Today, ideas are the currency, (my friend TJ says speed is the new currency) not the ability to do what you are told.
If you want to make an impact in this world, you better overcome your fear of being different and stand out from the crowd.
To do that, ask yourself what your fears sound like, what is their tone of voice, and how you are going to overcome the internal resistance to change.
It is not easy to re-invent your strategy, marketing, branding and messages in order to stand out; and I know this from first-hand experience. But if you follow the herd and do what most/all of your competitors are doing, you may be fitting in, but you are practically invisible.
You have to dare to do the thing that may seem counter intuitive at first and you have to be prepared to go all the way. If you are not, then you might as well quit.
Those that choose to fit in should expect to avoid criticism (and be ignored). Those that stand out should expect neither.
If everyone is defining a problem or solving it one way and the results are subpar, this is the time to ask, What if I did the opposite? Don’t follow a model that doesn’t work. If the recipe sucks, it doesn’t matter how good a cook you are.” -Tim Ferriss
You don’t have to shout to stand out. If you don’t have a competitive advantage, don’t compete.
