Why Underdogs Matter.
“Wouldn’t it be cool if…?” These are the words seared in my mind as I reflect on the germinal stages of starting boat companies. Why not start a boat company? I love to water ski and surf, hang at the lake and boats have always been cool. Just ask Leif Erikson. Any sliver of naïveté got doused with a mental image of coolness.
Even when my upstart boat companies gained traction there were always the big guys dominating the field. They had pedigrees, deep pockets and brand affinities that I combatted with determination, passion and resilience. Undeterred, moving from concept to production meant more seriousness and expanding operations diligence. Being the perpetual underdog forced me to discover creative ways to thrive. More sameness just meant getting crushed sooner.
George Foreman was the 4 to 1 favorite to beat Muhammed Ali in the Rumble In The Jungle on October 30, 1974. Broadcast from Zaire, Africa over 1B people watched in anticipation. Foreman was the most powerful fighter in the world at the time boasting a 40/0 win record with 37 knock outs, and he was 7 years younger than Ali. Ali’s jaw was broken 18 months earlier by Ken Norton, Foreman was in his prime and he predicted a win in just 3 rounds.
Ali didn’t see it that way. He told the press, “I’ve done something new for this fight. I done wrestled with an alligator, I done tussled with a whale; handcuffed lightning, thrown thunder in jail; only last week, I murdered a rock, injured a stone, hospitalized a brick; I’m so mean I make medicine sick.”
Ali knew Foreman’s power was indomitable. Violating conventional boxing wisdom, Ali didn’t pursue Foreman, instead he leaned into the ropes, letting Foreman pound him for 7 rounds. Foreman wore himself out being drawn into Ali’s Rope A Dope technique. In the 8th round Ali came out swinging, knocking down an exhausted Foreman and winning the fight with a unanimous decision.
The world population at the time was 4B, so an impressive 25% of the total global population watched the fight. It would go down as the greatest sporting spectacle of the 20th century. Ali lived up to his claim, “I will be the matador, Foreman the bull.” Ali’s fame catapulted him into one of the most widely know athletes ever. A rising media sensation, Ali entertained millions on tv shows, was featured on the covers of nearly every top magazine of the era, including 38 times on Sports Illustrated, and several biopic movies have been produced.
Ali’s bravado and techniques formulated while he was the underdog. Knowing he could be out punched, he uniquely, “Danced like a butterfly but stung like a bee.” Ali’s plan leveraged his strengths, revealed his opponent’s weaknesses and uncorked an opportunity where his talents could shine and prevail.
Then there’s the ultimate underdog story, David and Goliath. The story opens with the Philistines and Israelites agreeing to each send their best warrior to a single combat fight in the Valley of Elah to determine the battle outcome. David, the meek shepherd boy, volunteers to replace Israel’s King Saul to fight against the battle-hardened 9 foot giant Goliath who’s bearing a shield, javelin and sword. Asked whether he wants armor, a sword or other armaments, David replies, “Nope, just my slingshot and 5 smooth stones.”
While guarding his flock over the period of many years, David became an expert sharpshooter with a slingshot. Goliath is no different from a threatening lion, bear or other predator in David’s eyes. David spots a gap in Goliath’s armor, exposing his forehead. David takes aim and dispatches Goliath while he’s still launching verbal taunts. Goliath gets his head fed to the birds, David becomes a hero of antiquity whose legacy is very much alive today.
Like Ali, David knew his strengths, studied his opponent for weaknesses, then actioned talent when it counted to upset the presumed outcome. Had David put on armor, picked up a sword and fought Goliath in his familiar arena, the story we know today would be quite different. If Ali had gone after Foreman in typical boxing fashion, it’s more likely that Ali would have gone down in the 3rd round as forecast.
Winning as an underdog typically means attacking from an unexpected angle. In business, this means your odds of a favorable outcome as an underdog are proportional to your understanding of your opponent and your guerrilla techniques.
The business graveyard is filled with Motorolas, IBMs, Nokias, Kodaks and Yahoos who thought they’d never be knocked from their perch. There’s always an underdog and it’s perilous to think that someone is not thinking about how to steal your customers or produce your product better, quicker, cheaper. If you’re a market leader, you’re the most vulnerable. Companies that don’t have regular internal discussions around their own vulnerabilities are in the fast lane to demise.
There are inspiring underdog stories all around us. In my business I’ve adopted the Cinderella mindset. Maybe I can’t beat the big players at their own game, but I can find a shoe that fits and do it beautifully.
