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[ THE CLICK MOMENT SEIZING OPPORTUNITY IN AN UNPREDICTABLE WORLD BY JOHANSSON, FRANZ](AUTHOR)PAPERBACK
On the one hand we aren’t surprised by the uncertainty of everyday life, but on the other we believe that success can be analyzed and planned for. It is a revealing paradox. The implications are explosive and they obliterate every common-sense notion we have about strategy and planning. The Click Moment is about two very simple but highly provocative ideas. The first is that success is random—far more random than we would like to believe. The second is that there are a number of specific actions that we, as individuals and organizations, can take to capture this randomness and focus it in our favor. According to Johansson, strategy, planning, and careful analysis can no longer guarantee strong performance; today’s business environments are far too random and complicated. But when you dig deep into the actions of successful people and organizations, you’ll find one common theme. A turning point occurs—a major client signs on, a new competitor redefines the market, an unlikely idea surfaces—and they take advantage of that serendipity to change their fate. Consider how . . .Diane von Furstenberg saw Julie Nixon Eisenhower on TV wearing a matching skirt and top, and the timeless, elegant wrap-dress was born. Microsoft Windows was on the brink of being shut down until two individuals met unexpectedly at a party and altered the fate of the world’s dominant computer operating system. Starbucks sold high-end brewing equipment and coffee by the pound until Howard Schultz experienced his first latte in a café in Milan. Nike was stumped on how to invent a spikeless trainer when a legendary running coach poured latex on a waffle iron. Each of these individuals experienced a “click moment”—a rare point of opportunity that was completely unexpected. But they capitalized on their luck in ways that paid off significantly and altered their organizations’ strategies and the course of their lives. Johansson uses stories of successful people and companies throughout history to illustrate the specific actions we can take to create more click moments, place lots of high-potential bets, open ourselves up to chance encounters, and harness the complex forces of success that follow.
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First published August 1, 2012
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May 16, 2013
This is a great book where Frans Johannson has taken on the challenge of explaining why we can’t get what we want out of life JUST by working harder than everyone else. It’s almost a contrast to the idea that 10,000 hours of practice will make you successful in any field. Johannson explains that this 10,000 hour rule works out remarkably well in paths where the rules never change, ie. instrument performance, tennis, chess, etc., but then contrasts that with the modern business world, and popular literature and music. Examples of success with out 10,000 hours include: Virgin’s Richard Branson starting an airline with no experience, Stephanie Meyer’s Twilight, and EL Jame’s 50 Shades.
In the business world, as in most other career paths in our modern age, the rules change too rapidly and the opportunity for chance and serendipity play an increasingly larger role than ever before. There are too many “complex forces” as he describes it that create unintended and illogical outcomes. To support this, examples are used of companies such as Apple, Microsoft, and Sony which are shown to have incidents where a serendipitous moment played a huge factor in their success, “click moments.”
This is by no means a depressing book just because he makes the point that to be successful in life we need to get lucky. It’s a thorough analysis of how successful people and companies have used luck and randomness time and again and it’s an application of how we can do the same. We need to embrace the random, make more bets, and create more click moments!
Four ways to embrace the random:
1.) Take your eyes off the ball occasionally -Get moving in life by plotting a logical course, setting goals, and working hard, but then allow yourself time be aware of the world around you, (ie. the gorilla experiment.) http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=...#! There are “Ah Ha” moments happening all the time that we miss because we are too focused too much of the time. Take time to drop your focus and be humble enough to recognize a “click moment,” that might take you in a different direction, not if it comes but WHEN it comes. (As a side note, I wonder if ADD is all that bad if directed! :-)
2.) Use inter-sectional thinking -A case for spurring innovation by bringing people together across cultures, disciplines, personalities and for continually learning about ideas and areas of knowledge not necessarily related to your field or business. Read lots of books! :-)
3.) Follow your curiosity -This is one of the things that makes you unique, and has often lead successful leaders towards serendipitous realizations.
4.) Reject the predictable path -Remember, the rules are always changing and the predictable path tends to encourage us that the rules never change.
The next section about placing more bets encourages us to increase our chances of experiencing luck or serendipity:
1.) Place many bets -The more times you roll the dice the greater your chances. Picasso has more master pieces than most other successful artists, but because he never knew what would be a masterpiece, he also had created more duds because of the shear volume he produced!
2.) Minimize bet size -Rolling the dice more often than not is hugely important, but the only way to do that is to make sure you don’t expend too much time and energy on one thing until you’ve discovered if it’s a hit!
3.) Take the smallest executable step -Once you think you’ve had a click moment expend the smallest amount of time, money to test the waters and actually get moving on it.
4.) Calculate affordable loss rather than return on investment -You're trying to increase opportunities, and since randomness has such a huge factor in success, who are you to think that you can predict the future using logic!? Your chances of success drop dramatically when you try to analyze the market and predict what you need to do to succeed!
5.) Use passion as fuel -Once you’ve discovered an “ah ha” moment this is where every other motivational advice comes into play and it’s those with passion that grasp on firmly to their initial investment and see it through.
The last part of the book has five strategies for individuals thinking about their next step in life, as well as to business start-ups and recent college grads.
1.) Create large hooks -Do what you can to accept randomness into your life.
2.) Examine surprises carefully -If something surprises you, don’t let that thought go until you’ve had a chance to determine if it was a “click moment” for you.
3.) Look for an opening everywhere -When we are too fixed on our course we might not see all the opportunities that exist for us, (ie. “lucky” people have been found to be more observant than those who consider themselves “unlucky!”)
4.) Spot momentum and ride it -Don’t jump off your great idea too early, let it ride.
5.) Double down when you find any opening -opportunities are fleeting, don’t ignore any.
Also for me and my christian-faith-perspective, I find the information in this book supportive of the spiritual reasonings I have come to in my own life. I think our Heavenly Father wants us to do our homework, plot a course, and work hard towards our goal, but to really be successful in life we also must be humble enough to recognize when he’s trying to lend us His hand and help guide us towards something even grander, even though it’s not the path we set forth for ourselves!
In the business world, as in most other career paths in our modern age, the rules change too rapidly and the opportunity for chance and serendipity play an increasingly larger role than ever before. There are too many “complex forces” as he describes it that create unintended and illogical outcomes. To support this, examples are used of companies such as Apple, Microsoft, and Sony which are shown to have incidents where a serendipitous moment played a huge factor in their success, “click moments.”
This is by no means a depressing book just because he makes the point that to be successful in life we need to get lucky. It’s a thorough analysis of how successful people and companies have used luck and randomness time and again and it’s an application of how we can do the same. We need to embrace the random, make more bets, and create more click moments!
Four ways to embrace the random:
1.) Take your eyes off the ball occasionally -Get moving in life by plotting a logical course, setting goals, and working hard, but then allow yourself time be aware of the world around you, (ie. the gorilla experiment.) http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=...#! There are “Ah Ha” moments happening all the time that we miss because we are too focused too much of the time. Take time to drop your focus and be humble enough to recognize a “click moment,” that might take you in a different direction, not if it comes but WHEN it comes. (As a side note, I wonder if ADD is all that bad if directed! :-)
2.) Use inter-sectional thinking -A case for spurring innovation by bringing people together across cultures, disciplines, personalities and for continually learning about ideas and areas of knowledge not necessarily related to your field or business. Read lots of books! :-)
3.) Follow your curiosity -This is one of the things that makes you unique, and has often lead successful leaders towards serendipitous realizations.
4.) Reject the predictable path -Remember, the rules are always changing and the predictable path tends to encourage us that the rules never change.
The next section about placing more bets encourages us to increase our chances of experiencing luck or serendipity:
1.) Place many bets -The more times you roll the dice the greater your chances. Picasso has more master pieces than most other successful artists, but because he never knew what would be a masterpiece, he also had created more duds because of the shear volume he produced!
2.) Minimize bet size -Rolling the dice more often than not is hugely important, but the only way to do that is to make sure you don’t expend too much time and energy on one thing until you’ve discovered if it’s a hit!
3.) Take the smallest executable step -Once you think you’ve had a click moment expend the smallest amount of time, money to test the waters and actually get moving on it.
4.) Calculate affordable loss rather than return on investment -You're trying to increase opportunities, and since randomness has such a huge factor in success, who are you to think that you can predict the future using logic!? Your chances of success drop dramatically when you try to analyze the market and predict what you need to do to succeed!
5.) Use passion as fuel -Once you’ve discovered an “ah ha” moment this is where every other motivational advice comes into play and it’s those with passion that grasp on firmly to their initial investment and see it through.
The last part of the book has five strategies for individuals thinking about their next step in life, as well as to business start-ups and recent college grads.
1.) Create large hooks -Do what you can to accept randomness into your life.
2.) Examine surprises carefully -If something surprises you, don’t let that thought go until you’ve had a chance to determine if it was a “click moment” for you.
3.) Look for an opening everywhere -When we are too fixed on our course we might not see all the opportunities that exist for us, (ie. “lucky” people have been found to be more observant than those who consider themselves “unlucky!”)
4.) Spot momentum and ride it -Don’t jump off your great idea too early, let it ride.
5.) Double down when you find any opening -opportunities are fleeting, don’t ignore any.
Also for me and my christian-faith-perspective, I find the information in this book supportive of the spiritual reasonings I have come to in my own life. I think our Heavenly Father wants us to do our homework, plot a course, and work hard towards our goal, but to really be successful in life we also must be humble enough to recognize when he’s trying to lend us His hand and help guide us towards something even grander, even though it’s not the path we set forth for ourselves!
May 8, 2015
This was on my reading list because of the author's take on the 'mastery in 10,000 hours' meme. This itch was satisfyingly scratched, and the rest of the book was just so-so.
Several examples and anecdotes show that 10,000 hours of practice is most effective in situations where the rules are mostly fixed or the outcome predictable. Chance situations usually foil this.
The rest of the book focuses on these chance situations and suggestions for making yourself (or your business) available for them. This section is filled with anecdotes and stories, which confuse the issue somewhat. A leaner book would be the more accessible result.
While it wasn't my reason for seeking this out, this book is more of a business strategy book than anything with hard science. The author's writing, when not drawn down by anecdotes, is decent enough. I may track down his other book (The Medici Effect: What Elephants and Epidemics Can Teach Us About Innovation) for future reading.
Several examples and anecdotes show that 10,000 hours of practice is most effective in situations where the rules are mostly fixed or the outcome predictable. Chance situations usually foil this.
The rest of the book focuses on these chance situations and suggestions for making yourself (or your business) available for them. This section is filled with anecdotes and stories, which confuse the issue somewhat. A leaner book would be the more accessible result.
While it wasn't my reason for seeking this out, this book is more of a business strategy book than anything with hard science. The author's writing, when not drawn down by anecdotes, is decent enough. I may track down his other book (The Medici Effect: What Elephants and Epidemics Can Teach Us About Innovation) for future reading.
June 8, 2013
I enjoyed The Medici Effect: What Elephants and Epidemics Can Teach Us About Innovation enough to buy this one, and it's nothing short of amazing. Yes, I've read a few of the stories before like those in Little Bets: How Breakthrough Ideas Emerge from Small Discoveries. Still, the fundamental message of this book is right on: You have to get out of your comfort zone to innovate. As I've said for a few years now, we have to be embrace randomness and uncertainty; we have get comfortable with being uncomfortable.
Every business leader ought to read this book. Period. An excellent text.
Every business leader ought to read this book. Period. An excellent text.
June 21, 2013
I have always believed that inspiration from a good book can create a click moment..... Found myself clicking right through this one more than once. Powerful use of relevant stories reinforce the message. Loved Johannson's closing remark which sums up the text perfectly " The world never behaved in a predictable fashion, and that has never been truer than it is today. But this means that any one of us has the opportunity to change the world in the most unexpected of ways. An opportunity can present itself in the blink of an eye. It can happen when you least expect it. It can happen in an instant, when the various pathways of our lives come together in surprising ways and connect." Another prescribed leadership text.
October 9, 2012
fantastic book - especially for authors :) we think we know how the world works, but so much of it is chance, but there are ways we can maximize our chances of being around when the click happens ... I'll be blogging about this book - excellent.
April 8, 2013
This is another Wow! book. I recommend it to anyone who believes in the suite of books by VitalSmarts.
"The Click Moment" describes how unpredictable success in our world is. He contrasts this with fields in which the rules change very little over time. These are competitions in such things as tennis or chess. The author claims that if a person invests in 10,000 hours of practice in such a discipline that that person will become one of the best.
But, most endeavors such as business, art...you name the area... does not have limited rules and factors effecting who will succeed and who will fail. The author says that when the right combination of factors come together it may be a novice who benefits with phenomenal success, not necessarily the person who has dedicated themselves to thousands of hours of practice of the discipline.
The author encourages the reader to put themselves in the intersection of new experiences in order to be in a position to notice what he calls a "click" moment.
The author admits that no one knows how to generate a perfect storm of success. If people did know how to do this then the ones who had done it once would repeat and repeat and repeat. Usually they can't.
Yet, the author does provide 5 things a person can do in order to be more likely to succeed with "click moments" when they do occur.
"The Click Moment" describes how unpredictable success in our world is. He contrasts this with fields in which the rules change very little over time. These are competitions in such things as tennis or chess. The author claims that if a person invests in 10,000 hours of practice in such a discipline that that person will become one of the best.
But, most endeavors such as business, art...you name the area... does not have limited rules and factors effecting who will succeed and who will fail. The author says that when the right combination of factors come together it may be a novice who benefits with phenomenal success, not necessarily the person who has dedicated themselves to thousands of hours of practice of the discipline.
The author encourages the reader to put themselves in the intersection of new experiences in order to be in a position to notice what he calls a "click" moment.
The author admits that no one knows how to generate a perfect storm of success. If people did know how to do this then the ones who had done it once would repeat and repeat and repeat. Usually they can't.
Yet, the author does provide 5 things a person can do in order to be more likely to succeed with "click moments" when they do occur.
August 21, 2019
Review in one sentence: Do something, anything. Get started.
This book is about finding the defining moments where luck and skill collide. Success is random, yet we can take specific actions to capture this in our favor and find these “click moments.”
How to get more of these moments? Get out in the world and do stuff, meet people, and work hard. This will create more chances for random success to happen. But, click moments are not enough. In order to reach the top we must execute our ideas with purposeful bets.
One of my favorite tips: Leave some flexibility in your schedule to follow up on a curious idea.
Lessons:
1. The world is unpredictable and changing at a record pace: harness that force.
2. We are truly reluctant to actively court randomness in our lives: create a focused plan with your passion as your guide.
3. We cannot control all of the complex events, but we can recognize when something is moving and events are unfolding: double down on these moments.
Hat tip: Akshay Kapur.
This book is about finding the defining moments where luck and skill collide. Success is random, yet we can take specific actions to capture this in our favor and find these “click moments.”
How to get more of these moments? Get out in the world and do stuff, meet people, and work hard. This will create more chances for random success to happen. But, click moments are not enough. In order to reach the top we must execute our ideas with purposeful bets.
If we wish to increase our chances of reaching greatness we must increase the number of click moments in our life.
One of my favorite tips: Leave some flexibility in your schedule to follow up on a curious idea.
Lessons:
1. The world is unpredictable and changing at a record pace: harness that force.
2. We are truly reluctant to actively court randomness in our lives: create a focused plan with your passion as your guide.
3. We cannot control all of the complex events, but we can recognize when something is moving and events are unfolding: double down on these moments.
Hat tip: Akshay Kapur.
February 23, 2017
This book has one earth shaking conclusion: success is random. Knowing this is invaluable.
That being said, this book doesn't conclude much beyond that. I wish this book was a pamphlet, but even with it as it is I would suggest people pick up and skim this book.
That being said, this book doesn't conclude much beyond that. I wish this book was a pamphlet, but even with it as it is I would suggest people pick up and skim this book.
May 18, 2013
Fantastic and insightful
November 3, 2017
-Extremely interesting idea of how to take advantage, and increase the number of those rare moments in people's lives in which fortuitous events occur that lead to success.
-The author brings out the facts related in a book by Malcolm Gladwell, where he said that by putting in 10,000 hours in an endeavor, you put yourself in a position to achieve success. That, this author explains, isn't a hard and fast rule, and if you examine the times that it is a rule, you realize that the success is on something that has a limited number of possible facets to perfect. Examples are Venus and Sarina Williams, who practiced tennis, with it's limited number of possible moves, repeatedly from childhood; YoYo Ma, the violinist; boxers, who have to master a limited number of moves. This is in opposition to a successful businessman like Richard Bramson who had no experience in the businesses that he became successful in; a mixed martial art contestant, who comes in from left field, because there are so many different fighting styles, so that possibilities are huge; etc. Once complexity is introduced, the 10,000 hour rule no longer applies. What is it that allows those people who are faced with a large number of possible actions to take, to be successful?
-There are lucky moments in a person's life, which the author calls Click Moments, where there is an intersection of two people, or one or more persons and an idea. These moments have a way of changing the trajectory of peoples' lives, if they act on them. He uses examples like the designer for Nike, who was having breakfast and was looking at his waffles. He then realized that the waffle pattern was what was needed for the soles of the sneakers to properly grip the floor. / You Tube started as a dating service, but when two of the founders realized they couldn't find any videos on the internet of popular events, they used their software to create a way to do that./ Even MicroSoft had its success on a number of lucky events. They had given up on Windows and were putting their full force into O/S 2, but someone had come from the outside and was ribbing a MS programmer by giving an easy solution to make Windows viable that turned out to be the trigger they needed to create a winning software platform. It was acted on and it turned the company around, by giving them the ability to modify Windows 3.0, which then surpassed O/S 2 in capabilities.
-These click moments are rare, but the key is to be open to them, and to increase the chances that more click moments will occur. There are certain basic things that can be done in order to put yourself outside of your comfort zone to do so. He likens these things to a person going to various singles venues, where you hope that by constantly exposing yourself to situations in which two people can meet, that you'll find someone. Click moments are similar.
-It's a fascinating idea and the suggestions make sense and could be applied easily into anyone's life. Well worth reading this book.
-The author brings out the facts related in a book by Malcolm Gladwell, where he said that by putting in 10,000 hours in an endeavor, you put yourself in a position to achieve success. That, this author explains, isn't a hard and fast rule, and if you examine the times that it is a rule, you realize that the success is on something that has a limited number of possible facets to perfect. Examples are Venus and Sarina Williams, who practiced tennis, with it's limited number of possible moves, repeatedly from childhood; YoYo Ma, the violinist; boxers, who have to master a limited number of moves. This is in opposition to a successful businessman like Richard Bramson who had no experience in the businesses that he became successful in; a mixed martial art contestant, who comes in from left field, because there are so many different fighting styles, so that possibilities are huge; etc. Once complexity is introduced, the 10,000 hour rule no longer applies. What is it that allows those people who are faced with a large number of possible actions to take, to be successful?
-There are lucky moments in a person's life, which the author calls Click Moments, where there is an intersection of two people, or one or more persons and an idea. These moments have a way of changing the trajectory of peoples' lives, if they act on them. He uses examples like the designer for Nike, who was having breakfast and was looking at his waffles. He then realized that the waffle pattern was what was needed for the soles of the sneakers to properly grip the floor. / You Tube started as a dating service, but when two of the founders realized they couldn't find any videos on the internet of popular events, they used their software to create a way to do that./ Even MicroSoft had its success on a number of lucky events. They had given up on Windows and were putting their full force into O/S 2, but someone had come from the outside and was ribbing a MS programmer by giving an easy solution to make Windows viable that turned out to be the trigger they needed to create a winning software platform. It was acted on and it turned the company around, by giving them the ability to modify Windows 3.0, which then surpassed O/S 2 in capabilities.
-These click moments are rare, but the key is to be open to them, and to increase the chances that more click moments will occur. There are certain basic things that can be done in order to put yourself outside of your comfort zone to do so. He likens these things to a person going to various singles venues, where you hope that by constantly exposing yourself to situations in which two people can meet, that you'll find someone. Click moments are similar.
-It's a fascinating idea and the suggestions make sense and could be applied easily into anyone's life. Well worth reading this book.
October 1, 2013
Overall a good book. Some examples were difficult to relate to the topic discussed and the author spent the first half of the book selling you on the premise of the topic.
January 22, 2018
Based on this book, success depends on click moment, purposeful bets and complex circumstances. This book definitely created a click moment for me.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 16, 2018
I liked it. I liked the way Frans illustrates the path to success "just move on but be open for click moments".
August 7, 2013
This wasn't a book I would have normally picked up, but I did anyway for two reasons: Johansson did such a wonderful job with his previous Medici Effect: What Elephants and Epidemics Can Teach Us About Innovation and Steve Hargadon gave very positive remarks about it on his Future of Education interview series.
His essential thesis is this: most big successes happen randomly and not because of planning, and there are actions we can take to maximize
The word random here is used in it's "unplanned" sense and not in the mathematical sense, because Johannson spends some of the book describes actions you can take to tilt the probabilities somewhat.
Although his book speaks to people in many situations, his strength is in bringing the message to people who are in more traditional environments like large companies and schools, whose culture often does not embrace change and uncertainty. Entrepreneurs will find much to like in this book too, but much of it is part-and-parcel of the startup lifestyle and so isn't quite as new.
Michael Mauboussin (see below) shows that circumstances involving high degrees of uncertainty or luck require one to focus on process and not on individual outcomes. The bulk of Johannson's book is about the form this process takes. How do you increase the chance of serendipitous interactions happening? How do you recognize them? And what do you do when they happen?
One concept he touches on is risk homeostatis, something I wasn't aware of previously. Basically it means that each of us has a given level of risk that we will accept. If the activity we are engaged in somehow becomes more safe - such as through safety equipment for physical activities or extra resources for business activities - we will up the risk level of the activity itself to bring ourselves back in line with our natural level of risk. The idea of small, purposeful bets plays off of this by keeping actions with uncertain outcomes at a small scale so that the overall level of risk stays within our risk comfort zone, and so that we can survive to fight another day if the actions don't work.
There are several books that would be great companion books for this one. Michael Mauboussin's The Success Equation explores the role of luck in a more nuanced fashion, including how we can measure the contributions luck vs. skill in various activities. Nicholas Nassim-Taleb's Antifragile: Things That Gain from Disorder examines (among many other topics) why the small, purposeful bets approach advocated by Johansson puts one in a position for the positive Black Swan. Finally, Johansson references Little Bets: How Breakthrough Ideas Emerge from Small Discoveries which focuses nearly entirely on taking small incremental actions.
Overall, I can recommend this book, especially to those who feel like they are in situations where innovation is difficult.
His essential thesis is this: most big successes happen randomly and not because of planning, and there are actions we can take to maximize
The word random here is used in it's "unplanned" sense and not in the mathematical sense, because Johannson spends some of the book describes actions you can take to tilt the probabilities somewhat.
Although his book speaks to people in many situations, his strength is in bringing the message to people who are in more traditional environments like large companies and schools, whose culture often does not embrace change and uncertainty. Entrepreneurs will find much to like in this book too, but much of it is part-and-parcel of the startup lifestyle and so isn't quite as new.
Michael Mauboussin (see below) shows that circumstances involving high degrees of uncertainty or luck require one to focus on process and not on individual outcomes. The bulk of Johannson's book is about the form this process takes. How do you increase the chance of serendipitous interactions happening? How do you recognize them? And what do you do when they happen?
One concept he touches on is risk homeostatis, something I wasn't aware of previously. Basically it means that each of us has a given level of risk that we will accept. If the activity we are engaged in somehow becomes more safe - such as through safety equipment for physical activities or extra resources for business activities - we will up the risk level of the activity itself to bring ourselves back in line with our natural level of risk. The idea of small, purposeful bets plays off of this by keeping actions with uncertain outcomes at a small scale so that the overall level of risk stays within our risk comfort zone, and so that we can survive to fight another day if the actions don't work.
There are several books that would be great companion books for this one. Michael Mauboussin's The Success Equation explores the role of luck in a more nuanced fashion, including how we can measure the contributions luck vs. skill in various activities. Nicholas Nassim-Taleb's Antifragile: Things That Gain from Disorder examines (among many other topics) why the small, purposeful bets approach advocated by Johansson puts one in a position for the positive Black Swan. Finally, Johansson references Little Bets: How Breakthrough Ideas Emerge from Small Discoveries which focuses nearly entirely on taking small incremental actions.
Overall, I can recommend this book, especially to those who feel like they are in situations where innovation is difficult.
April 2, 2015
Very good book about how randomness dictates success and what we can do to improve our odds of harnessing it.
Key takeaways from the book:
If we live in a random world with random chances of success then there are three things to focus on - create click moments, place purposeful bets, and harness complex forces.
To create click moments
1. Take your eyes off the ball (don't be so laser focused on the end result, it will change)
2. Use inter-sectional thinking (expose yourself to other fields of knowledge and people)
3. Follow your curiosity (something piques your interest? Follow it)
4. Reject the predictable path (stop trying to do the logical thing, that's what everyone is doing)
To place purposeful bets
1. Place many bets (if success is random, trying a LOT of things is better than trying the "right" thing)
2. Minimize the size of each bet (don't put all the money/energy/effort in the first bet, you'll need reserves for other tries)
3. Take the smallest executable step (do something!)
4. Calculate affordable loss, not ROI (since we don't know what will work, don't calculate the ROI; instead assume how much would you lose if it fails and accept it)
5. Use passion as fuel (do what you like!)
To harness complex forces
1. Create large hooks (ties to smallest executable step so you have wiggle room)
2. Take a closer look at surprises (something is weird or surprising? Follow it, you may be onto something)
3. Look for an opening (some opportunities only present themselves for short periods of time)
4. Spot momentum and intensity (track everything to know if something is catching on)
5. Double down (once you get to this point you have to double down on this particular bet)
Besides that the book contains highly enjoyable stories which drive me to action. Downside: The whole book is anecdotal, if you're looking for hard data this is not for you.
Key takeaways from the book:
If we live in a random world with random chances of success then there are three things to focus on - create click moments, place purposeful bets, and harness complex forces.
To create click moments
1. Take your eyes off the ball (don't be so laser focused on the end result, it will change)
2. Use inter-sectional thinking (expose yourself to other fields of knowledge and people)
3. Follow your curiosity (something piques your interest? Follow it)
4. Reject the predictable path (stop trying to do the logical thing, that's what everyone is doing)
To place purposeful bets
1. Place many bets (if success is random, trying a LOT of things is better than trying the "right" thing)
2. Minimize the size of each bet (don't put all the money/energy/effort in the first bet, you'll need reserves for other tries)
3. Take the smallest executable step (do something!)
4. Calculate affordable loss, not ROI (since we don't know what will work, don't calculate the ROI; instead assume how much would you lose if it fails and accept it)
5. Use passion as fuel (do what you like!)
To harness complex forces
1. Create large hooks (ties to smallest executable step so you have wiggle room)
2. Take a closer look at surprises (something is weird or surprising? Follow it, you may be onto something)
3. Look for an opening (some opportunities only present themselves for short periods of time)
4. Spot momentum and intensity (track everything to know if something is catching on)
5. Double down (once you get to this point you have to double down on this particular bet)
Besides that the book contains highly enjoyable stories which drive me to action. Downside: The whole book is anecdotal, if you're looking for hard data this is not for you.
January 6, 2016
I really enjoyed reading this book, which inadvertently challenges Gladwell's 10,000 hours "rule." I liked how Johansson qualifies this idea to apply only to things that have rules that do not change frequently (like tennis). He correctly highlights the fact that for most of life, spending 10,000 hours does not necessarily lead to mastery or success.
The countless examples he brings up and then recycles throughout are overdone and take away from the meat, which is left to a total of about 10 pages. He asserts that you can harness synchronicity by being systematically random, a concept that is beautiful but very hard to articulate clearly. Halfway through the book, it felt like the meat of the book was just a string of how success happened in random ways for random companies.
I found his Ted Talk online and that is a much more succinct and condensed version of the book. While intriguing because you're trying to figure out where he's going with all these examples, the book falls short with a larger so-what since it's a pretty simple idea that would have been an even better read if articulated in fewer pages.
The countless examples he brings up and then recycles throughout are overdone and take away from the meat, which is left to a total of about 10 pages. He asserts that you can harness synchronicity by being systematically random, a concept that is beautiful but very hard to articulate clearly. Halfway through the book, it felt like the meat of the book was just a string of how success happened in random ways for random companies.
I found his Ted Talk online and that is a much more succinct and condensed version of the book. While intriguing because you're trying to figure out where he's going with all these examples, the book falls short with a larger so-what since it's a pretty simple idea that would have been an even better read if articulated in fewer pages.
October 21, 2014
Reading The Click Moment will get you out of reading many other books. Specifically, books about how others achieved success in business or other endeavors. The Click Moment points out that the world (mostly the world of business and trends) is chaotic and fickle. Therefore success is not easily duplicated by following a formula like you would in fixed games like chess or tennis, where the rules are clear and do not change.
Instead, you need to take advantage of 'Click Moments' which can become a brief window of opportunity or tipping points, but only in retrospect, and only if you act on them. This book shows you how to encourage Click Moments in your life, how to recognize them (or at least not dismiss them outright) and how to capitalize ("double down") on them.
With plenty of real-world examples, The Click Moment gives weapons-grade philosophical advice that is understandable and actionable by real human beings. A must read for anyone involved in business, and a good dash of Eastern thought dressed in Western business/pragmatic sensibility.
Instead, you need to take advantage of 'Click Moments' which can become a brief window of opportunity or tipping points, but only in retrospect, and only if you act on them. This book shows you how to encourage Click Moments in your life, how to recognize them (or at least not dismiss them outright) and how to capitalize ("double down") on them.
With plenty of real-world examples, The Click Moment gives weapons-grade philosophical advice that is understandable and actionable by real human beings. A must read for anyone involved in business, and a good dash of Eastern thought dressed in Western business/pragmatic sensibility.
March 8, 2013
Visit my review in my Spanish blog: http://bit.ly/ZnOg8n
This book claims to propose two ideas: First, that success is random. It provides a lot of examples of random events that derived in success, such as the tsunami that ended up in the rising success of the text-messaging technology, or the well known girl that had a dream about vampires that later became the nightmare of all of us that like good literature.
The second idea of this book is that the randomness can be captured and focused, and it provides a set of advice to do so; such as bet small, don't risk too much, take small steps and be passionate.
And it also suggests that if you have a name that is already associated with success, you don't have to worry because you will be successful no matter what. The example for this is Stephen King, who could not sell a book under any other pseudonym, but when he signs a book as King, it sells like hot bread. Ain't it funny?
This book claims to propose two ideas: First, that success is random. It provides a lot of examples of random events that derived in success, such as the tsunami that ended up in the rising success of the text-messaging technology, or the well known girl that had a dream about vampires that later became the nightmare of all of us that like good literature.
The second idea of this book is that the randomness can be captured and focused, and it provides a set of advice to do so; such as bet small, don't risk too much, take small steps and be passionate.
And it also suggests that if you have a name that is already associated with success, you don't have to worry because you will be successful no matter what. The example for this is Stephen King, who could not sell a book under any other pseudonym, but when he signs a book as King, it sells like hot bread. Ain't it funny?
September 12, 2014
Pretty basic book - there are a few concepts and recommendations on how to get ahead, and these are heavily illustrated with examples. I liked the examples, they were different than others I have seen for this type of topic. One of the main points I gathered was that more attempts at solving a problem are better than just one attempt, since you are looking for the unexpected and that's more likely to happen if you can approach a problem in multiple ways. Another interesting section is providing a caveat to the Gladstonian assertion that 10,000 hours of practice makes you an expert - that's if rules don't change, like in tennis, piano playing, or chess. If rules do change, like in business, that's not going to work. I liked the style of writing and will look for others by Johansson.
April 13, 2015
I read this book based on a recommendation to me. I liked the book okay.
In Part I, Johansson sets up his point about the role of serenity and randomness in career and business success. He uses interesting anecdotes in this section (and throughout the book in general), however Part I dragged and I found myself getting impatient while reading it. I think that Johansson could have established his main points with less words and without being so repetitive.
Part II was more enjoyable to read because Johansson complements his theory with the actions that one could use to increase opportunities and chances for success. His suggestions are pretty straightforward. I could see myself incorporating some of the recommended actions and concepts into my life, so that's a plus.
In Part I, Johansson sets up his point about the role of serenity and randomness in career and business success. He uses interesting anecdotes in this section (and throughout the book in general), however Part I dragged and I found myself getting impatient while reading it. I think that Johansson could have established his main points with less words and without being so repetitive.
Part II was more enjoyable to read because Johansson complements his theory with the actions that one could use to increase opportunities and chances for success. His suggestions are pretty straightforward. I could see myself incorporating some of the recommended actions and concepts into my life, so that's a plus.
March 4, 2018
How valuable are strategies? Is the secret to business great planning? Or, as the author asserts, is the success a function of trying things and seizing a moment when it strikes? Click Moments is a great book that highlights our need to not overthink and "fix" desired outcomes. Instead, it will inspire you to show up to work every day willing to try new things. With higher levels of awareness, you will be more apt to pick up on the actions that are fruitful. I particularly enjoyed the first half of the book, focusing on stories of randomness and serendipity. The second half of the book centered on strategies for navigating a world of such unpredictable outcomes, and this was less interesting for me.
September 10, 2012
I won this book as a first read. an I would like to thank the author for it.
The Click moment is a very thought processing book. In it it explains how business's seized the opportunity to become the greatest. ex- Apple,StarBucks,Nike, Steven King, and the list goes on.
He also explains how we too can have that most important "Cliick Moment" in our lifes.
In order to take in the full understanding of the author writing you need to read this book. I accomend him and recommend his book highly. He definately had a "Click Moment"!
The Click moment is a very thought processing book. In it it explains how business's seized the opportunity to become the greatest. ex- Apple,StarBucks,Nike, Steven King, and the list goes on.
He also explains how we too can have that most important "Cliick Moment" in our lifes.
In order to take in the full understanding of the author writing you need to read this book. I accomend him and recommend his book highly. He definately had a "Click Moment"!
February 28, 2013
GREAT business stories, decent overall message, ok academic writing style. I loved the business stories like how Diane Von Furstenburg invented the wrap dress after watching Nixon's daughter on tv in a wrap dress like outfit. The overall message was solid; many success stories are the result of serendipitous events but you can set yourself up to have those lucky breaks by doing these things... His writing style was somewhat academic, i.e in the next chapter I'll do this, and I propose that this, and after talking about this, we'll talk about this....
August 11, 2014
The Click Moment is about how many fantastic positive things (mostly in the business world) have occurred through complete serendipity - one of my favorite words and concepts.
While success is often correlated with intelligence and/or hard work (the 10,000 hour rule), many huge successes are click moments.
Frans details the random coincidences, occurrences and epiphanies that led to the success of Microsoft, Starbucks, Diane von Furstenberg, ABC, Nokia, and Apple, among other companies and people.
Fascinating!
While success is often correlated with intelligence and/or hard work (the 10,000 hour rule), many huge successes are click moments.
Frans details the random coincidences, occurrences and epiphanies that led to the success of Microsoft, Starbucks, Diane von Furstenberg, ABC, Nokia, and Apple, among other companies and people.
Fascinating!
December 1, 2018
I heard Frans Johansson speak recently at a conference. He was engaging and his ideas captured my attention. His book is about the moment when you discover a new direction or opportunity mostly by chance. This is the click moment. He believes that success is random and that we can be prepared to spot and capitalize on these random events. It's not just about being the hardest worker in the room, turns out luck is still involved! This fits perfectly with the view of the 21st Century that disruption is eminent and you must be agile to thrive.
December 6, 2012
The Click Moment encourages readers to quit following "proven" methods of success (which often aren't repeatable) and instead hone in on the spontaneity and unpredictability of life and embracing random 'click' moments as triggers to take risks and begin action. Johansson references well-known success cases along with their not-so-well-known stories of complex forces and actions which ignited them.
October 4, 2013
Incredible book I'd recommend to anyone. I was smiling reading this all the way through. Learning how some of the brands/products that are so well known to me in actuality came to be. It's an analysis of how our world really works. It has given me so many stories and anecdotes that I've shared with my friends. Frans Johansson has a great way of explaining these events and you always feel engaged with his hypothesis. I’ve certainly had many more click moments since I read this. Enjoy.
December 1, 2014
I am someone who is always looking for the inner, hidden, deeper, secret meaning when things happen, and this book cured me. With example after example, Johansson peels away the layers of misinformation around some recent stories of success and failure, with an engaging narrative style. He clearly carves a path through the confusion for those of us who are always asking "why?" and "how can I replicate that?".
January 6, 2017
Interesting book. Quick read. I love the idea behind the book that we need to be open and ready for those, possibly unexpected, moments that can be game and life changers for us.
“Success in a complex, unpredictable world involves not only creating click moments and placing purposeful bets, but also harnessing the random forces that affect our lives, organizations, and, sometimes, even entire nations.”
“Success in a complex, unpredictable world involves not only creating click moments and placing purposeful bets, but also harnessing the random forces that affect our lives, organizations, and, sometimes, even entire nations.”
December 5, 2017
This is a great business book. The world is random and there are forces out there that make success impossible to predict, so we need to be doing everything we can to harness randomness and use it to our advantage. The famed ‘10,000 hours rule’ works in many cases, but it’s essentially irrelevant in the business world. Instead, we need to focus on three things: click moments, placing purposeful bets, and allowing complex forces to work for us.
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