Build for Tomorrow - Book Summary

Dive into the dynamics of change for a successful transformation

Ever recall the time when the COVID-19 pandemic triggered a full-scale lockdown worldwide? That moment, that sea-change, was likely seared into your memory. Why shouldn't it be? It turned our lives upside down, triggering a universal longing for the good old days of normalcy.

Now, pause for a moment and let this thought sink in: Major changes, although not always at the scale of a global lockdown, are a constant in our lives. Picture a failed business venture or the need to uproot your life and relocate — these changes, while personal, are equally as momentous and daunting.

Yet, confronting change doesn't have to translate into distress or panic. Instead, it could serve as an opportunity, an invitation to engage differently. What we need are the right strategies that can equip us to embrace the changes that shape our future. And this is where our journey with Jason Feifer's insightful book, 'Build for Tomorrow,' commences.

In this immersive narrative, we delve into the four stages that characterize any change: Panic, Adaptation, New Normal, and Wouldn't Go Back. Along this journey, we unlock critical techniques to maneuver through the complex labyrinth of change, arming ourselves with the tools to architect the future we envision.

When the fear of loss engulfs you, change becomes terrifying

Rewind to an era when music was synonymous with live performances. In such times, the illustrious composer, John Philip Sousa, left an indelible mark with masterpieces such as "The Stars and Stripes Forever" and "Semper Fidelis," the official march of the US Marine Corps. His compositions earned him a spotlight in the music industry.

However, the advent of two disruptive technologies — the phonograph, capable of recording and replaying music, and the radio, carrying the rhythm of music to people's homes — marked a sudden, disconcerting turn in his career. These novel contraptions, viewed by many as a boon, were perceived as threats by Sousa.

He perceived the dawn of phonographs and radio broadcasts as heralding a gloomy era where concerts would lose their charm, music sheets would lose their value, and live musical performances on radio would become extinct.

Sousa's reaction was akin to panic. He was consumed by the fear of losing everything he held dear — his wealth, his professional stature, his adulation. Terrified by the impending doom of relinquishing his familiar world, he vehemently resisted this change. He vehemently decried these machines, penning articles on their destructive impact on society.

In essence, we mirror Sousa’s sentiments when encountering change. The prospect of a new city incites fears of losing friends, switching careers seems to threaten our sense of self, and the ongoing pandemic brings on worries of losing personal interactions.

These looming changes, and the threat of loss they entail, often tend to make us lose sight of the potential gains, causing us to panic. What worsens this panic is our tendency to overextend our fears — a sense that one loss might trigger a cascade of others, even when there's no concrete evidence to support this assumption. This state of hysteria can often lead to resisting change, which, in turn, can result in costly mistakes.

How then, can you allay this panic, and approach change differently? Let's discover in the next section.

Quelling panic requires shifting your focus to potential gains

To escape the clutches of panic, a change of perspective is critical. Instead of obsessing over potential losses, the key is to pivot your attention to the potential gains and the opportunities that the new scenario might present.

Let's revisit Sousa’s narrative. His fear of phonographs and radios signaled an imminent end to his music career, obscuring his vision to the plethora of opportunities they held. Indeed, recorded music did rob many musicians of their livelihoods. However, it also created a unique platform for many others to reach new heights of popularity.

The introduction of the phonograph and radio shattered the barriers of time and space that were previously impeding musicians. Without these devices, their music was bounded by the limits of expensive travel and the constraints of time. But, with their advent, their melodies could serenade audiences globally around the clock. This meant a broader audience, an extended reach, and profits even while sleeping!

Moreover, the rise of these devices fostered a fertile ground for job creation across the music industry, giving birth to roles such as audio engineers, studio managers, DJs, and recording equipment manufacturers. Hence, while these technological transformations did trigger some losses, the gains they ushered in greatly outnumbered them.

Eventually, Sousa too unraveled the potential of these devices. He let go of his panic when he acknowledged that the sales from his recordings were providing him with a steady income. He realized that, far from losing anything, he had gained a formidable means of distribution!

So, the secret to keeping your panic at bay lies in the way you perceive change. It is about seeing the opportunities and gains, rather than fixating on losses. Yes, it may not always be straightforward to identify the possible benefits a change brings. Nonetheless, the simple belief that you stand to gain from the new circumstances can help mitigate the panic, propelling you to the next stage of the journey — Adaptation.

Unearth your true purpose to ease adaptation to change

It's a common pattern: panic is often birthed from the dread of losing what we're accustomed to, sparking an existential crisis. Imagine working as a newspaper reporter, witnessing the imminent downfall of the industry, and being compelled to pivot to a different occupation. Amid such a career transition, you might grapple with a crisis of identity. If you're no longer a newspaper reporter, then who are you?

In such moments, take a pause and delve into defining your true purpose — your 'why'. Once you've maneuvered past the initial panic and nurtured the belief that brighter opportunities await, the next step is to adapt to this change. Adapting means discerning which aspects of your identity remain intact and which transform.

Let's draw inspiration from the story of Foodstirs. In 2019, the trio of co-founders running this dessert business decided to diversify their product line by adding packaged goods like mini-doughnuts and brownie bites. This move was poised to elevate Foodstirs from merely a baking mix producer to a comprehensive dessert supplier. They were eagerly gearing up for the 2020 launch, but the eruption of the COVID-19 pandemic had different plans. As the world turned to home baking for solace during lockdown, the demand for baked goods plummeted while the desire for baking mixes soared.

Faced with these changing dynamics, the founders shelved their launch plans. But what did this mean for their rebranding initiative? That's when they revisited the core mission of their company. Their true calling wasn't to sell packaged goods — it was to sprinkle joy in people's lives. Be it baking mixes or packaged goods, their offerings still aligned with their mission, and they were still living out their plan.

This is the essence of your 'why' — your raison d'etre. It serves as the foundation of your actions, the immutable purpose that stays steady despite life’s constant changes. It's distinct from your 'what', which represents the activities you engage in. Your 'what' is susceptible to change, influenced by the opportunities and resources at your disposal. To adapt to these changes, it is crucial to keep your 'why' in sharp focus. By doing so, you prevent the resurfacing of panic, enabling a smoother transition.

Proactively adapt to change, don't wait for it

The journey of adaptation to change doesn't conclude once your core 'why' is crystal clear. To truly embrace change, you must take the reins and steer it, not sit back and become its victim. Yes, change is daunting and often painful, and it's human nature to shy away from it. But what if you could conquer your fears and ignite the flame of change instead of passively waiting for it to engulf you? That’s exactly what Sam Calagione, founder of Dogfish Head Craft Brewery, did, securing a triumphant future for his brand.

Rewind to 2003. Calagione crafted a delectable India Pale Ale (IPA), packing a 6 percent alcohol content. He christened it the '60 Minute IPA'. It was an instant sensation, attracting nationwide orders from numerous bars, restaurants, and liquor stores. Three years later, the demand for the 60 Minute IPA was still surging, contributing to a whopping 70 to 80 percent of Dogfish's sales.

While any entrepreneur might have exploited this success and ramped up production, Calagione held a different view. The soaring popularity of the 60 Minute IPA wasn't music to his ears but a cause for concern. He fretted that the ubiquity of his IPA might brand Dogfish as an IPA-exclusive brewery, eclipsing the wide array of other tantalizing drinks he crafted.

Calagione's foresight nudged him to take action. He was wary that the public's infatuation with his IPA would eventually taper off, replaced by the next beer sensation. That scenario could corner his brewery as an 'outdated' IPA brand. Determined to dodge this fate, Calagione decided to navigate this impending change himself.

He imposed a cap on the sales of 60 Minute IPA, limiting it to 50 percent of Dogfish's total sales. This decision faced a backlash of criticism and resistance, but Calagione held firm. Rather than bowing to the demand for his star beverage, he showcased his other beers to his customers, confident of their equally alluring taste.

Calagione's gambit to influence customer preferences worked. Today, although IPAs no longer command the pinnacle of the beer landscape, Dogfish Head remains a cherished brand. It's celebrated not as an IPA-only brand, but as a brewery that consistently crafts new, delightful beers. Calagione's proactive approach to change led to this favorable outcome.

Take a leaf out of Calagione's book: muster up the courage to be the change architect. When you pioneer the change, you have the upper hand to tailor it according to your preferences and ample time to adjust to the emerging landscape. Remember, you wield far more control over your destiny than you believe.

Smoothly transition into the New Normal by incorporating familiar elements from the past

Now that you've conquered your fears and successfully adapted to the winds of change, you're ready to step into the third phase: embracing the New Normal. But as simple as it might sound, it isn't a cakewalk. Despite finding comfort and potentially enticing opportunities in this new landscape, your brain instinctively clings to the familiarities of the past, leaving you torn between nostalgia and novelty.

How do you overcome this conundrum? By constructing a Bridge of Familiarity. Blend elements of your past experiences into the fresh opportunities unfolding before you.

The power of the Bridge of Familiarity is best exemplified through a story from the early 1950s, when fully automatic elevators made their debut. Before their arrival, elevators required manual operators, leading to some inconveniences. If you missed the 5 p.m. closing time of the operators, you were left with no choice but to trudge up the stairs. Spontaneous strikes by operator unions could disrupt the flow of people within the building without prior notice.

In light of these issues, elevator manufacturers anticipated that their fully automatic elevators, requiring no operator and providing round-the-clock service, would be met with widespread acclaim. However, the reality was starkly different. The general public viewed these operator-less boxes with suspicion and fear, doubting their safety in the absence of a human operator.

Taking this feedback to heart, the elevator manufacturers made some strategic additions. They introduced a soothing female voiceover to announce phrases like "Going up" and "Going down". Contrary to expectations, this simple tweak, paired with some marketing strategies, had a profound effect. It helped people feel reassured that a 'human presence' was overseeing the operations, paving the way for the acceptance of automatic elevators. The voiceover served as the Bridge of Familiarity these elevators needed to win over the public.

Your journey towards embracing the New Normal is likewise about identifying your own bridge. Find that comforting familiarity from the past that can ease your transition into the present.

Discovering the missing piece in your New Normal to reach the sweet spot of Wouldn't Go Back

Bravo! You've successfully navigated the tempestuous seas of change and arrived at the tranquil shores of the New Normal. You're nearly at the point where the mere thought of reverting to the old ways seems absurd, even if it were possible. You are teetering on the precipice of the "Wouldn't Go Back" moment.

But something still feels amiss. There's a restless unease that niggles at you. So, what's the hitch?

It's most likely the '99-percent-there' conundrum. You've covered a good 99 percent of the journey, but there remains a tiny 1 percent to be traversed. Though minuscule, this elusive 1 percent can often make a world of difference. It holds the potential to catapult you from the stage of New Normal to the euphoria of Wouldn't Go Back.

To uncover this final 1 percent, we can take a leaf out of Jim McKelvey's book. McKelvey, the co-founder of the tech giant Square, possesses the key to unlocking this conundrum.

A decade ago, McKelvey and his pal Jack Dorsey unveiled the Square Reader, a compact credit card reader for mobile gadgets like iPads and iPhones. This groundbreaking innovation empowered small businesses, previously lacking costly credit card machines, to finally accept card payments. Square Reader shook up the business world and spurred competitors to scramble to emulate its success.

Yet, most competitors stumbled, failing to realize that Square's triumph wasn't merely a byproduct of their tiny device. The true success of Square stemmed from their comprehensive solution to the challenges plaguing small businesses. The competitors had indeed managed to create a duplicate of the Square Reader, but they overlooked building alliances with credit card companies and slashing processing fees. They had ticked off 99 percent of the checklist but had overlooked the crucial 1 percent.

As you navigate your New Normal, don't just focus on the advantages your new circumstance presents. Scrutinize what might be absent. Square's rivals misjudged the source of its triumph. They saw the device as the game-changer, overlooking the 'but really' — it was Square's comprehensive approach that set them apart.

Say you've been promoted to a daunting new role. It seems intimidating, 'but really', it's an opportunity to broaden your skillset that will stand you in good stead in the future. Identifying your own 'but really' is the key to working towards your Wouldn't Go Back moment. This unearths the missing piece of the puzzle and propels you into that coveted state of Wouldn't Go Back.

A quick recap

Congratulations on completing the journey with us through the book "Build for Tomorrow" by Jason Feifer. The core takeaway from this book is that our lives are in a state of constant flux, teeming with changes. But the silver lining to this is that having navigated through the four phases of change, you're now better equipped to handle and welcome future transformations. No more futile panic or stubborn resistance to change. Rather, your focus would be on swiftly reaching your Wouldn't Go Back moment, and capitalizing on the boundless opportunities that lay ahead. Once you've mastered this art, sculpting your future becomes a piece of cake.