You go first.
No, YOU go first.

I think one of the greatest rules of success, is to be second.

Smart people let somebody else go first.
Leaders must be followers first.

This week, Apple made their newsworthy announcement for the new Apple iPhones, finally giving in to the public demand, and releasing a bigger version of the iPhone. Immediately, people started posting jabs at them welcoming them to 2012 and other attacks that they’re not quite cutting edge, coming late to the big “phablet” craze.

Sometimes Apple does lead, but more often, they follow, and then make it better.  At least Apple’s version of better, which true Apple fans crave and love and drool over. It occurred to me, that a great leader stays alive because they don’t always go first. They send somebody else into the cave, or over the hill first. They learn from the early adopters spending their money, and then innovate with improvements.

It is much easier to improve on a product than it is to invent one.

Some people – or companies lead with invention, and are first. Sometimes they are a success and they take the market by storm, making competitors scrambling far behind. Whenever possible, I like to support the people I believe were first to market, rather than the imitations. Sometimes it’s hard to tell. We use brand names of some products as if they were the product itself. At least in my country, we call use words like Kleenex, Rollerblades and Coke as if they are the item names, not product brands. I’m not sure these guys were first, but they certainly are the famous leader. You may be surprised to learn that windbreaker, escalator and elevator are also brand names.

Many people try and fail, even with great ideas because they’re not ready for business. I personally was part of an Internet startup company that could have been huge. I might have been one of those millionaires you read about if luck and management had gone differently, but instead – I failed, and somebody else made a fortune off my ideas.

Only lucky bustard are a success the first try.

Some people are no doubt are great success all through life, at everything they try. I hate those guys. I knew a few in high school. People who were good at every sport they tried, even first try. They were magical creatures, actually fascinating to observe. The good at everything guys.

We’ve all known a few
None I knew are prime minister yet. Maybe that magic fades after high school.