University of Minnesota - UMN Executive Leadership Insights
Better and Faster
Book

Better and Faster

The Proven Path to Unstoppable Ideas

Jeremy Gutsche
Crown, 2015
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Editorial Rating

8

Qualities

  • Innovative
  • Applicable

Recommendation

Ideas and opportunities abound. People surprise you all the time with brilliant new things – concepts you never thought of, or if you did, you were too cautious to pursue them. Most people till their familiar “farm”; that’s your DNA at work. You study to gain a skill, work to attain a position and reap what you sow. But things change so fast today that your comfortable job might disappear or your company could crumble around you. Trend hunter and entrepreneur Jeremy Gutsche urges you to abandon – or, at least, seek beyond – what got you there and to “hunt” aggressively for what’s next. Though you’ve probably heard some of his case histories before, Gutsche’s cautionary tales and amazing success stories fuel this adventurous guide to modern entrepreneurship. getAbstract recommends his change-making enthusiasm to entrepreneurs, business owners, managers and investors.

Summary

See Things Differently

Train yourself to see, and you’ll find ideas for new opportunities and ventures everywhere. Shift your mind-set from that of a “farmer” to that of a “hunter.” Farming comes naturally because human beings have farmed successfully for thousands of years. You start out looking for opportunities, you work hard tilling the ground to establish yourself and, once you do, you stop looking. You solidify your position and reap the gains as long as you can. You have seen that a football team that stops pressing late in the game and just tries to protect its lead often loses.

Avoid the “Traps”

Reawaken the opportunity hunter in you by first recognizing the traps you fall into as a farmer:

  • “Complacency” – Resting on your laurels deadens your curiosity, thereby inviting disaster. Consider BlackBerry, which once held a commanding lead in the business mobile phone market. Smug in its position as the most secure, reliable provider, BlackBerry failed to see its competitors catching up. Its leaders didn’t understand that corporate users might respond to innovative design. Remember singer, rapper and dancer M.C. Hammer? In 1991...

About the Author

Jeremy Gutsche became an entrepreneur at age seven. His fascination with ideas led to the launch of Trendhunter.com, a site where millions of followers seek unique opportunities.

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