Month: May 2012

“It’s not that I reject categories. It’s that I don’t really know what categories are.” – Ornette Coleman

Musicians have to struggle with categories.  Should they conform to a particular format, style or even the expectations of their fan base?  If they do, they can win short term success but in the end, they are known for the past.

Entrepreneurs can get into the same trap if they look where everyone else is playing.  Incremental improvements on other’s ideas won’t change the world.

It’s easy to be a critic.  Critics report on the status quo.  Critics react to change. Your job is not to please the critics.  Rather, create something that will delight your customers.  Give them something they’ve never had before.

Let the critics create the categories…AFTER you’ve already been there.

“There is no reason for any individual to have a computer in his home.” – Ken Olsen, President, Digital Equipment Corp. 1977

It is amazing how some brilliant people and thought leaders get so focused that they miss true opportunities.  This is proof that technical genius is NOT necessary for entrepreneurial success.  Michael Dell is one of the people that brought the computer to the masses and he didn’t complete his degree.  His products were not all invented by his company.

But, he had a solid business model.