What are contrarian rules for success?

Contrarian rules for success often revolve around thinking and acting differently from the crowd, and here are some insights shared by experts on the topic:

1. Challenge Conventional Wisdom:

   • David Rosenthal notes that success can be found by doing the opposite of common advice and focusing on direct feedback from your audience rather than general advice 1.

2. Equal Partnerships and Devil’s Advocacy:

   • Bill Gurley emphasizes the importance of equal partnerships in venture firms, which allows every voice to be heard, promoting unique and bold ideas. He also stresses constantly thinking about what could go right, i.e., playing the devil's advocate on the positive side to envision big successes 2.

3. Fresh Perspectives and Simplification:

   • Jared Kushner advocates for tackling issues with a fresh perspective and simplifying problems to their basic elements. This can lead to breakthroughs that established methods overlook 3.
     
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4. Boring but Profitable:

   • Codie Sanchez suggests focusing on "boring" yet profitable businesses as the contrarian approach in investing. Established businesses with a proven track record often provide a higher likelihood of success compared to risky startups 4.

5. Open-Minded Curiosity:

   • Mike Maples highlights that success often comes to those who remain intensely curious and open-minded, looking in areas others overlook. He believes that secrets are all around us, waiting to be discovered by those attentive to unconventional opportunities 5.

By combining these contrarian strategies with diligent research and genuine feedback from your audience, you can carve out unique paths to success.