Better Not Different Innovation Discipline

“Every success involved placing opportunities in front of custom¬ ers, offering value, and providing an enriching, entertaining experi¬ ence. Figuring out how to make things better, not just different, is the first step in any business plan. For whatever reason, it came natu¬ rally to me to look at things differently. But it’s something you have”

“nities. Successful entrepreneurs and builders possess a sort of serial vision that allows them to look past things as they are to see how they could be better, not just different—and hence more valuable. It means looking at a wheat field in a rural area and seeing a massive shopping center that will serve a large local residential population. It means looking at a huge ranch in Southern California and seeing one of the nation’s most prosperous and valuable real estate markets. It means looking at a snooty, off-putting fine-art auction house and seeing an open, inclusive retail business. And it means looking at seemingly intractable problems—the persistence of low achieve¬ ment in public education, the economic struggles of Detroit—and seeing the possibility for change.”