Originals - Adam grant: 8 quick steps to become the “only one” in your niche

Scan time: 3-4 min / Read time: 5-7 min

Chapters in book: 8 / Chapters in here: 8  (same order as book)

Hey rebel solopreneurs 🦸‍♂️🦸‍♀️

Think you need to bet everything on your crazy idea to prove you're serious?

Wrong!

That's exactly what kills most solopreneurs before they even get started.

Here's the thing - the real secret? True originals actually hedge their risks like crazy while they build their empire.

Adam Grant reveals this counter-intuitive Creative Destruction approach in Originals that lets you take bold decisions AND yet be safe at the same time.

Let's uncover the mystery.

💰 Multi-millionaire entrepreneurs who love this book

⛳️ The author's journey: From academic to original whisperer

Adam Grant used to believe the biggest myth about originals - that they're fearless risk-takers who burn bridges and bet the farm on their vision.

But when he started studying the most successful change-makers, he discovered something shocking.

Steve Wozniak kept his day job for a full year after co-founding Apple.

The Warby Parker founders stayed in business school while building their eyewear empire.

Even Phil Knight sold shoes out of his trunk while working as an accountant.

"Originals are not the daredevils who leap before they look," says Adam.

"They are the ones who reluctantly tiptoe to the edge of a cliff, calculate the rate of descent, triple-check their parachutes, and set up a safety net at the bottom just in case."

This revelation changed everything for him as a Wharton professor studying workplace psychology.

He realized that the "all-in" entrepreneur story was destroying more dreams than it was creating.

The truth was way more practical - and way more encouraging for everyday people building digital products.

"Entrepreneurs who kept their day jobs had 33 percent lower odds of failure than those who quit," adds Adam.

Let's crack Adam's Creative Destruction strategies that will turn your fear of failure into smart courage, so you can build something amazing while keeping the lights on.

Time to uncover the treasure...

1. 🚀 Destroy old thinking patterns to make room for breakthroughs (Creative Destruction)

🧸 Example

Warby Parker is an online eyewear company that sells designer glasses for a fraction of traditional retail prices.

They revolutionized an industry dominated by Luxottica's monopoly and $300+ glasses.

But here's the crazy part - all four founders kept their jobs and stayed in business school while building the company.

They only quit once their monthly revenue exceeded their salaries.

This "safety-first" approach gave them the freedom to experiment without survival pressure, leading to breakthrough thinking about home try-ons and direct-to-consumer sales.

🔥 The power insight

• Creative Destruction means tearing down outdated assumptions to build something revolutionary in their place

• It's not about destroying your life or financial security to chase a dream

• True originals destroy old thinking while keeping their foundation solid

🍿

• Like renovating your kitchen while still living in the house - you tear out the old cabinets but keep the plumbing and electricity running

• Foundation solid... but can you spot which ideas are worth pursuing?

2. 🔍 See familiar things with fresh eyes (Vuja De)

🧸 Example

Segway was a revolutionary personal transportation device that promised to change how humans move through cities.

Dean Kamen's invention generated massive hype, with investors predicting it would be "bigger than the Internet."

But here's what went wrong - everyone fell in love with the cool technology without asking if people actually wanted to glide around on sidewalks looking like mall cops.

Meanwhile, Seinfeld was pitched as "a show about nothing" and got rejected by NBC executives who couldn't see past the surface to understand the brilliant character dynamics underneath.

🔥 The power insight

• Vuja De means looking at everyday things like you're seeing them for the first time

• The biggest barrier isn't creating ideas - it's picking the right ones to pursue

• We often fall in love with our solutions instead of falling in love with real problems

🍿

• Like walking into your own house and noticing how weird it would seem to a visitor from another planet

• Great ideas spotted... but are you brave enough to speak up when others disagree?

3. 🗣️ Challenge authority without getting fired (Speaking Truth to Power)

🧸 Example

A junior Apple employee worked three levels below Steve Jobs in the company hierarchy.

During product development meetings, she kept pushing back on a user interface design that she knew would confuse customers.

Meeting after meeting, she respectfully but persistently explained why the design was flawed, even when senior executives disagreed.

Finally, Jobs listened to her feedback and changed course, resulting in a much better final product that customers loved.

🔥 The power insight

• Speaking Truth to Power means sharing unpopular opinions with people who outrank you

• Dissenting voices improve decisions, even when the dissent turns out to be wrong

• The key is framing disagreement as helping achieve shared goals, not personal attacks

🍿

• Like being the kid who points out the emperor has no clothes - scary but necessary

• Truth spoken... but should you rush to launch or let ideas marinate?

4. ⏰ Let ideas cook slowly for better results (Strategic Procrastination)

🧸 Example

Martin Luther King Jr. was preparing for the March on Washington in 1963.

He worked on his speech right up until the morning of the event, constantly refining and improving it.

The most famous part - "I have a dream" - wasn't even in his prepared text. He improvised it when gospel singer Mahalia Jackson shouted "Tell them about the dream, Martin!" from the crowd. His willingness to procrastinate and stay open to inspiration in the moment created one of history's most powerful speeches.

🔥 The power insight

• Strategic Procrastination means starting early but finishing late to let ideas incubate

• Rushing to completion often produces inferior results compared to letting creativity unfold

• The best insights often come when you step away from active problem-solving

🍿

• Like making a good stew - you can't hurry the flavors, they need time to blend together perfectly

• Ideas brewing... but how do you sell radical change to conservative people?

5. 🐴 Hide revolutionary ideas inside familiar packages (Tempered Radical)

🧸 Example

The women's suffrage movement in the early 1900s was fighting for voting rights in a deeply traditional society.

Instead of challenging gender roles directly, suffragettes initially framed voting as a way for women to better protect their families and children.

They used familiar values like motherhood and domestic responsibility to make the radical idea of women's political participation feel safe and natural. Once society accepted women voting for "family reasons," it became easier to expand into full equality arguments.

🔥 The power insight

• Tempered Radical means disguising revolutionary goals inside acceptable, familiar packaging

• People resist change when it feels threatening, but embrace it when it feels like an extension of their existing beliefs

• You can be radical in your goals while being moderate in your presentation

🍿

• Like giving kids medicine hidden in chocolate - they get what they need without the bitter taste

• Change packaged perfectly... but who's going to help you spread the word?

6. 🤝 Build unexpected alliances for maximum impact (Coalition Building)

🧸 Example

Environmental activists wanted to protect wetlands from development across the United States.

Instead of only partnering with other environmentalists, they reached out to hunters and fishermen.

At first glance, these groups seemed like natural enemies - tree-huggers versus gun-owners. But they discovered a shared goal: preserving natural habitats. Hunters needed healthy ecosystems for wildlife, fishermen needed clean waters for fish populations. This unexpected coalition became much more powerful than any single group could have been alone.

🔥 The power insight

• Coalition Building means finding allies in unexpected places by focusing on shared goals

• Former opponents can become your strongest supporters when you find common ground

• Success often requires partnering with people who disagree with you on everything except the one thing that matters

🍿

• Like assembling the Avengers - different superpowers, same mission to save the world

• Allies assembled... but how do you avoid getting trapped in groupthink?

7. 👹 Assign someone to attack your own ideas (Devil's Advocacy)

🧸 Example

The Pentagon runs "Red Team" exercises where military strategists deliberately try to defeat their own battle plans.

Teams of experts are assigned to think like the enemy and find every possible weakness in proposed strategies.

These devil's advocates poke holes, challenge assumptions, and reveal blind spots that could lead to disaster in real combat. The result? Much stronger final plans that account for threats the original planners never considered. It's uncomfortable but essential for life-or-death decisions.

🔥 The power insight

• Devil's Advocacy means systematically challenging group consensus to find hidden flaws

• The best teams actively seek out dissenting opinions rather than avoiding conflict

• Criticism and debate lead to better ideas, not worse ones

🍿

• Like having a friend play devil's advocate before you make a major life decision

• Ideas tested thoroughly... but what about those pre-launch butterflies?

8. 😰 Turn nervousness into rocket fuel (Managing Anxiety)

🧸 Example

Successful entrepreneurs discovered a simple psychological trick before major presentations and product launches.

Instead of trying to calm their nerves, they reframe their anxiety by saying "I'm excited" instead of "I'm nervous."

This tiny language shift completely changes how their brain processes the physical sensations. Heart racing and sweaty palms become signs of anticipation rather than fear. The same energy that could paralyze them instead propels them into bold action and confident presentations.

🔥 The power insight

• Managing Anxiety means channeling nervous energy into excitement and forward momentum

• The physical sensations of anxiety and excitement are nearly identical - the difference is your interpretation

• Pre-launch nerves are normal and can actually fuel better performance when handled correctly

🍿

• Like converting a roller coaster's terrifying drop into the thrill that makes you want to ride again

🧘‍♀️ The simple success recipe

1. Keep your safety net while building your empire - Like a trapeze artist who checks the net before attempting a new trick

2. Question everything you assume is normal - Like an alien anthropologist studying human behavior for the first time

3. Package your radical ideas in familiar wrapping - Like serving healthy vegetables in kids' favorite mac and cheese

🥂 Your turn!

That's it, my fellow rebels!

True originals don't gamble with their survival - they use Creative Destruction to tear down old assumptions while keeping their foundation rock solid.

"The greatest originals are the ones who fail the most, because they're the ones who try the most," adds Adam.

Today, identify one "default" you've accepted without questioning and one small experiment you can run while keeping your day job.

Your crazy idea doesn't need you to be crazy about how you pursue it.

Ready to prove that your best days are still ahead.

Keep rocking! 🚀🍦

Yours 'anti-stress-enjoy-life-while building a biz' vijay peduru 🦸‍♂️