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- HELLO, 2050
HELLO, 2050
How far are you planning?
THINK LIKE A MERCHANT
January 07, 2025
As we start off 2025, it’s a good moment to ask, where are we going?
What does our company do? What does our brand do?
What’s our vision?
A truth is that brands that are a part of our daily lives began with an idea
Sometimes the idea is simple
Sometimes the idea is bold
This is about bold ideas
Ideas that were articulated by a farsighted founder early on in their journey
In most companies executives come and go, and the vision changes
Not in these places
In business, we’re taught to build a plan, take small iterative steps, see what sticks, recalibrate, pivot if necessary
But that’s not the only option
Sometimes your idea is so big, so clear, and you are just the right kind of visionary to make it happen
Like these guys:
THE MAGIC OF DISNEY
WALT DISNEY’S VISION, 1957
An American visionary who was as creative as he was results-driven, Walt Disney’s company was built around a far-reaching vision that looks as modern today as it did back in 1957
It’s hard to fathom, but true, that by the 1950s, Disney had successfully pioneered live-action film, animation, themed experiences, merchandising, licensing, and music links, all while building a global community of loyal fans
This is a modern playbook!
And while the mediums have changed and the marketing channels have changed, the vision is as intact today as it was then, just amplified
DAY ONE
ON THE WAY TO MY DOOR
If there’s another company that is more omnipresent in our daily lives, I can’t think of one. Amazon delivers 192 packages to American doorsteps, every second.
What’s incredible, is that founder Jeff Bezos saw this happening a long, long time ago. What started in a dimly-lit office, with door-desks, and a tiny warehouse for shipping out packages, has mushroomed into the global behemoth that we know today
While he started with books, Bezos’ ambitions were big from the start. In his first ever Amazon annual shareholder letter, he shared this insight
This is Day 1 for the Internet and, if we execute well, for Amazon. Today, online commerce saves customers money and precious time. Tomorrow, through personalization, online commerce will accelerate the very process of discovery.
Amazon uses the Internet to create real value for its customers and, by doing so, hopes to create an enduring franchise, even in established and large markets.
I would say that Amazon has, ahem, delivered.
THE MASTER PLAN
HOW IT STARTED
Long before rockets, DOGE, takeover of America’s sixth largest social platform, and implanting chips into humans, there was a master plan to save the world, one car at a time
It seemed like a terrible idea
Take on the world’s largest car companies while moving away from internal combustion, a century-old technology
And there was already the Prius, a proven hybrid low emission car. Larry David drove one. So did Leo. But the thing is, the Prius isn’t cool
You know what’s cool? A sports car. And that’s how it started
But how it’s going is this- Tesla became the largest Electric car maker in the world
Which was the vision. Elon Musk was transparent from the very start, with his Master Plan of Tesla, Part 1 written nearly two decades ago
The overarching purpose of Tesla Motors (and the reason I am funding the company) is to help expedite the move from a mine-and-burn hydrocarbon economy towards a solar electric economy, which I believe to be the primary, but not exclusive, sustainable solution.
So, in short, the master plan is:
1- Build sports car
2- Use that money to build an affordable car
3- Use that money to build an even more affordable car
4- While doing above, also provide zero emission electric power generation options
Don't tell anyone.
While we don’t have to thing as big and bold as Elon, Jeff, and Walt, it helps to think in very long time horizons- 5, 10, 20 years.
As they say, it’s hard to use a map if you don’t know where you are going
CHAD’S ROUND-UP
📚 What I read: The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck- I only now got around to reading this famous book by Mark Manson. A fascinating perspective on how to get further by caring less. In Mark’s worldview, if we have an open mind, try new things, and resist judgement and comparison to others, we have a much better chance of living a richer life. Loved it
🎧 What I heard: Savage Leader Podcast- Using Scarcity to Drive Creativity- Host Darren Reinke talks with retail veteran Ramon Marquez about his work to reinvent Sears/Kmart, how to stay on top of trends, and all things retail
🕵🏻♂️ An interesting discovery: GROK AI If you’re like me, wading through the overwhelming amount of new AI tools and features is an endless loop of trial and error. This tool, GROK by X (yes that X) creates great images based on your text prompts, including the sketch portraits featured in this newsletter. I think it’s better than most other generative photo AI tools. Worth a try!
Get after it this week. I’m rooting for you!
Chad
Interested in leveling up this year? I do individual coaching on product strategy and merchandising leadership development, although I only have a few spaces left for new clients.
Learn more here about working with me:
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