Evolve or Die

by Thomas C Triumph

Another possibility is to consider expanding the customer usage patterns for your product. Arm & Hammer lists hundreds of uses for baking soda on its website and includes categories like pets, baby, outdoors, and personal care. Ironically, I didn’t even see baking listed as a use.

  While there are many other ideas for ways to innovate, these will provide some good ideas to get you started. Honestly, you’ll do great. And I’m not just saying that to make you feel good. Here’s the reality. You come from a family of innovators. In fact, your lineage is incredibly impressive. Every one of your ancestors had to be clever enough and move fast enough to survive. Otherwise, you wouldn’t even be here. The ability to innovate is in your genes.

  So, pull up a chair, or drag over a rock, and think about what you can improve to create a better future. And don’t worry about any eight-foot, carnivorous, 330-pound birds. I’m inventing an app for that.

  Evolve or Die

  First, the bad news. Chances are your company is probably going to go under. Whether large and successful, or small and nimble, the odds are your company will remain focused on the business at hand. Chugging forward with its current way of doing business, selling those products and services that have served so well. It works. Sometimes for a long while. Until it doesn’t.

  “Unlikely,” you’re saying. “The company has done well for (5, 10, 50) years!”

  But, ahead (somewhere) lies a treacherous curve. And because your company is like other companies (comprised of people with habits and needs and shortsightedness), the organization is basically resistant to change—despite the “we think out-of-the-box” platitudes. Senior management doesn’t know what it doesn’t know. Why should those managers be different from anybody else? And the future has a way of blindsiding most of us with change.

  The ironic thing is that the company likely succeeded in the first place because it was innovative and drove change. Yet its successful run makes continued evolution difficult and counterintuitive.

  It’s easy to find examples of companies that failed to evolve, missed the twists and turns in the journey, and headed into difficulties. Oftentimes, entirely missing the new world order. Like the proverbial buggy whip manufacturers. Decreasing market share. Lost revenue. Oblivion.

  Think about companies and industries that were doing exceptionally well … until they weren’t—Blockbuster Video, Motorola, Kodak, Blackberry, Sony, Myspace, Xerox, and Polaroid.

  And what’s the good news? For one, while it’s not easy to successfully navigate through the technological and societal changes ahead, neither is it impossible. Some companies are able to reinvent themselves; to move from one business model to another. Even if you’re not the one steering the ship, you can be an influencer.

  Maybe you can work on a project that’s not officially “sponsored.” It’s not uncommon for dedicated (stubborn) employees to spend a portion of their spare time on skunkworks, until such time that the work matures and the company realizes it needs what you have. It happens in great companies all the time, which is in part why those companies are great—because some of the people pushed ahead and did what they thought needed doing.

  Maybe the even better “good news” is that you are not your company. While it’s hard to influence a company’s direction, you have complete control over yourself. Meaning, you’re free to study what’s happening around you and not be one of the many people holding the buggy whip inventory when nobody’s buying.

  “What’s dangerous is not to evolve.”

  —Jeff Bezos

  Change means doing things that are new, and forgoing things that are familiar. It means discomfort and uncertainty, and the real likelihood of being wrong. All in all, it’s scary. It really comes down to a decision. You either ride things out, fight for the status quo and hope the changes you’re sensing are going to slow (they won’t), or you think about where the world is headed and change to get yourself there.

  The journey is difficult, but the direction is clear. Evolve or die.

  From Humble Beginnings: Secrets of World-Class Innovators and Creators

  It’s a commonly shared thought among many people, though perhaps often not expressed, that major innovation and creativity happen—elsewhere. And by elsewhere, the thinking is, “somewhere other than here.” Not in this unremarkable state. Not in this average town. Not at this company, not with my coworkers, not with my job. And the worst thinking of all … not with me.

  This thinking is so common, that sociologists have a name for it. It’s called the worse-than-average effect, and it’s the human tendency to underestimate one’s achievements and capabilities in relation to others. Turns out this effect seems to occur when chances of success are perceived to be rare. If you catch yourself thinking this way, congratulations are in order. Sociologists have determined that people of high ability tend to underestimate their relative competence in comparison to others.

  The problem is that having a worse-than-average outlook diminishes innovative and creative thinking. After all, why get started if it probably isn’t going to happen? Reality, of course, is different. Innovation and creativity happen wherever people are intent on making a change and having an impact. It happens everywhere, with every kind of person.

  Despite the differences in age, sex, location, ethnicity, socioeconomic level, etc., these creators share common characteristics—a communal way of looking at the world and their place in it that underpins their beliefs about innovation and creativity. This thinking should be applied to your creative work.

  Here’s a big one. Innovation and creativity are far more likely to happen simply by being open to the idea that it can happen. That’s actually one of the secrets to innovation and creativity—that the expectation of great things being possible (followed by effort) is a precursor to making great things happen. Your expectations are a good barometer for what’s possible. It’s what Henry Ford meant when he said, “Whether you believe you can do a thing or not, you are right.”33

  We tell ourselves a story about being creative—or not. Then we live our story and do the work creativity requires—or not.

  Here are 10 secrets shared by world-class creators that you should take to heart. The people mentioned here have broad, varied backgrounds, yet the characteristics are common among them all.

  Believe.

  Be aware of the story you tell yourself. Even if the story is so buried in your subconscious that you’re not even aware it’s there.

  Frank Lloyd Wright attended only two semesters of college before leaving to find his first job as a draftsman for $8 a week. He learned on the job and was driven by a belief in himself. Wright said, “The thing always happens that you really believe in; and the belief in a thing makes it happen.” Wright went on to create over 1,000 structures and a design philosophy that influences architects and builders to this day. He was recognized by the American Institute of Architect as “the greatest American architect of all time.” “I think it is possible for ordinary people to choose to be extraordinary.”

  —Elon Musk

  Be brave.

  It might seem an unlikely attribute. After all, the likelihood of anyone having to face a terrifying fear is unlikely. That’s the tricky thing about bravery; we think of it as necessary only when facing a major threat or recognized enemy. But the small fears, those we’re barely aware of, might be just as insidious as those more daunting. Those micro-doubts accumulate as barely heard whispers, until years later, our possibilities have been silenced beneath a chorus of “not today.”

  J. K. Rowling created a world of magic and intrigue when she wrote the Harry Potter stories. Her work brought joy to millions and Rowling went from living with government-financial assistance to becoming the wealthiest woman in England. She took pen and paper, pushed aside her doubts, and bravely moved forward. Rowling said, “It takes a great deal of bravery to stand up to our enemies, but just as much to stand up to our friends.” And bravery is a habit that builds. Rowling wrote, “You sort of start
thinking anything’s possible if you’ve got enough nerve.”

  Phil Knight ran middle distances for the University of Oregon track team. Knight and his inventive coach, Bill Bowerman, started a small running shoe company called Blue Ribbon Sports—it later became Nike. “Dare to take chances, lest you leave your talent buried in the ground.”

  —Phil Knight

  Keep moving forward.

  Failure. Everybody fails. Repeatedly. If there ever was a common theme, it’s this. Every wildly innovative person has failed time and time again. And then, they kept learning and kept moving forward, relentlessly pursuing their objectives.

  Business magnate Richard Branson said, “You don’t learn to walk by following rules. You learn by doing, and by falling over.” If you want to succeed, keep moving forward.

  Practice.

  Researcher and author Dr. Anders Ericsson has spent a stellar career studying the acquisition of expert performance. He’s the person responsible for what’s generally known as the 10,000-hour rule, related to the importance of deliberate practice.

  Ericsson wrote, “The differences between expert performers and normal adults are not immutable, that is, due to genetically prescribed talent. Instead, these differences reflect a lifelong period of deliberate effort to improve performance.”34

  That’s decades of highly impactful scientific research in a single sentence. Becoming an expert is not due to genetics; it’s due to deliberate practice. It’s hard, time-consuming work. And no one ever created great work without spending untold hours developing and honing their skills. Which is why the true creative or innovator stands out. A small percentage of people are willing to do the work.

  The artist Banksy noted, “All artists are willing to suffer for their work. But why are so few prepared to learn to draw?”

  Get started now.

  Innovators don’t wait for the magic to happen. They get started. American artist and photographer Chuck Close knows about building from where you are. He has a rare condition known as prosopagnosia, which makes him unable to recognize faces. Yet his large-scale portraiture works hang in galleries around the world and sell for several million dollars. “Inspiration is for amateurs. The rest of us just show up and get to work. If you wait around for the clouds to part and a bolt of lightning to strike you in the brain, you are not going to make an awful lot of work. All the best ideas come out of the process; they come out of the work itself.”

  —Chuck Close

  Look for simplicity.

  Look at any masterpiece, and you’ll find there’s a lesson in editing. You’d be hard pressed to find a more successful company than Google, or a simpler homepage. Apple products are noteworthy for the simple design philosophy espoused by Steve Jobs and Jony Ive.

  And it’s not just technology products that benefit from simplicity. Frank Lloyd Wright revealed that “An architect’s most useful tools are an eraser at the drafting board, and a wrecking bar at the site.”

  Be bold.

  Serial entrepreneur Peter Thiel asks a great question about multiyear plans. His question is, “Why couldn’t you do it in six months?” Of course, not everything can be done in six months. But it is a bold and valuable question. Is the timeline really more about the story we’re telling ourselves?

  X Prize founder Peter Diamandis and his coauthor Steven Kotler explored the topic of striving for bold work in their book, Bold: How to Go Big, Create Wealth, and Impact the World. Diamandis said, “Lots of people dream big and talk about big bold ideas but never do anything. I judge people by what they’ve done. The ratio of something to nothing is infinite. So just do something.”

  Help people.

  People innovating and creating are, by definition, focused on bringing something new to the world. Whether producing a product, process, painting, or poem, the goal is to have an impact on others. We’re living in a connected world, and you can reach a large number of people with your work, and they can collectively reach an even larger number of people. That’s how good work spreads. But, only if it’s worth spreading. Only if it benefits people in some way.

  It’s how technology entrepreneur Mark Zuckerberg describes the fundamental mission of Facebook. “The thing that we are trying to do at Facebook is just help people connect and communicate more efficiently.”

  Helping people is exactly how Jack Ma, the founder of one of the world’s largest retailers, described his company Alibaba. “My job is to help more people have jobs.”

  Stay curious; stay hungry.

  Curiosity and hunger are the twin forces of creativity. They are the reasons Spanish painter Pablo Picasso explored new periods of painting and sculpting throughout his life and left a legacy in various styles—Blue Period, Rose Period, cubism, neoclassicism, surrealism.

  Staying curious requires a sincere appreciation and humbleness in regard to the possibilities before you. And that recognition drives the appetite to continue developing.

  Take it from two successful people. “We don’t know a millionth of one percent about anything.”

  —Thomas Edison

  “Microsoft is always two years away from failure.”

  —Bill Gates

  Say yes; have fun.

  Richard Branson said it best. “Life is a helluva lot more fun if you say yes rather than say no.”

  Garbage In, a Billion Dollars Out

  Of all the places you might search for ideas and inspiration for your new innovative product, chances are you wouldn’t look in the garbage. But here’s a true story where some stale tortillas tossed into the trash led to a product that sells approximately $5 billion annually. It begins exactly where dreams should begin—in Disneyland.

  A couple of years after Disneyland opened in 1953 in Anaheim, California, Elmer Doolin, founder of the Frito Company (which merged in 1961 with H. W. Lay and Company to become Frito-Lay) convinced Walt Disney to let him open a Mexican-themed restaurant. Walt agreed, and the restaurant, Casa de Fritos, opened in 1955 in Disneyland. Fritos were provided free to patrons and were featured in several of the meals.

  The tortillas used by the restaurant were purchased from a local food producer, Alex Foods, located several miles from Disneyland. One day, a salesman from Alex Foods was checking on inventory at the restaurant, when he noticed there were a lot of stale tortillas tossed in the garbage. The salesman suggested that instead of throwing out the tortillas, the cook should fry them and turn them into chips. That’s exactly what the cook did, and over the next several months, these tasty, seasoned chips became extremely popular with Casa de Fritos customers.

  Several years after the Frito-Lay merger, a new vice president of marketing, Arch West, visited Casa de Fritos, where he noticed the popularity of the chips. After eating the chips, West thought they might be a new and successful product for Frito-Lay. West pitched the idea, and the new product idea was met with disinterest. So Arch West conducted some preliminary market research that helped him validate interest in the product. He then convinced Frito-Lay, in 1964, to begin marketing the chips, named Doritos.

  The rest, as they say, is history. Doritos sales are an estimated $5 billion dollars annually and have been prominently featured for decades in Super Bowl advertisements.35 In 2008, it was the first extraterrestrial advertisement that was pulsed out over a six-hour period from high-powered EISCAT European space station radars in the Arctic Circle while aimed toward a solar system 42 lightyears from Earth in the Ursa Major constellation. Not bad for an idea that originated from some thrown-out, stale tortillas.

  So, the next time you’re having some Doritos, be reminded of its unceremonious path to the top and the lesson that there are opportunities everywhere.

  Part Three

  Business and Work

  Tools of Trade, More Than a Job

  Find What You Love and Let It Kill You

  There’s a beautiful piece of writing by pianist James Rhodes, which after reading several times I’m only now beginning to truly apprecia
te. It’s a heartfelt request to forgo at least some of the trite, habitual activities that inhabit part of our days. He reminds us to recall our childhood dreams or adult aspirations, kick aside the inertia (fear) of getting started and steadfastly carve out the time to pursue, struggle, and suffer for a goal.

  “We seem to have evolved into a society of mourned and misplaced creativity. A world where people have simply surrendered to (or been beaten into submission by) the sleepwalk of work, domesticity, mortgage repayments, junk food, junk TV junk, everything, angry ex-wives, ADHD kids and the lure of eating chicken from a bucket while emailing clients at 8pm on a weekend.”36

  Later in his thoughtful article, Rhodes makes an argument for us to consider going after our dreams. He tells us that the pursuit will likely be ridiculously difficult and time-consuming. It will be exceedingly frustrating and, in the end, might only result in the internal satisfaction of doing something you couldn’t do before. And yet, he suggests that alone is often a sufficiently small miracle and satisfaction enough.

  In the case of James Rhodes, after ten years of not playing the piano, he left his corporate job and spent the next five years with no income, practicing six hours a day. He lost his wife, 35 pounds, and spent nine months in a mental institution. Was it worth it? He says it was for him. Have a listen to him playing the piano.37

  A caveat. By no means am I advocating that anyone commit to a life of ruin. But, at the same time, at least for me, Rhodes’ words are a reminder that we should embolden ourselves to at least consider chasing down and running to ground an abandoned dream. There’s something romantic and appealing in that quest.

  Let Rhodes be a great reminder to reach further toward what calls us—whether our loves, our work, or our art. Whether that’s family, career, or something else. It’s easy to lose yourself in the day-to-day. The mind-numbing, never-ceasing focus of “keeping the wheels” on a job. Doing more with less. Going with the flow. Grinding through uninspired.