In Life and Business,The First Guy Takes All The Risk

This article is part of our series on Lessons Learned at South by Southwest 2010, a popular technology conference.

The thing I loved about SXSW was that it was a conference of like minded people, not aligned to any particular vertical or industry, but just a group of people who liked new and exciting ideas.  So imagine my chagrin when I learned a powerful lesson for the world of tourism (or any business area that matter) during a conversation with Reese and Carl Nelson.

Carl is deep into the world of dance, and he was telling us about the power of dance – it was a great story and was one of those moments where you felt like jumping up and shaking out a little jive, just for fun.  But the point that really blew me away was when we were talking about getting people up onto the dance floor.

Everyone knows the story.  The DJ is cranking up the tunes and things are really getting into a groove, but the dance floor is empty.  It takes someone to start the momentum.  But the problem is, the first guy takes all the risk.

Here’s a great example.  Is this guy a total idiot, or is he where all of the action is?

The overview also mentions other people that take on some risk.

Your challenge is to go out and do great things.  Know what you are afraid of, then take the plunge and do it.  Be first. The first guy takes all the risk, but (s)he also gets the reward!

To Learn More

Want some help getting organised and focused so you can be first?  Then check out our TOP Travel Business Toolkit.  It’s the perfect tool to get your priorities in order and make sure you’re doing great things with the right amount of risk.

Photo by Parksy