Make Your Own Waves

The Surfer's Rules for Innovators and Entrepreneurs

The metaphors have always been there: Ebbs and flows. Riding high. The reward of the ocean crest. The risk of the eventual crash. Like the ocean, the marketplace is constantly changing, causing the buttoned-up businessperson to oftentimes feel like a sun-burned, sand-encrusted surfer trying desperately to ride his next barrel. So maybe before taking your next venture out into the cresting and crashing marketplace ocean, there are some lessons to learn from the experts: surfers!Like successful entrepreneurs, big-wave surfers rely on preparation, passion, and persistence--and they relish a challenge. So it’s no surprise that countless surfers have pioneered products and launched thriving businesses, including GoPro Cameras, O’Neill, Reef, and Quiksilver. Packed with stories of surf innovators, entrepreneurs, and legends, Make Your Own Waves reveals 10 rules of the water that the successful entrepreneur must adhere to as well, including:• Learn to swim--the basics set the stage for everything• Get wet--you can’t succeed if you stay on the beach• Always look “outside”--watch for what’s coming or you may miss a better opportunity• Commit, charge, shred--you have to go all out to be all in• Never turn your back on the ocean--always stay in touch with the marketplace and the customer• Stay stoked--desire drives success• And more!Even the best surfers fall, but they learn from their wipeouts and paddle back out to once again push the edge, knowing that with big waves come big opportunities. Don’t just sit on the beach. Grab your board and get in!