“What part does luck play in success?”
I was asked this in a client meeting a couple of weeks ago, pain shining in the client’s eyes—and I’ll tell you, it took me a minute to come up with an answer that rang true without any layers of happy marketer b.s.
Not because I didn’t know how I wanted to answer, just because I wasn’t sure if the client wanted (my version of) the truth. And I don’t do happy marketer b.s. very well.
As I go through my notes tonight I see the star next to that question from far out in left-field, and I thought you might want to know how I answered:
A big part.
Bigger than all the pundits and thought-leaders and marketers and designers want you to know.
This sure isn’t a cure-all answer, but you asked the question.
Oh, there are ways to guarantee failure. I’ve seen plenty. There are ways to encourage success. Plan it. Design it. Get help with it, work hard on it, measure it, celebrate it.
Execute the plan energetically and with the attitude that failure’s not an option.
I still can’t guarantee success, and anyone who will is lying to you.
People beat themselves up too much over this, and maybe you’re asking because you feel that way. Sometimes you fail but it’s not you.
Good stuff worked well still sometimes fails.
Moronic crap that catches the right eye still sometimes becomes an overnight success.
I think I need an aspirin.
We laughed, she nodded, and we got on with the meeting.
That’s it, folks. I hope you have Maximum Customer Experience delivered every day to your inbox or your RSS reader and I hope you get a lot out of it. I get so much from discussing Experience Design with you! I hope your way of delivering delight to your customers has improved exponentially since you’ve been reading. I hope you read lots of smarter folks than I, and get tons of out their advice, too. I hope you’ll email me when you need to work on your Customer Experience in depth. I hope you’ll allow me to be one of your biggest cheerleaders.
But I owe you the truth. Luck—whimsical, dumb luck—is out there. Yeah. It plays a part in your success. Don’t let that slow you down.
Now, let’s rock your Vision out!
Grow and be well,
Kelly Erickson
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8 May 2009, 8:10 am
A bird popped on my car yesterday, which I’ve been told is a lucky sign. I hope so………………..:)
LisaNewton’s last blog post…Fight Women’s Cancer at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum Tomorrow
8 May 2009, 8:23 am
Lisa,
Hahaha, that is the funniest first comment anyone’s ever left here. May it bring you much success in your business. Welcome to Maximum Customer Experience, I hope you enjoy the blog!
Regards,
Kelly
8 May 2009, 8:26 am
I agree. Hard work, and the ‘right’ work is a big part of it – and then it’s out of your hands. Very hard to explain that to someone.
Melinda’s last blog post…Marketing Funnel – Two Case Studies
8 May 2009, 8:43 am
If you’re not around, working on your stuff, when the luck arrives, then you’ll miss it, I guess.
I used to think I was unlucky because the school where I grew up was very small, and had no budget for computers during that critical time in my life when it might have put me on a different path.
Then again, these days I like to think I’m lucky because I’m a self-taught computer geek who also has a degree in chemical engineering & business. So in spite of luck or not, I found my passion on my own and made it my own.
Maybe the luck was good after all?
8 May 2009, 11:14 am
Brett
But then again, at age seven you had a dirt bike, a pellet gun and got to play in the bush. Something a lot of Big-City kids from the well-funded schools would envy.
Bet you THEY never ate squirrel before!
8 May 2009, 1:28 pm
Melinda,
And very hard for anyone to enjoy hearing. Myself included!
Brett,
Being the same age as you… I can tell you that early ‘puter education wasn’t worth it. So I can do Basic and Cobol and Fortran. Did it teach me to be an entrepreneur? To think beyond zeros and ones? To make my own luck, to the extent that I can? Nope.
(That, and I barely remember any of it now. Sorta like Latin.)
(In some things) Self-taught rocks. Shows you’ve got the drive to find your own solutions, and stretches the brain, having to find your own path instead of being spoon fed. It’s good luck.
Friar,
I’m not originally from a big city, but I certainly never ate squirrel, LOL!
I agree, there is a lot to be said for life education in smaller towns. For folks as brainy as Brett, I think it provides extra incentive to go beyond expectations, and the work ethic to do just that!
Until later,
Kelly
8 May 2009, 2:34 pm
Oh, exactly! to both Friar and Kelly. My childhood was something to envy, I agree. My kids have the same right here now, and if we ever move elsewhere, it will be a place where that can continue.
8 May 2009, 3:16 pm
I ate squirrel before. Probably explains why I’ve been a vegetarian for decades now!
My dad was a big squirrel hunter.
As for luck, we’ve got control over action alone, never over the fruits of action. That’s where luck comes in. But it’s not that hard to set up conditions that favor good luck (or as Brett said, “If you’re not around, working on your stuff, when the luck arrives, then you’ll miss it.”
Have a great weekend, Kelly. I’ve always felt I was lucky to have found your blog.
Todd Smith’s last blog post…Preliminary image selection for next year’s calendar
8 May 2009, 4:43 pm
“We Parcells have eaten our share of rock soup and squirrel tail, but we’ve also known lean times. We’ll get by.” – Kenneth Parcells, 30 Rock
I don’t watch the show much, but what I sees, I likes. This quote reminds me of this post for some squirrelly reason.
(BTW, I heard that squirrel tastes like rat. Is that true?)
As for luck — yes, there is dumb luck and then there is making your own luck. For example: recently divorced guy (a) goes out and hits the single scene or (b) stays at home buying from the shopping channel.
In scenario (a), he gets himself out there, advertises in the right places, and gets to know his target market. Chances are, he’s going to find someone. When he meets the (next) woman of his dreams, it’s because he made his own luck.
In scenario (b), he falls in love with the mail carrier as she brings his Roncho All-in-One Potato Peeler. That’s dumb luck.
But it also works the other way. In scenario (a), guy keeps just missing until one night he is walking home from the bars and gets run over by a mail truck.
Either that’s bad dumb luck, or a bad dumb episode of The Family Guy.
~Graham
8 May 2009, 5:41 pm
Okay, I know it’s kinda far astray, but aren’t there a lot of lil bones in squirrel? Isn’t it too much of a pain, no matter how much it tastes like chicken?
Eew.
Back on topic:
Brett,
My kid would be very jealous of yours. But then, kids always want the awesome life someone else has, so… hm. She’s lucky in lots of ways.
Todd,
Set up the conditions… yes. Exactly. That, we do have control over.
And thanks!
Graham,
Oh my goodness that’s a great quote from 30 Rock. ROFL!
*pondering* I’m not sure if you just gave me a reason to hit the bars, or a reason to add the Home Shopping Network to my cable. Ha. I’m going to have to think my strategy over now!
Later,
Kelly
10 May 2009, 3:21 pm
I think there are a zillion things that make up success – and because thing has a whole bunch of variables, the final formula is next to impossible to duplicate – plus of course there are many formulas and what will work in one moment with one group may not in another moment or with another group.
So, we call it luck hope we’ve hit the right combination.
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