The "Simple Observation" & Breaking Cognitive Bubbles

What you are missing that's hidden in plain sight.

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Joseph Duveen, a prolific art dealer in the early 20th century, built a lucrative career on this simple observation: “Europe had plenty of art, and America had plenty of money.”

I’ve noticed that many of my clients have “simple observations” that turn into significant businesses or significant advantages. It is the thing that no one else sees, hiding in plain sight, that drives so many to become incredibly successful…but while the observations are simple, the execution is not.

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Many great ideas are simple observations…it’s seeing things in unconventional ways that people miss and executing these ideas that make people great.  

In this edition, we’ll put aside the execution component—for now—and focus on how to train your eye to see what others don’t. Airbnb saw that spare rooms could be a cash cow, top Etsy sellers see gaps in the marketplace for opportunity, and great executives often see the gaps in traditional strategy to do something uniquely their own. 

There are “simple observations” that fuel billion-dollar companies, small businesses, and even exceptional individual performance. These insights fill or bridge a gap that most don’t even realize they could capitalize on. It’s a skill to see the things that no one else sees, or make the connections that others don’t —and it’s a surprisingly psychological one. 

Let’s pull back the curtain on how you can challenge your current vision to see the world differently, as well as the psychology and technique of setting yourself up for breakthrough yet simple observations.