1. Relationships are everything
In such an automated and digitized world, there is one essential ingredient that only humans can offer: trust. Without her, no contracts are signed, sales are not closed; in short, there is no business.
A success story focused on trust is that of AirBNB, the sacred monster of the sharing economy. In a business model in which customers open their homes to strangers, the trust factor is fundamental. AirBNB has managed to make the model work by creating a strong brand based on the idea of ​​connection, friendship and hospitality, as well as investing heavily in customer service to resolve any problems in a timely manner.
You can increase the confidence that your business enjoys by cultivating solid personal relationships with both collaborators and customers, by being ready for face-to-face conversations, and always keeping the promises made. Transmitting heat during branding, communications and deliveries also helps a lot.
2. Be prepared to fail to be successful
You learn by making mistakes. The philosophy of accepting bankruptcy (or even its celebration) has followed a lot in the world of technology, and adopting it is certainly a good idea.
Apple is a case in point of failure turned into success. Although today he is the undisputed leader in the production of smartphones and computers, his path to the apex has been dotted with expensive and embarrassing errors , as in the case of the ridiculed handheld device in The Simpsons, or of the eWorld online community of the nineties , failed after just 2 years.
Getting it wrong means figuring out what went wrong, why, and how to improve things in the future. This approach works on every scale, and is far better than ignoring or minimizing negative results, however much the latter option is more attractive; Steve Jobs knows about it .
3. Always look forward
What do you do when you have a successful company that is redefining the whole sector? If you are Tesla’s Elon Musk, you set up two other companies and manage them all at the same time. In addition to playing a senior role at the luxury electric car company, Musk has added SpaceX (space travel) and Neuralink (neural interface) to his to-do list, and has investments and properties in many other places.
We’re not saying you have to become a serial investor with many science fiction projects in your pocket, but Musk is a great example of someone who thinks big instead of resting on their laurels. If you have the energy and ideas, use them. If it’s going great today, what’s the next step? Can you make tomorrow even better?
