Page 126 - Free the Idea Monkey

Chapter 8

The Upside of Problems

Surrounded on all sides? Attack!

Pop quiz, hot shot: what do MTV, Trader Joe’s and the iPod have

in common? Yes, of course, they’re all now ubiquitous and make our

lives much more agreeable.

But to me, the most interesting thing about all three is that they

were born during recessions. (Trader Joe’s: 1958; MTV: 1981; iPod:

2001, if you are scoring at home.)

And therein lies an important point. When you find yourself in

tough times—the economy is heading downhill rapidly; your indus-

try is suddenly plagued with

problems — the last thing “My center is giving way,
you want to do is retrench. my right is pushed back, my
If handled correctly, these left is wavering. The situation
“challenges” can be a is excellent. I shall attack.”
good thing for your com-
pany. They can give you Marshal Foch,
Commander of the Allied Forces in World War I

the opportunity — and the

funds—to innovate and gain a substantial leg up on

the competition.

But only if handled correctly.

111C H A P T E R 8