I’m a huge X Games fan. I love that each year the bar gets raised and the tricks that won last year wouldn’t even get a medal this year. In the X Games everyone is forced to innovate.
A decade ago a simple backflip was the most incredible trick imaginable, and now look at what Travis Pastrana just attempted—a rodeo 720—this used to be the kind of trick that was remarkable for a snowboard or skateboard. The bar keeps getting raised.
I remember sitting in a Linear Algebra class in 2004 bored to tears and dreaming about an iPod that could also be a phone, a credit card, and my keys—one device that would take care of all of the junk in my pockets. Since that time in 2004 Apple has innovated every year—and they are slowly making that dream a reality.
I thought of…
In 2004 I saw woot.com for the first time. It’s a website that has one product on sale for a cheap price. I immediately thought ‘these guys are brilliant, I should start a site like this for local deals—you know—things like 50% off a dinner at Matador or $5 movie tickets.’
I thought of Groupon.
But…
But I never acted on either of these things. I’ll bet 1,000 other people have had the same idea—but unlike Andrew Mason, the founder of Groupon, I didn’t do it. I never started.
The good news
Just like the X Games, there is always a better and bigger idea. Just like Travis Pastrana in this video, you may crash. But if you keep coming back, keep innovating, keep trying you’ll eventually stick the landing.
