Breakfast Notes #85 (Returning To Writing)

KEITH YAP -

Hi friends!

I am sorry that I disappeared for the past four months. I started this blog/newsletter as a means to explore my curiosity. Somehow, work got to me, and I stopped being curious.

But, as I began reading and writing privately, I saw my intellectual curiosity blossom again.

I hope today's post gets you curious again!

  • The Great Success of Lululemon. If you want to disrupt an industry, you can make the case that it pays to be in it for long. Chip Wilson started his foray into the fashion world by creating functional but stylish skate and surf apparel (which became all the rage in the '90s). He pivoted to a market with more inelastic demand- snowboarding apparel. After selling his company, he retreated to a more relaxed lifestyle. One fine day in a yoga class, he observed that women were not satisfied wearing old clothes for exercise. Why not create something stylish and functional for them? Sensing that the nascent yoga craze could evolve into something bigger, Chip started Lululemon. The rest is history. Chip's story underscores how it takes time and experience to cultivate an intuition of where the market is heading next.
  • The PAP's Humble Beginnings. Where did Singapore’s most dominant political party begin? Not a swanky lawyer’s office or luxurious bungalow. It was born in a corner office of The Liquor Retailer’s Association along Burnham Street, a gathering place for small-time traders to discuss business. This was the PAP’s first headquarters, a favour given by Lee Kuan Yew’s friend, Ang Kok Seng. It's a reminder that great things often start from humble beginnings.
  • Ironies of Luck. We always account for risk but hardly do the same for luck. Morgan Housel posits, "Good investors attempt to quantify risk. They should do the same for luck." VCs believe in the Power Law; thus, they expect about half of their investments to fail. He advises that we benchmark a portion of our success as the result of luck and accept that it isn’t structurally repeatable. This way, we’ll "better handle the reality that competitive pursuits are a continuous chain of stress and challenge."

Visualization of The Week

"Don't just say warning, keep out!"

That's boring.

Inject a little humour with your warning.

You will leave potential trespassers chuckling and afraid to mess with you.

May the Sun Shine Upon Your Face,

Keith