EOTV: What You Know Can Hurt You

Whoever said ‘what you don't know can't hurt you' was just plain silly.

It has been my experience that most of the painful things that come my way seem to come out of no-where. However, in this blog I will argue that the idolized ignorance expressed in my opening idiom has its place and purpose in entrepreneurship.

The basic belief that one person can turn an idea into an enduring entity, and use this to change the world, is about as egotistical and naive as one can get. Yet somehow life seems to work this way. So, let's put aside our skepticism and see how ignorance and innovation go hand in hand.

Point 1] Ignorance of the ominous unknowns associated with starting a new venture doesn't come easy; in fact I believe it to be a learned trait. You learn it so that you can sleep at night.

You are an entrepreneur. You start off the process thinking about all the possible positive futures. As you move forward through venture creation and implementation all of the threats and unknowns loom closer in the vivid detail that keeps you up at night. It takes a conscious effort to forget about all of the reasons not to take risks, rather, to proceed with the confidence they need to succeed....and to get a decent night's sleep.

Selective ignorance is part of the job description for every entrepreneur. I once heard that ‘if lawyers ran the world, there would be no business'. This is not to disparage on lawyers; legal acumen is an invaluable part of the constant teasing and testing to which every entrepreneur must subject his or her venture. Rather, this is to say that lawyers have been trained to think in terms of worst-case scenarios, and as such, would be inclined not to take any risks on their own.

Many entrepreneurs avoid, and further, repel this skepticism, (pragmatism, realism?), making it difficult to effectively use their legal resources. And I understand why; meeting with my legal advisory team is downright dispiriting - I suddenly see how all of my once good ideas are chalk-full of risk. Humbling experiences such as these only emphasize just how useful lawyers are to the entrepreneur; just as it is the role of the entrepreneur to be an unabashed visionary, so it is the role of the lawyer to make sure that the entrepreneur doesn't skip any rungs along life's long ladder.

Point 2] One thing that all entrepreneurs have in common is that they don't know how things are done, yet know how to get things done.

Entrepreneurs are action-oriented, results driven type of people. They like to get things done. However, not knowing how things are done is one of every entrepreneur's greatest assets.

Not knowing how things are done compels the entrepreneur to rethink how things should be done. It is usually this mindset that leads to the insights around which an entrepreneur innovates. The more common sense the conclusion, the more startling it is that this idea has never been done before, the more successful the entrepreneur can be. And think about it - if your measure of success is surprise you will see the mark of the ‘ignorant' entrepreneur just about everywhere.

‘Huh, wonder why I never thought of that before'. ‘Astounding - intermittent windshield wipers'.

In addition to innovation, there is another value to not knowing how things are done. Networking. I believe, deep down, that people want to help others. When you approach someone, share your vision, backed up with what you are doing towards that vision, then ask them for their advice.....it is quite hard to say no. So, entrepreneurs, especially you young ones, wear your ignorance and break out those business cards. Go out there, ask the obvious questions, find a mentor, and in the process you will find that you have met many key contacts in your industry. You can't know everything, and the best way to learn is to know that you need to learn.

Point 3] Ignorance helps you to be a true believer.

I will conclude my case by calling upon the imagery put forth by Dostoevsky in his short sad novel, ‘The Underground Man'. In this story, our depressed Russian author is describing life's challenges as a tall brick wall. He sees the bold and stupid running at this wall, head down looking only at their next step. Since they never take the time to look up, they never see the wall they are running at, and sometimes, just sometimes, these ignorant folk build up enough speed to break on through to the other side.

Others, intellectual fools like our authors, who had the misfortune of looking up, can never go back to running in earnest. Rather they sit at the base of the bricks their whole life pondering how they can get over that wall.

I bring this up to underscore that life is scary. To run headlong into it at full speed is a bit crazy when you stop, look up and think about it. But, those who aren't running full speed don't stand a chance of knocking down the blocks that get put up in your way. And this, I think, is why too many sane people stay away from entrepreneurship; it takes a special kind of crazy to see a wall, look down, and run right at it with all of your heart.

Jacob Elster is the founder of Crop to Cup, a fair trade coffee company that brings producers and consumers closer together. This is his second post in our "Entrepreneurs on the Verge" series.