Most people are terrified of being wrong. We stay in the lines. We follow the "best practices" manual because it feels safe, and honestly, who wants to be the person who suggests a wild idea that flops in front of the board? But if you’ve ever looked at someone like Steve Jobs or Sara Blakely and wondered how they actually did it, you’ve probably realized that "playing it safe" is a recipe for mediocrity. That’s the core tension in the book Originals: How Non-Conformists Move the World by Adam Grant. It isn't just some rah-rah motivational speech. It’s a data-backed look at why the people we think are crazy are actually the ones making things happen.
Originals don't look like what you'd expect.
We have this image of the entrepreneur as a fearless gambler. We think they jump out of planes without a parachute and build the engine on the way down. Grant's research basically nukes that myth. Real originals are actually quite risk-averse. They take calculated leaps while keeping their day jobs. They worry. They procrastinate. They have a lot of bad ideas. But they move the world because they refuse to accept the "default" setting of life.
The Myth of the Fearless Genius
The biggest lie we're told about Originals: How Non-Conformists Move the World is that you need to be a born rebel. You don't. In fact, many of history's most influential figures were dragged kicking and screaming into their own revolutions. Take Martin Luther King Jr. He didn't wake up one day and decide to lead a movement; he was nominated by a group of peers and felt he couldn't say no.
Grant points out that the most successful originals often seek security in one area of their life so they can be daring in another.
Think about it.
Warby Parker’s founders didn't quit their internships to start the company. They worked on it while they were in grad school. They had backup plans. They were worried they’d fail. This "balanced risk portfolio" is what actually allows someone to survive the long, grueling process of changing an industry. If you’re constantly worried about paying rent, you’re less likely to make the bold, non-conformist choice that actually pays off. You'll take the safe, boring path just to keep the lights on.
The Firefox and Chrome Connection
One of the weirdest findings in the book involves your web browser. Grant cites a study by economist Michael Housman, who found that employees who used Firefox or Chrome performed better and stayed in their jobs longer than those who used Internet Explorer or Safari.
Why?
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It’s not because the browsers are faster. It’s because to get Firefox or Chrome, you have to actively reject the "default" browser that came pre-installed on your computer. You have to take the initiative to find a better tool. That tiny act of non-conformity—refusing to accept the pre-selected option—is a massive indicator of how you approach the rest of your work. People who question the default browser are the same people who question a broken internal process or an outdated sales strategy.
Quantity Leads to Quality (Yes, Really)
If you want to have a great idea, you need to have a mountain of terrible ones. Most of us stop after a few attempts because we’re embarrassed by the junk we produce. But the greats? They just keep churning.
Look at Shakespeare. Or Picasso. Or Maya Angelou.
- Picasso produced thousands of works, but only a handful are considered world-class masterpieces.
- Edison had over 1,000 patents, many of which were complete duds.
- Even the most successful venture capitalists know that 90% of their investments will go to zero.
When we talk about Originals: How Non-Conformists Move the World, we have to talk about the "Equal Odds Rule." It’s the idea that your chances of hitting a home run are directly tied to how many times you swing the bat. You can’t predict which idea will be the winner, so you just have to produce more. Non-conformists aren't better at picking winners; they're just more prolific. They don't let the fear of a bad idea stop them from reaching the next one.
Procrastination as a Tool?
This is where things get really counter-intuitive. We’re taught from kindergarten that procrastination is the enemy of progress. Grant argues the opposite—sorta.
There’s a sweet spot.
If you start a task and then walk away from it for a while, your brain keeps working on it in the background. This is called the Zeigarnik effect. By delaying the "final" version of a project, you give yourself room for divergent thinking. You aren't just rushing to the first, most obvious solution. Leonardo da Vinci spent years on the Mona Lisa, often setting it aside for long stretches. Was he being lazy? Maybe. But those gaps allowed him to come back with fresh eyes and new techniques.
Why Groupthink Kills Originality
We've all been in those meetings. The boss suggests something, and everyone nods like those little dogs in the back of a car window. It's safe. It's comfortable. It’s also how companies die.
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In Originals: How Non-Conformists Move the World, the concept of "Groupthink" is presented as the ultimate villain. It happened with the Challenger shuttle disaster. It happened at Polaroid. When a group becomes too cohesive and values harmony over truth, they stop seeing the icebergs ahead.
To fight this, you don't just need a "Devil's Advocate."
Research shows that a fake Devil's Advocate—someone assigned to play the role—doesn't work. The group knows they're just acting. You need a "Genuine Dissenter." You need the person who actually, truly believes the plan is flawed and isn't afraid to say it. These people are often annoying. They're prickly. They're the ones who make meetings run long. But they are the insurance policy against catastrophic failure.
The Power of "Radical Candor"
Ray Dalio, the founder of Bridgewater Associates, is a prime example of this in action. He built a culture of "radical transparency" where anyone, even an intern, can criticize the boss. It sounds brutal, and for some people, it is. But by stripping away the social friction of "being nice," he created a system where the best ideas win, regardless of who they came from. That’s non-conformity as a business system.
How to Build Your Own Originality
So, how do you actually apply this? You don't have to quit your job tomorrow and start a tech company in your garage. Non-conformity is a muscle you build through small, consistent actions. It starts with questioning the "why" behind the things you do every day.
1. Question the Default
Stop accepting the way things have always been done just because they've always been done that way. If a process is slow, ask why. If a meeting is useless, suggest a different format. Be the person who downloads the metaphorical Firefox for your workflow.
2. Triple Your Output
Stop trying to make every project perfect. Focus on volume. If you’re a writer, write more. If you’re a coder, build more side projects. The quality will come as a byproduct of the quantity. You have to clear the "bad" ideas out of the pipes before the good ones can flow.
3. Practice Strategic Procrastination
Give your big ideas time to breathe. Start the project early, but don't finish it right away. Let it sit in the back of your mind while you do other things. You’ll be surprised at how many "aha" moments happen while you’re doing the dishes or taking a walk.
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4. Surround Yourself with Dissenters
Find people who disagree with you and listen to them. Not just the people who are mean, but the people who are smart and see the world differently. If everyone in your circle thinks exactly like you do, you aren't growing; you're just echoing.
5. Manage Your Risk
Don't bet the farm on an unproven idea. Keep your "day job" (literally or figuratively) while you experiment. The most successful non-conformists are those who have a solid foundation to fall back on. This security gives you the mental freedom to be truly bold where it matters.
What Most People Get Wrong
The biggest misconception about Originals: How Non-Conformists Move the World is that it’s about being "different" for the sake of being different. That’s just being a contrarian, and it’s usually useless. True originality is about being different for the sake of being better. It’s about having the conviction to pursue a vision that others can’t see yet, while being humble enough to realize you might be wrong along the way.
It’s a balancing act.
You have to be stubborn about your goals but flexible about your methods. You have to be a non-conformist who still knows how to build a coalition. Because at the end of the day, you can't move the world alone. You need to convince others to join you in your "crazy" idea until it becomes the new default.
Actionable Next Steps
If you're ready to stop following the script and start writing your own, here is how to begin:
- Audit your "defaults": Spend one day noticing every time you say "that's just how we do it." Pick one of those things and try to find a 10% more efficient way to handle it.
- The "10-Idea" Daily Exercise: Every morning, write down 10 ideas for anything—a new product, a way to save money, a theme for a party. Most will be garbage. That's the point. You're training your brain to generate options.
- Invite Criticism: In your next project, specifically ask a peer to tell you why your idea won't work. Don't defend yourself. Just listen and take notes. Use their feedback to patch the holes in your plan.
- Expand Your Horizon: Read a book or watch a documentary on a subject you know absolutely nothing about. Non-conformity often comes from "cross-pollination"—taking an idea from one field and applying it to another where it's never been seen before.
Originality isn't a fixed trait you're born with. It's a choice you make every day. It's the choice to look at the world as it is and imagine how it could be better—and then having the guts to take that first, messy, non-conformist step.