As kids, most of us wished for super-powers. Over the past decade, “The Avengers” movies have probably reignited some of these imaginations and then reality kicks in. What if you could actually make this wish come true - at least in the world of business and entrepreneurship.
Let’s dissect the habits of some of the successful entrepreneurs of our time and see if we can glean insight (super-powers) from their documented journeys. Yes, it would be easy to recycle the most common names like Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, Jack Dorsey...etc, but then, we’d miss the collective point.
Brene Brown - Best selling author, Research Professor, Podcast host & CEO of “The Daring Way”
Brene's research into the areas like vulnerability, empathy, shame and courage, led to books that became New York best sellers. This kicked off a successful journey into speaking engagements, publications and visiting professor gigs at major colleges, further amplifying her brand.
Students of strategy are familiar with “Blue Ocean Strategy” - the premise of which implies here, looking into areas which are either nascent or have very low competition. Researching taboo topics, gave Brene insights into problem areas that are common, yet not commonly or easily addressable.
The super power Brene developed was looking into the unknown and making sense out of it. Entrepreneurs can also develop this super power by embracing the unknown vs running from it.
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Sara Blakely - Founder Spanx
Growing up, Sara wanted to be a Lawyer, but could not make the scores on LSAT. Taking a crack at stand up comedy and then trying to sell fax machines door-to-door, Sara stumbled upon the idea for Spanx. Having no knowledge of the fashion industry, Sara believed that her idea of hosiery was something that lacked in the market. Sara took a risk and started a business in 2000 with $5000.
No one in the industry would take Sara seriously, but she was relentless. It took her two years before a manufacturer agreed to help her. Breaking into the retail business was the next challenge. At a Stanford event, Sara shared how she found her products in the back of the store. She bought envelope dividers and put them close to the register, promoting greater visibility and sales.
In 2014, Sara was named the youngest self made billionaire by Forbes. The super-power Sara possesses is self-belief and being relentless. Aspiring entrepreneurs should take this to heart and develop a never give up attitude.
Travis Kalanick - Founder (and Ex-CEO) Uber
Travis attended but never finished his studies at University of California. Before founding Uber, Travis founded Scour and RedSwoosh. Both of these companies failed and Scour even led to him filing for bankruptcy, due to copyright infringements.
This is where most would give and simply move to do something they’re not really happy with. Persistence is the super power that Travis used to continue his entrepreneurial journey. During a visit to Paris in 2008, Travis and his friend couldn’t get a ride. By 2009, they developed an app, which could hail a ride by the press of a button. In 2010, the first ride was ordered through the App. By 2015 Uber reached 1 Billion trips.
There is a purpose-full pattern in this post:
It starts with looking into the unknown and then deep-diving into the why of it. Then it showcases how an idea once formed requires determination and self-belief to materialize it. Wrapping the journey is persistence and not letting failure define the future. Happy super powering!
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