Creating markets... oh what a beautiful thing

So many people and business leaders are always talking about market share... and how to go about growing this figure. It can be a painstaking exercise, for sure.

But you gotta love the cowboy approach - CREATE MARKETS. That way, no competition, no price leaders, no rigid rules as to how to do business... you just do it.

One of the runaway winners in this category has to be Second Life who's founders took the challenge head on. It may have taken 6 years to actually realise and understand exactly what market they were creating, but they did it.


This article on Inc.com's "How I did it" archives delves a little into the story behind Second Life with CEO and founder, Philip Rosedale. Its absolutely fascinating, and much like the Google story, shows how the business was started with a [vague] idea and passion. The passion led them to build the "product" they believed in... and the rest, as they say, is history.

What I love about this business:
- built on passion
- created a new market where none existed before
- proved that a sound business model can be developed [even if it takes six odd years] to match an awesome product, if you look hard enough - ie, don't do something because it can make you rich, do it because you love it and you're driven... the rest will sort itself out.

Again, much to learn from this. Sounds much like the adage that most people decide what they want to have, let that determine what they must do, and that in turns drives what they will be...

[ HAVE - DO - BE ---> highly unsuccessful approach ]

... rather decide who you want to be, let that drive what you do, and in the end you will have what you should.

[ BE - DO - HAVE ]

Time to stop living back-to-front and start doing it the right way.

And oh yes, way to go Philip!