Disrupt You!

Sharing my learnings from the book, Disrupt You! By Jay Samit

Disrupt You! By Jay Samit

Jay Samit, a digital media expert who has launched, grown, and sold start-ups and Fortune 500 companies alike, describes the unique method he has used to invent new markets and expand established businesses. 

Samit has been at the helm of businesses in the ecommerce, digital video, social media, mobile communications, and software industries, helping to navigate them through turbulent economic times and guide them through necessary transformation so that they stay ahead of the curve. In Disrupt You!, he reveals how specific strategies that help companies flourish can be applied at an individual level to help anyone can achieve success and lasting prosperity-without needing to raise funds from outside investors.

• Rather than waiting around for success to strike, true disruptors take action. Day by day, they carefully observe the world around them to pinpoint proven problems and produce powerful solutions. 
• But multiple failures doesn’t faze them, because failure is their first step to success. These entrepreneurs aren’t lucky – they’re logical
• Jay Samit, the author and the inventor of airport kiosks didn’t intend for his machines to be used in the travel industry at all. Instead, he wanted them to sell lottery tickets. That idea was a total flop. But in failure, the inventor saw something many people didn’t: opportunity. And so, he pivoted – abandoning his original concept and applying kiosk technology to the travel industry.‘
• entrepreneurs are simply those who understand that there is little difference between obstacle and opportunity.
• The first start-up to sell for $100 million during the computer era wasn’t a software or hardware company. It wasn’t launched by a coding connoisseur. In fact, its founder, Billy Myers, didn’t even know how to use a computer. As a born entrepreneur, Billy drove disruption by straying from the status quo. While others waxed lyrical about processor speed or storage space, he took a completely fresh, left-field look at what was happening around him. Billy began producing plastic dust covers for computer monitors, processing units, keyboards and other accessories.
• What did matter was that Billy was the first to identify a fledgling need. While everyone else was looking one way, he looked the other. 
• To get your creativity flowing, the author suggests completing a daily exercise: Every morning, jot down three things you notice that could be improved about the world around you. If you ever find yourself avoiding the exercise, just remember: today’s observation could be tomorrow’s fortune. One idea is all it takes.
• Once upon a time, there was a website called Tune In Hook Up. The site aimed to disrupt the world of online dating, but was a flop. While most dating sites featured images of prospective partners, this one showcased videos instead. The founders thought their idea would make millions. They were wrong. And so the site’s founders pivoted. They scrapped their original dating site concept and launched a free video-sharing platform. Its name? YouTube.
• In 2010, Instagram launched as a mobile check-in app. But before long, data showed that users were obsessing over one feature in particular: photo sharing. With that, the founders ditched their original concept and created the billion-dollar photo-sharing app we all know today. 
• Successful entrepreneurs are masters of evolution, constantly iterating until they find something customers really need. As an entrepreneur, you need to drop bad business concepts – and fast. 
• When you purchase a new product, you’re not purchasing a physical object, but rather the possibilities it unlocks. Successful businesses don’t sell products; they sell solutions.
• the $1 billion GPS software company Waze doesn’t just offer drivers smart maps. Rather, it gives them time – minutes or even hours are saved by taking the quickest route from A to B. 
• whether you’re pitching to investors or writing web copy for consumers, keep your company’s unique solutions front and center. They are your competitive advantage; they’re the reason people will keep coming back for more. And whatever you do, steer clear of nonexistent problems.
• For entrepreneurs everywhere, the call to action is clear: Be bold. Take risks. Stand out. You have nothing to lose, and everything to gain.
• In 2010, a young copywriter named Alec Brownstein was dying to move up in the advertising industry. He dreamed of working for some of New York’s top creative directors. While googling creative directors one day, Alec had a crazy idea. Everybody googles themselves, he thought. So why would my idols be any different? With that, Alec bid for sponsored ads linked to his favorite creative directors’ names. What came next was priceless. Whenever one of those creative directors typed his name into Google, a message popped up saying, “Googling yourself is a lot of fun. Hiring me is fun, too” – and this message led directly to Alec’s website. The result? Eighty percent of Alec’s target audience called him – and two of the directors made him job offers.
• When you’re chasing career growth, it’s important to surround yourself with fellow dreamers, doers, and disruptors.
• We live in an era of opportunity, where you can reach out to anyone, anywhere, at any time. Use that to your advantage. After all, what’s the worst that can happen? You may never receive a response.
• In 1987, a struggling actor named Jim Carrey wrote himself a check for $10 million, dated for Thanksgiving 1995. In 1994 – one year ahead of schedule – Jim made $10 million for his leading role in the movie Dumb & Dumber. By putting the pressure on and working tirelessly toward his goal, he’d quickly propelled himself down the path to his dream career. 
• Excuses are easy. Effort is not. And yet, it’s the only way to achieve real progress. Don’t fall into the trap of believing something will happen “in due time.” If you really want to make your dreams come true, you need to start working on them. Right now. 
• while you’re steaming at full speed toward tomorrow, don’t miss today. At every stage of your career, it’s important to keep an open mind – because opportunities may appear when you least expect them.