How we are using ‘designed jeopardy’ at the Australian Open to make our next leap
At the start of a company’s life it has less to lose than it will ever have again.
It hasn’t raised much money, has few employees and probably no customers.
It is a comfortable place to stay.
As the company grows, there is more at stake and this jeopardy becomes a force which holds the company together and propels it forward.
There is a scene in Bat Man: The Dark Knight Rises where a character escapes a prison by leaping an impossible void. Many other prisoners had failed using a rope to protect them in the event that they didn’t make the jump. This character made the jump without a rope.
They had to succeed.
Designing jeopardy is creating some risk in order to defeat it
We can design this motivation into the early days of a company. When we ‘build out loud’ we hold ourselves accountable to our customers. We must do what we say we are going to do.
We are doing this today with Samsara Eco.
The plastic is piling up
Behind the scenes at the Australian Open, used water bottles are piling up in a series of cages. Visibly, the public can see a small version of how plastic accumulates.
Just 12 months old, Samsara Eco, is already partnering with Tennis Australia to infinitely recycle its plastic waste.
There are so many problems for the company to solve beyond the core enzyme technology which processes the plastic. How does the company communicate the process and mission? What are the services needed around the collection which need to be integrated into a real world supply chain?
It would be easier to stay focused on the lab work and refine the process under ideal conditions. But this way the company is stretching itself, learning out loud with its partners at Tennis Australia to understand what it takes to remove plastic waste from the planet.
It is thrilling to see real customers get real value early on.
The company has stepped up, and will not step down again.
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Do you ‘design jeopardy’ in your company? I would love to learn from you. I am @philmorle on Twitter
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