Are You A “Me Too?”

DJ Smith / May 5th / Comments

When my dad was in high school one of his teachers went around the room asking what each student wanted to be when they got out of school. There were the typical answers of lawyer, business owner, doctor, and nurse, among others. However, when the teacher got to Dad he responded that he wanted to be an Indian. While certainly annoyed by the curious answer, the teacher begged an explanation to which Dad simply responded that there seemed to be enough chiefs in the room and not enough Indians. My dad went on to own his own business and provided a very nice living for my mom and me. I can’t say that I’ve ever felt my dad was a “me too” sort of man. He didn’t necessarily go along with the crowd. He did and continues to do the right thing at the right time for the right reasons.

I don’t believe there is anything more tragic than a business plan based on a “me too” strategy. The tragedy comes because the focus of the strategy is on what is working for others rather than taking the time to focus on what will work best for your target. The vision is pointed in the wrong direction and, at best, is shortsighted. It reminds me of my mom’s proverbial wisdom when I wrongly followed the crowd and she asked, “If they jumped off a cliff to their doom would you follow?” Many market themselves as if they would. They say to themselves “Hey, Zappos.com has had huge success using Twitter so let’s use it!” So begins the “me too” strategy.

On one of our office walls we put a line from the Dr. Suess book And To Think That I Saw It On Mulberry Street that reads “Marco, keep your eyelids up and see what you can see.” Innovation is founded in the fundamental exercise of seeing, listening and touching the world around you, sensing the needs that aren’t being met and moving swiftly to fulfill those need. No matter the business sector, innovators will rise to the top and blaze the trail that the “me too’s” will ultimately follow. Trendsetters will never find themselves listed among the “me too” groups. In the book IdeaSpotting: How To Find Your Next Great Idea, Sam Harrison quotes Apple’s Steve Jobs as saying “The starting point for the iPod wasn’t a chip or a design. The starting point was the question, ‘What’s the user experience?’” When you follow the true needs of your target you’ll find yourself being unique and profitable.

You have to choose whether you will be an innovator or a “me too” organization. You would do well to take Muriel Strode’s advice, “Do not follow where the path may lead. Go instead where there is no path and leave a trail.” Until next time – keep your pulse strong.