The surprising habits of original thinkers | Adam Grant | TED
TED・12 minutes read
The speaker discusses the journey of a student and his friends who founded Warby Parker, emphasizing the importance of embracing fear, doubt, and procrastination in the creative process to achieve success. Originals, like those behind Warby Parker, prioritize improvement over being the first to market, leveraging failures and numerous bad ideas to generate a few successful ones and make a lasting impact on the world.
Insights
- Procrastination, fear, doubt, and generating bad ideas are common traits among originals, such as the founders of Warby Parker, highlighting the importance of leveraging these characteristics for creativity, motivation, and idea generation rather than dismissing them.
- Originals prioritize improving existing ideas over being the first to market, emphasizing the value of slow and deliberate progress in creating successful ventures like Warby Parker, which has achieved significant success by challenging industry norms and embracing unconventional approaches.
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Recent questions
How did Warby Parker become successful?
Warby Parker became successful by focusing on improving existing ideas rather than being the first to market. The company, founded by a student and his friends, had backup plans and took their time to launch, eventually disrupting the industry by selling glasses online. This slow and deliberate approach, combined with a commitment to innovation, led to Warby Parker's current valuation of over a billion dollars.
What is the relationship between procrastination and creativity?
Procrastination can actually enhance creativity, as moderate procrastinators tend to be more creative. While the speaker is a precrastinator, finishing tasks early, research shows that procrastination allows for divergent thinking and creativity. Historical figures like Leonardo da Vinci and Martin Luther King, Jr. exemplify how procrastination can lead to innovative ideas and solutions.
How do originals approach fear and doubt?
Originals acknowledge fear but are more afraid of failing to try, understanding that inaction leads to regrets. They view doubt as a motivator for testing and refining ideas, distinguishing between paralyzing self-doubt and energizing idea doubt. By embracing fear and doubt, originals are able to push past their limitations and achieve success.
Why is it important to generate numerous bad ideas?
Generating numerous bad ideas is crucial for fostering creativity and innovation. Original individuals, like classical composers Bach, Beethoven, and Mozart, have many bad ideas but are celebrated for their successes. By embracing failure and exploring a wide range of ideas, individuals can increase their chances of stumbling upon a few truly groundbreaking and successful concepts.
How can individuals leverage traits like fear, doubt, and procrastination for success?
Individuals can leverage traits like fear, doubt, and procrastination for success by recognizing their potential for creativity, motivation, and idea generation. The speaker emphasizes that originality is challenging but effective, as seen in the journey of Warby Parker, which tested over 2,000 possibilities before achieving success. By embracing these seemingly negative traits and using them as tools for growth and innovation, individuals can unlock their full potential and make a meaningful impact on the world.
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Summary
00:00
"Lessons from Originals: Procrastination, Doubt, and Fear"
- A student approached the speaker seven years ago to invest in a company with three friends, aiming to disrupt an industry by selling products online.
- The student and his friends had backup plans and were slow to launch their company, named Warby Parker, which now sells glasses online and is valued at over a billion dollars.
- The speaker studied "originals," nonconformists who champion new ideas, and shared three lessons on recognizing and becoming more like them.
- The speaker is a precrastinator, finishing tasks early, but research shows moderate procrastinators are more creative.
- Procrastination allows for divergent thinking and creativity, as seen in historical figures like Leonardo da Vinci and Martin Luther King, Jr.
- Originals are quick to start but slow to finish, like Warby Parker, who focused on improving existing ideas rather than being first to market.
- Doubt can be paralyzing or energizing; self-doubt freezes, while idea doubt motivates testing and refining.
- Using Firefox or Chrome over Internet Explorer or Safari can predict job performance and commitment due to doubting the default option.
- Originals feel fear but are more afraid of failing to try, knowing inaction leads to regrets.
- Originals have many bad ideas but are celebrated for their successes, as seen in the high output of classical composers like Bach, Beethoven, and Mozart.
14:23
Embracing failure and originality for success
- Tested over 2,000 possibilities before creating Warby and Parker, emphasizing that original individuals experience fear, doubt, procrastination, and bad ideas, which can lead to success; advises not to dismiss these traits but to leverage them for creativity, motivation, and idea generation, highlighting the importance of embracing failure and generating numerous bad ideas to yield a few good ones, ultimately asserting that being original is challenging yet the most effective means to enhance the world.
