Opportunists Posing As Innovators

It is easy to point out flaws in other people's attempts but not so easy to come up with a truly original idea. I think it is pitiful when someone's highest claim is that they are not making mistakes that others are making.

An example:

Bob tries to set up a lemonade stall for his neighbourhood. He does ok and sells 10 glasses of lemonade. Unfortunately Bob didn't think to chill his lemonade so word spreads that his lemonade is warm. Fred hears about this and sets up a lemonade stall of his own, served with ice. He calls it 'The coolest lemonade for miles'.

It's a ridiculously simplistic story I know...but... the Bobs of this world are the guys who make things happen, the Freds of this world, although they have initiative... rarely produce anything of their own. Bob is the guy I would rather work with.

Be wary of opportunists who pose as innovators. Somewhere down the line you will realise they have less to offer than they let you think. The tell-tale sign of a poser is if they put more emphasis on what they aren't than rather what they are when talking about themselves and what they do!