Make Your Own Waves: The Surfer’s Rules for Innovators and Entrepreneurs
Author and innovation expert Louis Patler on what surfers and entrepreneurs have in common
For nearly 25 years, Louis Patler has been researching and writing about entrepreneurs who have had repeated success, managing to sustain their ability to innovate over a long period of time. Why, he wondered, do some continue to ride waves of success while others wipe out early on?
In the course of his research, Patler — a New York Times bestselling author, president of a strategic consulting firm, and one of J. Walter Thompson Agency’s “20 Most Creative Minds in America” with two of his books on Steve Jobs’s recommended reading list — took a decidedly unique approach. He noticed that “in the world of business, a common analogy was matching ‘cycles,’ ‘sets,’ and ‘waves’ to economic activity.” So to better understand waves of success, rather than seeking out business experts, Patler talked to those who understand waves best: the elite athletes who surf Big Waves.
The unconventional wisdom that Patler learned from Big Wave surfers about how to ride waves was one of the most pleasant, insightful surprises of his business research — one that has influenced his work (and enthusiasm for surfing) for over two decades.
He found that both entrepreneurs and surfers plan, prepare and take calculated risks all the time:
“Today’s business opportunities — and challenges — are enormous. They roll in at high speed, in sets and intervals that mirror the ocean’s cycles. The size of the opportunity is dictated by trends, technology, market savvy, and hard work.”
How they handle this opportunity comes down to preparation, persistence, and passion — traits that both surfers and entrepreneurs rely on. Almost inexplicably to those on the outside, they painstakingly strategize an approach before “risking everything to ride each mountainous wave — and then they do it again.” That’s why it’s no surprise that surfers transition easily into the risks of entrepreneurship, having pioneered products, launched thriving businesses (GoPro Cameras, O’Neil, Reef, Quicksilver), and helped run behemoths like IBM, Coca-Cola, and Apple.
Here, Patler outlines the ten rules he learned from Big Wave surfers that he explores in his new book, Make Your Own Waves: The Surfer’s Rules for Innovators and Entrepreneurs (including a forward by World Champion Surfer Shaun Thomson):
Learn to Swim: The basics set the stage for everything.
Get Wet: You can’t succeed if you stay on the beach.
Decide to Ride: You have many choices and ou can’t do them all at once.
Always Look “Outside”: Watch for what’s coming, or you may miss a future opportunity.
Commit. Charge. Shred.: You have to go all out to be all in.
Paddle Back Out: Persistence matters, so when you get wiped out, get up and go again.
Never Turn Your Back on the Ocean: Always stay in touch with the marketplace and the customer.
Dare Big!: Don’t settle for the low hanging fruit.
Never Surf Alone: Collaboration is the name of the game.
Stay Stoked: Desire drives success, passion carries the day.
For entrepreneurs who are eager to learn more about seizing opportunities and preparing to take strategic risks, Patler will be diving into each of these rules in greater detail at his book launch on July 13th, hosted by the Nasdaq Entrepreneurial Center in San Francisco.
Book Launch of Make Your Own Waves: The Surfer’s Rules for Entrepreneurs and Innovators
Nasdaq Entrepreneurial Center
Wednesday, July 13, 2016 from 5:30 PM to 7:30 PM (PDT)
San Francisco, CA
Register now. The event is free, but space is limited.
Special guests include:
Cathy Rodgers, Vice President of Global Opportunties at IBM
Bianca Valenti, Big Wave World Tour Champion and Partner at Valenti & Co. Wine Bar
Anthony Vidergauz, former CEO of California Closets
Louis Patler is President of The B.I.T. Group, a strategic consulting and training company whose diverse clients have included several startups as well as Marriott, Safeway, Wells Fargo, BAE Systems, and GAP. He has been named one of the “20 Most Creative Minds in America.” Known globally as an expert on innovation, he is a New York Times bestselling author, and two of his previous books were included on Steve Jobs’ recommended reading list. He has served on corporate, college and non-profit boards. He lives in the San Francisco Bay Area.
The Nasdaq Entrepreneurial Center is a San Francisco-based non-profit that provides aspiring and current entrepreneurs with access to quality resources, including mentors, training, and networking.
