils as described in the Bible. |
| Swanson family in the early 1950's? Most homes did | | | | In short, people get ideas, innovations, new concepts |
| not yet have television. Dinner was an American ritual. | | | | and creative inspiration from anywhere and |
| And yet, as television intruded on American life, our | | | | everywhere. However, it is far more likely that your |
| habits changed. Speed and convenience replaced ritual | | | | idea will come from some area of your life's |
| as pre-eminent product features sought by | | | | experiences. You will more easily be able to recognize |
| consumers. The TV dinner was the perfect example | | | | an opportunity and place a value on the idea if it |
| of a bit of weird thinking addressing a need that did | | | | comes from your areas of knowledge and interest. |
| not yet exist. | | | | We have seen gourmet cooks invent a unique |
| Inventors and entrepreneurs tend to take great pride | | | | cooking utensil. It is very rare though to encounter a |
| in their iconoclastic thought processes. The mad | | | | complete field jump, such as a high school English |
| scientist analogy can be a stretch but the results are | | | | teacher, creating a new style of writing software |
| often so amazingly offbeat that we must conclude | | | | code for military logistics integration. |