Originals

Originals Plot Summary

Introduction

The conference room fell silent as four friends finished presenting their business idea. They wanted to sell designer-quality eyeglasses online for just $95 - a fraction of the $500 price tag in retail stores. The investors exchanged skeptical glances. "No one will buy glasses without trying them on first," one said dismissively. "If this were a good idea, someone would have done it already," added another. Despite having no background in fashion, retail, or e-commerce, the four friends walked away from lucrative job offers to pursue their vision. They called their company Warby Parker, and within three weeks of launching, they hit their first-year sales target and had to temporarily halt orders after accumulating a waitlist of 20,000 customers. What makes some people capable of challenging established systems while others conform to the status quo? The answer isn't what we might expect. Original thinkers aren't fearless daredevils with extraordinary confidence. They experience the same doubts and fears as everyone else. The difference lies in how they manage these emotions and approach risk. They question default assumptions, explore whether better alternatives exist, and find ways to take calculated chances rather than reckless leaps. By understanding their strategies, we can all learn to recognize opportunities for change, overcome the barriers that hold us back, and champion new ideas that improve our workplaces, communities, and lives. The path to originality is more accessible than we think - it's paved not with exceptional courage but with everyday acts of creativity and constructive nonconformity.

Chapter 1: The Calculated Rebel: Strategic Risk-Taking in Innovation

When the founders of Warby Parker decided to sell designer-quality eyeglasses online for a fraction of typical retail prices, they didn't immediately quit their day jobs to pursue their dream. Instead, Neil Blumenthal, Dave Gilboa, Andy Hunt, and Jeff Raider hedged their bets. They were second-year MBA students when they launched the company, and they kept one foot firmly planted in the traditional career path. They lined up conventional job offers as backup plans and worked on Warby Parker during nights and weekends. Their professors warned that this lack of full commitment would doom their venture, but the opposite proved true. By maintaining security in one domain, they felt comfortable taking risks in another. This pattern appears repeatedly among successful entrepreneurs. A study of thousands of Americans who started businesses found that those who kept their day jobs were 33 percent less likely to fail than those who quit to pursue their startups full-time. Apple founder Steve Wozniak continued working at Hewlett-Packard for a year after creating the Apple I computer. Google founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin waited more than a year after their initial success to take leaves of absence from their PhD programs. Even the legendary Bill Gates didn't drop out of Harvard until he and Paul Allen had already signed a contract with MITS to distribute their BASIC software. The cautious approach these innovators took challenges our romantic notion of entrepreneurs as bold risk-takers who leap fearlessly into the unknown. In reality, many successful originals are surprisingly risk-averse in certain aspects of their lives. They may take creative risks in their ideas, but they're often quite conventional in how they implement those ideas. When psychologists studied entrepreneurs, they discovered that the most successful ones weren't the greatest risk-takers. Instead, they excelled at balancing risk across different domains - being conservative in some areas to justify taking chances in others. This strategic approach to risk extends beyond entrepreneurship. Originals in all fields tend to build diverse portfolios of ideas rather than betting everything on a single vision. They generate many concepts, knowing that quantity often precedes quality in creative work. They're willing to challenge conventional wisdom, but they do so thoughtfully rather than recklessly. The most effective originals aren't those who embrace risk in every aspect of their lives - they're those who carefully manage risk, finding the balance that allows them to pursue bold ideas while maintaining enough security to survive and thrive if those ideas fail. By understanding this balance, we can all find ways to become more original without unnecessarily endangering our stability and wellbeing.

Chapter 2: Birth Order and the Psychology of Creative Rebellion

Jackie Robinson is remembered as the courageous man who broke baseball's color barrier in 1947, but his athletic achievements were equally remarkable. Beyond his historical significance, Robinson was known for his daring playing style, particularly his aggressive base stealing. He holds the record for stealing home plate 19 times in his career - one of the riskiest moves in baseball. When a player attempts to steal home, they're successful less than 40 percent of the time, and getting caught can devastate a team's chances of scoring. Yet Robinson repeatedly took this gamble, often in crucial moments of important games. What made Robinson so comfortable with risk-taking? One significant factor might have been his position in his family: he was the youngest of five children. Research by psychologist Frank Sulloway suggests that birth order significantly influences personality development and willingness to challenge conventions. After studying major scientific revolutions, Sulloway found that laterborns were twice as likely as firstborns to champion radical new ideas and challenge scientific orthodoxy. When he analyzed political revolutions, he discovered that laterborns were significantly overrepresented among those fighting for radical change. The explanation lies in what Sulloway calls "niche picking." Within families, children compete for parental attention and resources. Firstborns typically establish their niche by embracing parental values and expectations, becoming responsible, achievement-oriented, and conscientious. With that territory claimed, laterborns must find different ways to stand out. They often turn to creativity, risk-taking, and questioning authority to carve out their unique place in the family. This pattern appears vividly in baseball: when researchers examined brothers who played professional baseball, they found that younger brothers were 10.6 times more likely than their older siblings to attempt stealing bases. This birth order effect extends far beyond sports and into creative fields. Comedy Central's list of the 100 greatest stand-up comics of all time includes more than twice as many lastborns as firstborns. The comedy world is filled with youngest children like Stephen Colbert (youngest of eleven), Ellen DeGeneres (youngest of two), Eddie Murphy (youngest of two), and Billy Crystal (youngest of three). For these laterborns, challenging social norms through humor became a way to distinguish themselves in their families - a pattern that continued into their professional lives. While birth order doesn't determine destiny, it creates formative experiences that shape how we approach risk and innovation, potentially preparing some individuals to become the originals who question established practices and pioneer new directions.

Chapter 3: Transforming Fear: From Anxiety to Purposeful Action

In 2007, environmental advocate Lewis Pugh attempted something no human had ever done before: a long-distance swim across the North Pole. The water temperature was below 29°F - so cold that a British explorer had lost fingers to frostbite after just three minutes of exposure. Pugh would need to swim for nearly twenty minutes. Two days before the main event, he took a five-minute practice swim that left his fingers numb for four months. Standing at the edge of the Arctic ice, he was paralyzed by fear. "If I failed," he thought, "I would die, and my body would sink more than two and a half miles to the bottom of the Arctic." Most people assume that the best way to handle such fear is to try to calm down or visualize success. But research by Harvard psychologist Alison Wood Brooks reveals a more effective approach. In one experiment, she asked college students to deliver a persuasive speech while being evaluated by a critical audience. Before speaking, students were randomly assigned to say either "I am calm" or "I am excited." Those who reframed their anxiety as excitement delivered speeches that were 17% more persuasive and 15% more confident than those who tried to calm themselves. In another study, students performed 22% better on difficult math tests when told to "get excited" rather than "remain calm." This counterintuitive strategy works because fear and excitement are physiologically similar - both involve elevated heart rate and increased energy. When we're anxious, trying to calm down means fighting against this physiological arousal, which is difficult. It's easier to redirect that energy by relabeling it as excitement. This "anxiety reappraisal" switches us from what psychologists call the "stop system" (which makes us cautious and vigilant) to the "go system" (which energizes and motivates us). For Pugh, the turning point came when a friend helped him shift his focus from fear to purpose. Instead of dwelling on the dangers, his friend reminded him of the people who believed in him, his parents who inspired his environmental passion, and the legacy he could create in fighting climate change. "After listening to him," Pugh recalled, "the idea of abandoning the swim disappeared." By connecting to a meaningful purpose, he transformed his anxiety into motivation. He completed the swim successfully in eighteen minutes and fifty seconds, demonstrating that our most powerful tool against fear isn't suppression but transformation - changing our relationship with anxiety by linking it to something larger than ourselves. This approach allows us to channel the energy of our emotions into purposeful action rather than being paralyzed by them.

Chapter 4: Building Cultures of Constructive Dissent

When Ray Dalio founded the investment firm Bridgewater Associates, he made an unusual decision: he would build a culture where challenging the boss wasn't just permitted - it was required. At Bridgewater, employees at all levels are expected to speak up when they disagree with anyone, including Dalio himself. During one meeting early in the company's history, a junior employee emailed Dalio: "Ray, you deserve a D- for how you conducted today's meeting." Rather than firing this bold critic, Dalio thanked him for the feedback and worked to improve. This commitment to what Dalio calls "radical transparency" has helped Bridgewater become the world's largest hedge fund, managing about $160 billion in assets. Most organizations suffer from what psychologist Irving Janis called "groupthink" - the tendency for groups to seek consensus rather than foster dissent. In a classic study of major policy fiascoes like the Bay of Pigs invasion, Janis found that decision-makers often suppress disagreement to maintain harmony, leading to disastrous outcomes. At NASA, this dynamic contributed to both the Challenger and Columbia space shuttle disasters. Engineers who had concerns about safety issues felt unable to voice them forcefully enough to stop the launches. The pressure to conform silenced crucial dissenting voices. Creating cultures that welcome dissent requires deliberate effort. When former Pixar president Ed Catmull wanted to ensure that junior employees felt comfortable challenging senior leaders, he instituted "Notes Day" - a full day when the entire company stopped production to critique current projects and processes. To prevent powerful voices from dominating, employees were divided into small groups where everyone had equal opportunity to speak. This approach helped Pixar maintain its creative edge through multiple blockbuster films. The most innovative organizations don't just tolerate disagreement - they actively cultivate it. Google created a group called the "Canaries" - trusted engineers across the company who represented diverse viewpoints and had reputations for speaking their minds. By consulting this group before implementing changes, Google created a safe channel for authentic dissent. As one team member explained, "Our biggest complainers become our strongest advocates." Similarly, at Warby Parker, founders instituted "Debates" where team members must argue positions they personally disagree with, helping everyone understand multiple perspectives on important issues. By creating environments where challenging assumptions is not just safe but expected, leaders can prevent the conformity that stifles innovation. The most effective cultures balance psychological safety (where people feel secure expressing concerns) with accountability (where speaking up is considered a responsibility, not just a right). In these environments, original thinking flourishes because people know their dissenting voices won't just be tolerated - they'll be valued as essential contributions to better decision-making and more creative solutions.

Chapter 5: The Art of Timing: When to Act and When to Wait

Martin Luther King Jr.'s "I Have a Dream" speech stands as one of the most powerful orations in American history. Yet few people realize that the most memorable portion - the "dream" sequence - wasn't in King's prepared text. The night before the March on Washington, King worked until 4 A.M. finalizing his speech, but it contained no mention of dreams. It was only during the delivery, when gospel singer Mahalia Jackson called out, "Tell them about the dream, Martin!" that King pushed his written remarks aside and began to improvise the passage that would define his legacy. This moment illustrates a counterintuitive truth about timing and creativity: sometimes, the most original ideas emerge not from meticulous planning but from strategic procrastination. When psychologist Jihae Shin studied this phenomenon, she found that people who delayed starting a task generated 16% more creative ideas than those who began immediately. By putting off the work, they gave their minds time to wander, make unexpected connections, and approach the problem from fresh angles. Leonardo da Vinci famously worked on the Mona Lisa for sixteen years, often leaving it untouched for months while he pursued other projects. This intermittent attention allowed him to see the painting with fresh eyes each time he returned to it. However, timing isn't just about when to start - it's also about when to enter a market or introduce an idea. Contrary to popular belief, being first doesn't guarantee success. When researcher Bill Gross analyzed factors determining startup success, he found that timing accounted for 42% of the difference between success and failure - far more than the idea itself (28%) or the team (32%). Many assume first-movers have an advantage, but research shows that pioneers have a 47% failure rate, compared to just 8% for "settlers" who enter markets later. Consider the contrasting fates of two companies: Kozmo.com, which promised one-hour delivery of everything from movies to ice cream in the late 1990s, failed spectacularly because consumers weren't ready for online ordering and the infrastructure couldn't support it. Meanwhile, Warby Parker waited until 2010 to launch, when consumers were comfortable with online shopping and social media could spread their message. As co-founder Neil Blumenthal explained, "We had to wait for Amazon to train people that it's okay to buy things online." The wisdom of timing applies not just to business but to all forms of original thinking. Sometimes the most powerful action is thoughtful hesitation - allowing ideas to incubate, waiting for the right cultural moment, or giving yourself space to improvise rather than locking in too early. The most successful originals understand that creativity isn't just about what you do or how you do it - it's about when you choose to act. They balance the courage to move forward with the patience to wait for the right moment, recognizing that sometimes strategic delay is the key to breakthrough innovation.

Chapter 6: Coalition Building: Finding Allies for Change

In the mid-19th century, Lucy Stone emerged as a powerful voice for women's rights, delivering over 100 lectures annually on suffrage and equality. When she married Henry Blackwell in 1855, she took the unprecedented step of keeping her maiden name - a decision so radical that women who followed her example became known as "Lucy Stoners." Yet despite her dedication to women's suffrage, Stone found herself in bitter conflict with fellow suffragists Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton over strategy and priorities. The suffrage movement split into two competing factions in 1869. Anthony and Stanton's National Woman Suffrage Association focused exclusively on a federal amendment for women's voting rights, while Stone's American Woman Suffrage Association pursued a state-by-state approach and aligned with the abolitionist movement. This division weakened both groups and delayed progress on women's voting rights for decades. The conflict illustrates what psychologists call "horizontal hostility" - the tendency for groups with similar goals to fight each other more fiercely than they fight their common opponents. The key to overcoming this tendency lies in building coalitions that respect differences while emphasizing shared goals. Frances Willard demonstrated this skill brilliantly when she led the Woman's Christian Temperance Union (WCTU) in the late 1800s. Rather than framing women's suffrage as a matter of equal rights (which alienated conservative members), she reframed it as "home protection" - arguing that women needed the vote to protect their families from the dangers of alcohol. This approach allowed the WCTU to become the largest women's organization of its time and a crucial ally to the suffrage movement. Modern innovators use similar strategies. When Debra Sterling created GoldieBlox, engineering toys designed for girls, she faced resistance from both traditional toy manufacturers and feminist parents. To build her coalition, she emphasized different aspects of her product to different audiences. For retailers, she highlighted how GoldieBlox could bring new customers into their stores. For parents concerned about gender stereotypes, she emphasized how the toys would develop spatial skills. For children, she focused on the fun storytelling elements. By adapting her message without compromising her core mission, Sterling built a diverse coalition of supporters. The most effective coalition builders are what organizational scholar Debra Meyerson calls "tempered radicals" - people who balance bold visions with pragmatic approaches. They understand that winning allies often requires framing original ideas in terms that resonate with others' existing values and concerns. They know when to emphasize differences (to maintain a distinct identity) and when to highlight commonalities (to build bridges). By mastering these skills, change agents can transform isolated efforts into powerful movements, bringing together diverse supporters united by shared purpose but enriched by different perspectives and approaches.

Chapter 7: Raising Original Thinkers: Parenting for Creativity

When psychologists Samuel and Pearl Oliner set out to understand what distinguished people who rescued Jews during the Holocaust from those who stood by, they made a surprising discovery. The rescuers didn't differ from bystanders in their religious beliefs, education levels, or even their stated values. The key difference lay in how they had been parented. The Oliners found that parents of rescuers emphasized one particular approach to moral education: explanation. Rather than simply enforcing rules through punishment or rewards, these parents took time to explain the consequences of actions on others. One rescuer recalled that when he misbehaved, his mother "never punished me but rather discussed why she disapproved of what I had done. She would talk about how my actions might harm others." This approach to parenting - focusing on the impact of behavior rather than just compliance with rules - appears consistently in families that raise original thinkers. When researchers studied the childhood experiences of highly creative architects, they found that their parents had typically valued independence and rarely used power to enforce compliance. Instead, they encouraged their children to form and defend their own opinions, even when those opinions challenged parental authority. These families maintained clear standards for behavior but explained the reasoning behind those standards rather than imposing them arbitrarily. The way parents praise children also shapes their development as original thinkers. In one experiment, children who shared marbles with peers received either behavior praise ("It was good that you gave some of your marbles") or character praise ("You are a very nice and helpful person"). Two weeks later, when given another opportunity to share, 45% of children who received character praise donated materials to hospitalized children, compared to only 10% of those who received behavior praise. When we praise character rather than actions, children internalize values as part of their identity. Parents also influence originality through the role models they provide. Howard Schultz, who transformed Starbucks from a small coffee retailer into a global brand, credits his mother with teaching him to dream beyond their impoverished circumstances in Brooklyn. "She wasn't educated, but she was romantic," Schultz recalls. "She encouraged me to dream." Similarly, Sara Blakely, founder of Spanx, remembers her father asking at dinner each week, "What did you fail at today?" This unusual question reframed failure as a sign of effort and growth rather than something to be ashamed of. The most effective approach to raising original thinkers combines clear values with freedom to explore. Parents who explain the consequences of actions rather than simply enforcing rules help children develop their own moral compass. Those who praise character rather than just behavior nurture lasting values. And those who model curiosity, resilience, and principled nonconformity prepare their children to think beyond conventional boundaries. Through these approaches, parents create the conditions for children to become not just rule-followers but thoughtful challengers of the status quo - individuals prepared to imagine and create a better world.

Summary

The journey toward originality isn't about fearlessness but about how we manage our fears and doubts. The most successful originals aren't reckless rebels who throw caution to the wind. They're thoughtful non-conformists who question defaults, balance risk portfolios, and recognize that creativity requires both courage and calculation. Warby Parker's founders kept their day jobs while launching their revolutionary eyewear company. Martin Luther King Jr. procrastinated on his "I Have a Dream" speech, allowing space for inspiration and improvisation. Lucy Stone built coalitions with unlikely allies by finding common ground. Jackie Robinson channeled his rebellious spirit into breaking baseball's color barrier. What these stories teach us is that originality doesn't require extraordinary acts of bravery, but rather ordinary acts of courage. We can all become more original by speaking up about our ideas, embracing the right kind of procrastination, seeking feedback from fellow creators rather than managers, and reframing our fears as excitement. The path to originality isn't about eliminating uncertainty - it's about learning to dance with it. By questioning defaults, tempering our radical ideas to make them accessible, encouraging dissent within our teams, and managing our emotions effectively, we can all find the courage to champion new ideas that make the world better. As Lewis Pugh discovered in the frigid Arctic waters, sometimes the greatest barrier to changing the world isn't the cold reality outside, but the voice of doubt within.

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Adam M. Grant

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