When we talk about successful entrepreneurs Steve Jobs, Bill Gates, Jeff Bezos and other visionaries come to our mind. What makes them so special that they have such a long-lasting impact? Entrepreneurship, in its simplest form, is a process, not an activity towards adding value to lives. Selling lemonade to quench people’s thirst is the value added to their lives and in return for the process of making the lemonade, you receive money.
My definition of entrepreneurship: Trading financial value for tangible and intangible benefits to the users. Quite simple but deep. Now, let’s get back to our discussion about the impact created by Jobs, Gates, Bezos, and others.
It was the 1990s when the entire world was undergoing a metamorphosis change — turning from a crawling caterpillar to a flying butterfly. But the entire process had a high level of ambiguity and complexity. Will computers take over the world? Will we have flying cars? How can we calculate stuff faster?
Such questions were taking a toll over the mega minds of those times. It wasn’t just the skill that was needed — Timing and appeal were a major ingredient. Let’s get going with the first aspect — timing!
I have heard many successful people saying — “I was at the right place, at the right time” — what do they mean with it? Is it pure luck?
Apparently not.
Metamorphosis and Entrepreneurship: Developing your Wings!
In our school Biology classes, we learnt about the stages of metamorphosis — the process of a caterpillar turning into a butterfly. Every stage is timed naturally and anything that occurs before that time is bound to fail. It is natural in biological terms but in entrepreneurship, we consider it a Paradigm shift.
Whenever an event occurs, it carries with it a long-lasting impact which causes the market to shift towards a new future. The pre-existing norms, cultures, processes everything changes. But this change is very gradual, even though it may seem abrupt. In my opinion, there’s nothing as Abrupt Change. Change is a constant gradual process.
The two of the world’s largest mobile operating systems — iOS and Android provide a great example to timing. Many people have a varied opinion on this case and everyone is absolutely right on their analysis. I associate it with timing because Android timed it’s openness-to-market perfectly and gaining the top spot. iOS was a closed Operating System which restricted it’s spread. But Android was a kernel that could fit into anyone’s specifications which made it easy to adopt. The timing for the launch of Android was months behind the iOS but the timing to shape its attractiveness quotient was on point.
In my opinion, timing is a pure analytical-cum-strategic process that begins with a futuristic intuition.
The appeal, on the other hand, is THE MESSAGE an idea carries with it. In the first instance, it seems like Branding but branding is for products, people, processes and other value-adding activities.
The global adoption of computers vs the global adoption of mobile phones is a great case to explain the appeal. The first known computer, not an abacus, was invented between 1833 and 1871 whereas the first telephone was invented in 1876.
The computers, at the time of invention, were meant to be machines meant for higher-end uses and were super expensive whereas the telephones were invented with the motive to connect people. The appeal was global in the case of telephones as the message was loud and clear. On the other hand, computers from a long time carried a sophistication with themselves. They were imaged premium and accessible only to a specific class in the beginning. Over time, the appeal has evolved but the message isn’t yet loud and clear.
The revolutionary companies created by Steve Jobs, Bill Gates, and other visionaries match their strategic timing with a strong appeal, which is why the impact has been so strong and long-lasting. With the knowledge of appeal and timing, you are already on a pedestal of growth towards your entrepreneurial journey.
In the upcoming blog, we will discuss ideation and help you strategically time your ideas with a strong market appeal. Entrepreneurship demands discipline. Do let me know your thoughts in the comments section.
Stay hungry, stay foolish!
Originally published at https://www.rejigez.com on June 15, 2020.
