THE IMPOSSIBLE OF TODAY IS THE OBVIOUS OF TOMORROW
by dr. NIMROD
“This ‘telephone has too many shortcomings to be seriously considered as a means of communication. The device is inherently of no value to us.” – Western Union (a telegraph company) internal memo, 1876.
“The wireless music box has no imaginable commercial value. Who would pay for a message sent to no one in particular?” — Associates of David Sarnoff responding to the latter’s call for investment in the radio in 1921.
“There is no reason anyone would want a computer in their home.” — Ken Olson, president, chairman, and founder of Digital Equipment Corp.
These quotes are of people that didn’t see where the world was heading. They missed the future – some even brought their companies to collapse. They are now on the “being wrong” side of history.
You already know me; I’m always thinking of the future, looking at The Big Picture, with a vision, often decades ahead.
In 1994, after work time in my orchards, I began working on a technological solution that would enable growing produce free of pesticide sprays. Later, as complimentary, I invested 15 years in the academy to gain the theoretical aspects needed for CHANGING our approach to pest control.
Like the fine gentlemen quoted above, and many other experts and investors, you can confidently say, “Who would seriously consider agriculture without pesticide sprays?” or “Who would pay for it?” or “There is no reason anyone would want it,” or “This could be maybe good for some Organic farmers” or “What we use is working fine for us – who needs CHANGE?”
Trust me; I have heard this and other such comments many times!
Just as well, you could dismiss the entire concept of Zero-Sprays, and categorize it under the title of “The most stupid, ridiculous, frightening and impossible ideas I have heard.”
| Talking of impossible, Jeff Bezos once said, “If I had a nickel for every time a potential investor told me this wouldn’t work…“I am telling you that because I hope it would serve you in realizing that more often than not, when you try to be “responsible and down to earth,” you are doing the wrong things for yourself and your company.Think of those people; Edison – the Power Bulb, Think of Kennedy – Landing on the Moon, Mandala – Defeating Apartheid, Jobs – the iPhone, etc.Strangely, the symbols of our generation to the concept of “Success” are those whose actions are rooted in a vision that for years seemed “Impossible” or that we could not even imagine before they introduced it to the world.A couple of days ago, I had a business meeting. The guy I met said to me, “You are crazy. Only crazy people would do what you do!” I took it as a compliment, but unlike him, I also see the CHANGE and the business potential of my actions.“Here’s to the crazy ones…” (link)I hope this will guide you in being on the right side of history, even on a small and local scale of CHANGE.“The train of change” is not a slow one and never stops. If you don’t jump on it, you will miss it. Another train will come, but who knows when and if it will catch up with the train before it. |
IT’S GOOD TO BE DIFFERENT
I HATE DOING THINGS THE WAY EVERYBODY ELSE DOES.
Yes, it is easier to do things the way others do, but there is no excitement in doing it. It is boring and without a chance to create something uniquely yours, not to mention meaningful with a significant opportunity for CHANGE.
When I look around me, I know that everything I see, which is manmade, is the outcome of someone thinking/dreaming of it and then executing it. That includes the good and the bad things in our world.
This insight gave me the courage to aim for high goals and do things that many saw as “impossible” or non-realistic.
“IMPOSSIBLE” IS A STATE OF MIND
I try not to let people’s opinions influence my inspirations. It is not that I don’t listen to them and think about what they say; I do listen. However, I know that to achieve accomplishments and leave a legacy for the coming generations, a person needs to be FREE AND TRUE TO HIMSELF.
Hence, I made it a habit to ignore the question “What can I possibly do about (something)…?“, which implies that there are many things I can’t do.
Instead, I focus on the result I would like to see and then ask myself, “How do I get there? How do I bring that CHANGE?“
MY ROADMAP TO A BETTER WORLD
In the table below are the goals I set for myself years ago. Those are based on my dreams and inspirations for the legacy I aim to leave for the coming generations.
Some of those “impossible goals” have already been achieved, while some are in process. Many people still tag most, if not all, of the following goals as Impossible. There is not much I can do for such people.
Since you read this article, there is no reason you will be on the wrong side of history. Every day is a good day to change, be on the “right side of history” by taking advantage of what you read here.
Table: The “Impossible Goals.”
Along the way, many people said about each of my visions that “It is impossible,” or “It is not realistic,” or “You can’t do that.”
I see this differently. I think you should be crazy to think it is okay to spray your food with poisons, treat the environment with no respect, and let poverty prosper.
Such acts are now widely agreed as unacceptable, unsustainable, and against the public interest. But that is not all; people are ready to pay more to support something aligned with their values and will not pay a dime for something standing against their values.
The world is changing, and discussing; what is better Conventional or Organic agriculture, is no more relevant. Today, and more so in the future, people say that they want fresh, healthy produce that wasn’t sprayed in the first place.
Sprays, Organic or Conventional, are phasing out and will continue because this is what people want.
Tell me, if you have the alternatives of buying, for the same price, Conventional or Organic sprayed produce versus ZERO-SPRAY produce, what would you buy?
If you, like most people, prefer ZERO-SPRAYS, then you know the future of crop protection and marketing of fresh produce.
People care about their health, the environment, social issues and are more than happy to pay a premium for something aligned with their values.
And one more thing, do you think people would be ready to buy one brand over the other, and even pay more, if they knew that the produce of one brand is Zero Sprays, coming from African smallholders. How would their buying preferences be affected if they knew that by buying the produce of a particular brand, they help pull millions of farmers and their families out of poverty?
By now, I have a feeling you know the answer.
Today, like always, consumers are buying “stories. The 21st Century stories are not those of the 20th Century stories. With Social platforms, those “Stories” are spreading fast.
Today’s stories are no more about “we are using minimal sprays” or “our fruits have no chemical residues.”
Today’s stories are about – ZERO sprays, ZERO health hazards, ZERO bio-security threats, ZERO pollution, FULL transparency, COMPLETE social responsibility, ELIMINATING poverty and hunger, etc.
“The best way to predict the future is by creating it.” Be a dreamer, lead the inevitable CHANGE, and be on the right side of history.
BLUE OCEANS
“Blue ocean strategy is the simultaneous pursuit of differentiation and low cost to open up a new market space and create new demand. It is about creating and capturing uncontested market space, thereby making the competition irrelevant. It is based on the view that market boundaries and industry structure are not a given and can be reconstructed by the actions and beliefs of industry players.” (Source)
The Blue Ocean Strategy is perfect for those, like me, who love to CHANGE, see the business opportunity changing the world, and are looking for differentiation!
If you don’t like the way things are today, and you like to leave your children a better world, then the Blue Ocean Strategy is perfect for you too.
After all, you know that if you do what everybody does, i.e., the Red Ocean Strategy, nothing will change, things will continue as is, and the best you can expect is “more of the same,” but never “better.”
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Blue Ocean Strategy requires frog-leap innovation, preferably in more than one field.
Green Valley‘s innovation approach, developed by Biofeed, is creating abundance by locating and exploiting Blue Oceans for the benefit of all stakeholders.
| Do you feel that your business and life goals are aligned with Green Valley’s goals, vision, and mission, as expressed in the “Impossible Goals” table and the statement below?Then I invite you to be at the forefront of leading the socio-economy revolution of the agro-sector in Africa and other emerging markets.Send me an email if you like to join as an investor or a value chain partner of Green Valley to the 2022 campaign. |
| TAKEAWAYS» SOMEONE DID everything you see around you. Now it is your time to leave your mark.» LEAVE A LEGACY, BY: (a) Imagine how you would like to see the future. (b) Believe you can take part in bringing that future CHANGE. (c) Act to execute the plan.» THE GREEN VALLEY business model is based on implementing the Blue Ocean Strategy. It is powered by innovative technologies, protocols, know-how, experience, understanding farmers and consumers alike, and bonded by a novel business model; tailor-made for emerging markets specifically to Africa. |
