Double Thinking Gladiators

In his famous book “1984”, George Orwell introduced the concept of Doublethink – the act of “holding two contradictory beliefs in one's mind simultaneously, and accepting both of them.” It seems to me that one of the success criteria for an entrepreneur is their mastery of doublethink. Being an entrepreneur necessitates an awareness of the brutal reality of the risks associated with starting a company (e.g., 99.9% of ideas never realize their market potential) combined with the absolute and unwavering belief that they will somehow prevail. An ordinary person couldn’t reconcile these two contradictory ideas … but then again, entrepreneurs are far from ordinary.



It is said that innovation is a contact sport and that players must be prepared for a few bruises and cuts along the way. Most ideas never see the light of day, most new business ventures fail, and most entrepreneurs lose their shirt. The only positive thing is that losers in this modern version of survival of the fittest generally do not get eaten. Is it any wonder that so many wannabe entrepreneurs are advised by their parents and friends to “just get a real job?” Yet despite (or perhaps because of) the brutality of the game, the modern entrepreneur is celebrated as the savior to our economic woes. And like the gladiators of yesteryear, spectators enjoy cheering on their favorite competitor … but failing that, it is also jolly good fun to watch them be torn apart. Don’t believe me? Think of how quickly Canadians switched from having pride in Canadian tech success story RIM to taking macabre delight in watching its downfall. The brutal truth is that people love heroes that fight against all odds, love to celebrate their success, and love tearing them apart even more.

The entrepreneur is a modern gladiator whose goliath is the multinational that controls their market of interest. One important difference however is that these modern gladiators are educated and understand their odds. Yet somehow they embark upon their futile quest. Are they crazy? Certainly some are, but in my experience it is more likely that they are simply able to push aside their statistical knowledge and live in a private world where failure is inconceivable. Yes, I said inconceivable. The entrepreneur doesn’t just weigh the odds and rationally accept the risks. Rather, they redefine reality itself such that they are somehow immune its sting. It’s what fans of Steve Jobs have come to know as a ‘reality distortion field’ and what Jim Collins calls the Stockdale paradox in ‘Good to Great.’ It's the ability to have absolute faith in your success while simultaneously recognizing the futility of the cause. It doesn’t make rational sense but it’s critical to success. Doublethink.

Ty
The Idea Whisperer
@tyshattuck

My Obsession with Complexity

I have come to realize that I have an obsession with complexity. I love complex problems, people, environments and situations. It is not so much the complexity itself, but rather the thrill of working my way through the complexity. I do however wonder sometimes if it is healthy. I see others make a lot of money addressing simple problems while I keep chasing big, hard nasty problems and I cannot help wondering if I have some sort of fatal flaw in that regard.

Consider my friend David who owns a lighting company. While I am off trying to figure out how to design, build, and launch complicated sensors made from the rarest of earth elements and integrate them into complicated satellites and submersibles, David sells lights. Yup, lights. Nothing crazy, nothing complicated. Just lights. He imports them from China and sells them here. There is no emerging value proposition, elevator pitch or disruptive use case. It’s a light. Duh, you use it when it’s dark. It’s simple, elegant, profitable and apparently not for the likes of me.

I am not entirely sure why I gravitate to the complex. Maybe it’s the Engineer in me? Maybe it’s the same reason I like Sudoku – the exhilaration of finding an elegant solution to a monstrous problem. Or maybe I’m just odd that way. Whatever the reason, I am drawn to complexity like a moth to a flame. Sometimes I get too close and get burned by a problem too big for me to solve. But mostly, I like it this way. I don’t think I would be happy selling light bulbs.

Ty
The Idea Whisperer
@tyshattuck

Management By Wishful Thinking (MBWT)

Having a positive attitude is extraordinarily important for those in leadership positions. But positivism must be tempered by reality. The key is to strike a balance between an honest assessment of challenges in our way, and the necessity to envision and articulate a viable path through them. In previous blogs I have shared my disdain for Chicken Little. There is nothing more demoralizing than somebody constantly crying about the sky falling. But on the opposite end of the attitude spectrum sits Mr. Magoo. Mr. Magoo is unable, or unwilling, to see the peril in his path and blissfully walks into the landmine festered fields without a second thought. It’s funny to watch in the cartoons (especially when slapstick luck steps in to save the day), but it is hugely irresponsible in the real world.

It is one thing to have and espouse a positive attitude, but it is quite another to cover your eyes and ears in the face of real and imminent peril. Despite the new-age mantra of books like “The Secret”, one simply cannot wish away problems. The practice of Management By Wishful Thinking (MBWT) and the world of Mr. Magoo might seem like a happier place than the Land of Chicken Little, but it is ultimately just as toxic to an organization.

As the old saying goes, “the first step is admitting you have a problem.” It takes courage to admit a problem and it takes true leadership and cunning to take it on. There is no courage in denial, and there is nothing compelling about being oblivious. Unfortunately too many leaders, especially the entrepreneurial type, seem to do exactly that. Perhaps they confuse the courage associated with taking risks, with the delusional state of denying risks exist. Whatever the reason, it is dangerous and we leaders must be just as wary of becoming a Mr. Magoo as succumbing to a Chicken Little. Compelling leadership necessitates being soundly grounded in the reality of today without becoming snared by it. Unfortunately wishful thinking just doesn’t cut it.