Why Safe Isn't Really Safe at All
Why safe isn't safe at all.
Safe is my least favorite word these days. Consider the following:
- It's safe for major publishers to approach social media rock stars and with book deals, even if those books turn out to be largely anodyne.
- It's safe for movie studios to remake The Green Hornet, Get Smart, and films from other moribund franchises.
- It's safe for the head of PR of a cash-laden Fortune 50 company to turn down new marketing ideas under the aegis of lack of funds.
- It's safe for large companies to hire McKinsey, Accenture, and other highly recognizable consulting firms to implement their systems.
- It's safe for companies to only hire candidates with previous experience.
- It's safe not to take risks.
But here are the problems with safe:
- Safe is boring.
- Safe is predictable.
- Safe is limiting.
- Safe can only offer marginal improvements.
- Safe isn't sustainable.
- Safe often isn't really safe.
Do you think that Mark Zuckerberg was worried about safety? Steve Jobs? Larry Paige and Sergey Brin? Think that Thomas Edison or Jackson Pollock wanted to keep it safe?
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