Originals by Adam Grant

Author:Adam Grant
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Joosr Ltd

You don’t have to risk it all to win it all

One of the most common misunderstandings about original ideas is that they require absolute devotion and incredible risk. However, most successful innovators actually make sure there are safety nets in place before committing themselves to a new idea.

Many people imagine the innovator as someone who bravely goes it alone, risking all for the idea they truly believe in. It can be seen in everything from the Old World explorer sailing off in search of undiscovered lands, to the inventor selling their home to finance their next great invention. But this image carries a lot of assumptions about original thinking. It implies that an original idea is only worth something if the innovator is entirely dedicated to it. And it suggests that this dedication is measured by how much risk the innovator is prepared to take. After all, who would trust an idea that the creator was not entirely committed to? And if they were really committed, then surely they would be prepared to gamble everything on the success of that idea?

As romantic as this image is, it does not reflect the reality of many innovators. In fact, most are extremely cautious, ensuring they have a solid backup plan before making a move. This is particularly common with creative innovators. Writers Frank McCourt and Wallace Stevens, for example, both carried on working their day jobs throughout their writing careers, even after each had won Pulitzer Prizes. It’s also a similar story with entrepreneurs; even founding partners of companies as big as Apple and eBay kept their regular jobs while they established their businesses.

By maintaining their original careers, innovators such as these acknowledged that there were risks in what they were attempting, but they minimized these risks by always having something to fall back on. They would not find themselves bankrupt if their ideas did not pan out as they’d hoped, but, as their success shows, neither did their day jobs prevent them from running with their innovative ideas.

This stands as a useful lesson for anyone attempting to introduce their original idea to the world: careful management of risk and establishing safety nets is a tried-and-tested method for becoming a great innovator. There’s simply no need to follow the romanticized notion that you must risk all in order to win all. You can be dedicated and also levelheaded: this will likely lead to a greater chance of success.

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