“Great businesses have a point of view, not just a product or service.” – Jason Fried, 37signals
Jason Fried has become famous for his point of view. In fact, his book Rework is a collection of his sometimes counter-intuitive ideas on building, running and growing a business.
He’s not afraid to call it like he sees it:
- Plans are harmful
- Outside money is unnecessary
- No need to staff up
- You need less than you think
- Meetings and paperwork are a waste of time and money
The statements above would get him labeled as a heretic and anarchist in some companies. For him, they have become words to live and work by.
You get a clear sense that he has the courage, conviction and experience to defend these statements and prove them out. In fact, his own extremely successful company has been the proving ground for many of his guiding principles.
Whether or not you agree with what he writes and says, at least he’s writing and saying things that provoke thought. He’s challenging the status quo in the spirit of creating better ideas and driving more efficiency.
Strong opinions aren’t without risk. You may be accused of arrogance and aloofness. You may have some people refuse to do business with you.
On the other hand, many people will hire you for your opinions. They expect you to bring clear and critical thinking to their business.
Here’s one stand that we take at our story shop:
Corporate brochures and their cascading bullet points of ‘business speak’ don’t work anymore. We’re on a mission to abolish them. They’re boring, usually focused on the wrong things and no one reads them. Instead, build a collection of client stories that people want to read.
What’s your line in the sand? What are your opinions on your industry topics and how do you explain them?
The marketplace craves perspective so put it out there. You’ll win some and lose some but it’s a great way to attract like-minded clients and customers. Clients and customers that become superfans. Clients and customers that spread the word about your products, services, and opinions more quickly than traditional advertising ever could.
photo credit: bixentro via photo pin cc
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