Like the ocean, the marketplace is constantly changing. Today's cresting wave of opportunity can become tomorrow's crashing risk in the blink of an eye. And with the chance of failure so high, innovators and entrepreneurs need new and unconventional ways of thinking. So before you venture out, take a few lessons from an elite group of athletes who thrive on unpredictable challenges: Big Wave surfers. Just as successful entrepreneurs do, they analyze the surf and strategize an approach. They go where no one has gone before. They risk everything to ride each mountainous wave--then do it again. It's no surprise that surfers such as Laird Hamilton, Jeff Clark, and Kelly Slater have introduced innovations in water sports, safety equipment, and clothing.
Many others have launched thriving businesses such as GoPro, O'Neill, Reef, RVCA, and Quiksilver. They're even helping run behemoths like IBM, Coca-Cola, Tesla, and Apple. The reason: the rules and strategies of Big Wave surfing also apply to innovators and entrepreneurs. In Make Your Own Waves , innovation expert Louis Patler explores these rules: * Learn to Swim--the basics set the stage for everything * Get Wet--you can't succeed if you stay on the beach * Always Look "Outside"--watch for what's coming, or you may miss a future opportunity * Commit. Charge. Shred.--you have to go all out to be all in * Paddle Back Out--persistence matters, so when you get wiped out, get up and go again * Never Turn Your Back on the Ocean--always stay in touch with the marketplace and the customer * Stay Stoked--desire drives success, passion carries the day. With Big Waves come big opportunities, and with this insightful book, you can enjoy the ride of a lifetime.
Where there's a will, there's a wave! Louis Patler is a lifelong surfing enthusiast and President of The B.I.T. Group, a strategic consulting and training company whose diverse clients have included Marriott, Safeway, Wells Fargo, BAE Systems, and GAP. A New York Times bestselling author, two of his previous books were included on Steve Jobs' recommended reading list. He lives in the San Francisco Bay Area.