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."

"Here’s where serial vision came in. We didn’t simply want to make existing auctions better. We wanted to change the nature of a hide¬ bound and inefficient business, and make it better. Without turning off our critical dealer customers, we wanted to add some competi¬ tion in the salesroom. After all, just as was the case in our centers, Sotheby’s primary responsibility was to the person selling the goods. It was our job to create the most vibrant and exciting market possible in which they could showcase their merchandise. Passionate individ¬ ual buyers would drive higher auction results and make it more diffi¬ cult for dealers to control the process."