Step 2: Survive Long Enough to Get Lucky

Nick Fellers (admin) | March 24, 2009

(This was taken from an article in Ode magazine and excerpt from Mission, Inc.: The Practitioner’s Guide to Social Enterprise by Kevin Lynch and Julius Walls Jr.)

“The job of the social entrepreneur is to make sure your enterprise lives to fight another day. Do this enough days in a row, with the power of your social purpose and your commitment to changing the world and your break will come.”

Here’s a terrific thought that should help every (SOCIAL) entrepreneur: “If you take seriously the survive to get lucky mantra, then you shouldn’t presume for a moment that the (social) enterprise you are starting or running today will resemble in any way the one that is going to be creating social change five or ten years from now.”

I have seen that hundreds of times. I’ve seen it with the incredible success story of the three Notre Dame entrepreneurs (who happen to be ‘social’) with their company Better World Books. I’m watching it every week with Ben, Brian and GlobeFunder, Inc. I see it in Chris at Solutions for Change, Dan and Felicia with their Montessori School and even the social enterprise of all social enterprises, Goodwill.

The authors say to remember that you’re dealing with two variables: the needs of the world you’re seeking to change and the dynamics of the industry in which your enterprise is competing.

SURVIVE LONG ENOUGH TO GET LUCKY.

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Jeff Smith - March 24th, 2009 3:59 pm

I love that, “survive long enough to get lucky”. In our new book, Generation BIG, The Rising Tide of Dreams to Action, we profile some amazing folks who are doing just that.

Not least among them is Nicholas Negroponte whose effort, One Laptop per Child is set to get 2 billion child friendly laptops in the hands of the poorest children of the world. How inspiring.

Thanks for your post. I’m going to use that one.

Jeff Smith, Founder Generation BIG, Bold, Innovative and Generous
http://www.generationBIG.com

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John Ujda - March 25th, 2009 4:47 pm

Thanks for the mention. You can find us at http://www.betterworldbooks.com.

John
BWB Marketing Guy

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