Cracking the Code

The Creator’s Code: The Six Essential Skills of Extraordinary Entrepreneurs – Amy Wilkinson (Simon and Schuster)

Imagine…you have spent countless hours accessing and interviewing some 200 successful entrepreneurs; in the process generating mountains of transcripts and information. Working your way through this mound of information you start to see trends emerge that you can boil down into an easily accessible list that aspiring entrepreneurs can put into play.

That, in a nutshell, is what Stanford lecturer and business advisor Amy Wilkinson has done with her book The Creator’s Code: The Six Essential Skills of Extraordinary Entrepreneurs.

 

Wilkinson’s Six Essentials list includes:

1. FIND THE GAP: By staying alert, creators spot opportunities that others don't see.
2. DRIVE FOR DAYLIGHT: Just as race-car drivers keep their eyes fixed on the road ahead, creators focus on the future.
3. FLY THE OODA LOOP: Creators continuously update their assumptions. In rapid succession, they observe, orient, decide, and act.
4. FAIL WISELY: Creator set failure ratios, place small bets to test ideas, and develop resilience. They hone the skill to turn setbacks into successes.
5. NETWORK MINDS: Creators bring together diverse brainpower to come up with breakthrough solutions.
6. GIFT SMALL GOODS: Creators unleash generosity by helping others, often by sharing information, pitching in to complete a task, or opening opportunities to colleagues.

Working my way through Wilkinson’s list, it made sense that there was a level of interconnectivity between the pieces of the code puzzle. These six essentials tend to match nicely with business principles I have been a fan of for a long time; notably number one which matches well with my aspiration to Blue Ocean Strategy and creating new market space.

Is The Creator’s Code an Earth shattering business breakthrough…probably not, but it is a nice, concise volume that deserves a place on your business bookshelf.