| Prospective entrepreneurs are always encouraged | | | | Knot. He realized that success in unraveling the |
| to think outside of the box when striving to | | | | knot would further trumpet his reputation as the |
| commercialize their idea for a new business. The | | | | world's greatest warrior. Success would motivate |
| ability to see things differently and identify a niche | | | | his troops and sow fear in enemies. |
| for a product is so essential. Unfortunately, there | | | | Finally, after interminable study, Alexander stood. |
| is no book, course or advice that enables a | | | | He reached for a great axe and with violent |
| person to perfect this skill. Some of us stumble | | | | suddenness, swung mightily. Striking the immense |
| into an opportunity. Others are introduced | | | | knot dead center, it fell open like a pear. The |
| inadvertently to an idea in their line work or at | | | | gnarled bulk of the knot fell to the ground and the |
| home. Many other successful entrepreneurs do | | | | oxcart was freed for the first time in centuries. |
| develop an ability to see things a bit more weirdly | | | | Alexander saw a problem that had vexed men |
| than the rest of us. | | | | for centuries. He applied a creative, innovative, |
| There are many historical examples of great | | | | indeed the simplest approach to the task. The |
| people that achieved great things by thinking | | | | puzzle of the Gordian Knot did not come |
| differently. Alexander the Great was such a | | | | accompanied with a fixed set of rules that had to |
| success. Alexander was a warrior at 14, general | | | | be followed in order to claim success. The puzzle |
| at 18 and king of tiny Macedonia at 20. He | | | | of the Gordian Knot simply required the oxcart be |
| conquered most of the known world before his | | | | freed of the massive tangle. Alexander |
| death at the age of 32. | | | | understood that conventional approaches to the |
| An example of his unusual thought process was | | | | problem, followed for centuries by all others |
| his approach to solving the famous 4th century | | | | attempting to untie the knot, was not relevant or |
| problem of the Gordian Knot. Outside the Temple | | | | of any import. |
| of Zeus, at Gordus, stood an oxcart with an | | | | Alexander the Great said that his greatest victory |
| unusually complicated knot attached to the hitch. | | | | was his success in solving the problem of the |
| The world famous Gordian Knot was made of | | | | Gordian Knot. This achievement confirmed for the |
| densely packed comer bark and there appeared | | | | whole world that this man was gifted, clever, an |
| to be no beginning or end to the confusing mass. | | | | outside the box thinker (a term certainly not used |
| Oracles of the day proclaimed that Zeus had | | | | during the Alexander's time). |
| promised that whoever could unravel the knot | | | | Successful entrepreneurs think differently. They |
| would rule the world. | | | | are problem solvers. Novel features, utility and |
| Adventurers from all over the world ventured to | | | | new benefits must be included in any product |
| Gordus to try solving the puzzle of the Gordian | | | | offered in today's competitive market. Just as |
| Knot. None ever succeeded. Alexander planned | | | | Alexander the Great addressed the puzzle by |
| for his encounter with the knot as if he were | | | | looking at the problem differently, entrepreneurs |
| strategizing his famous military campaign against | | | | need to address their development hurdles by |
| the Persian King Darius. | | | | identifying and filling needs that others have not |
| Alexander spent hours pondering the Gordian | | | | yet seen. |