The Game of Thrones has some pretty great business lessons. Here are 5.
Winter is here.
Clearly, I am looking forward to the new season of Game of Thrones, as I’m sure the lot of you are. But dragons, political power plays, nudity, and gory deaths aside, there are a lot of things you can learn from the series. If you look closely enough, you can get some nuggets of wisdom that could help you in your startup.
This is the part where I say that there are slight spoilers ahead but…come on, we’re already 6 seasons deep with the 7th on the way.
Here are 5 things that the Game of Thrones teaches you about running a startup.
1. Never underestimate your impact
Tyrion Lannister, the cynical outcast of a dwarf with a penchant for alcohol, has always been underestimated because of his size. In fact, he is somewhat visibly detested by his family. But he was canny, incredibly brilliant, and extremely resourceful in finding out information he could use and he knows how to use his intelligence, wit, and ability to eloquently communicate to get through tight spots. As a result, even with the odds stacked against him, he is still very much alive without needing resurrection (hello, Jon Snow) and eventually became honoured as the Hand of the Queen to Daenerys.
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Building a startup is filled with twist and turns; the entrepreneurial journey will oftentimes take you down a path you did not anticipate and would eventually bring you where the large players are. But don’t underestimate the impact that you have – you do not need to be a large business to affect the way people live and change the shape of the landscape. Just as Varys have said, “Oftimes, a very small man can cast a very large shadow.”
2. Don’t go the way of Oberyn Martell
And by that I mean never let down your guard and remember that you never really win anything even if it seem like it. A lapse of concentration (and judgement) caused Oberyn to lose his fight. Fuelled by anger and just a touch of arrogance, he went on quite a bit of monologue, believing his opponent to already be defeated. He wasn’t. And Oberyn ended up with his skull crushed.
Innovation is a most amazing thing. It, however, can also be your downfall. Always be on your guard for new technologies that you can utilise and always keep an eye out for opportunities that an ever-changing business landscape offers you. Customer needs change, and if you sit idly thinking that you have already won (your market, you industry, etc.) you will most certainly lose. Remember, you’re not the only one innovating.
3. Empower your team
Take Daenerys’ lead on this one. From Astapoor to Yunkai to Mereen, she has made a career out of freeing slaves. The easier way would be to take over the masters (after she has killed them) but instead she freed the slaves and asked them to join her (after they kill their masters), making it clear that there will be no consequences for leaving. The result: she has built a massive army loyal in their belief on her, who would fight her battles.
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You cannot be a successful, scalable startup on your own. You need a great team and a great team means an empowered one. You hire people for various reasons but those reasons are mainly skill and attitude; trust that those skills and attitude be used to make decisions that would help your company achieve its goals.
4. Have patience but don’t let opportunities pass
Oh, Sansa. The eldest Stark girl has seen some horrific things in her young life and it doesn’t help that she is alone in the middle of said horrific things, surrounded by people she doesn’t trust, with no way to get out. But she bided her time, made the most of the situations she found herself in, and took advantage of opportunities that presented her with a chance to escape. Of course, those didn’t work out well all the time but she did become wiser, more strategic even, and in a series where anyone could get killed, she is still alive (at least for now).
There will be times that is seems like you can’t catch a break – you’re behind on your schedule, someone in your team unexpectedly quit, your competitor is doing better than you – and that is normal. Sometimes, the success of your startup hinges on your ability to patiently wait for opportunities that would allow you to reach your goals. But being patient doesn’t mean being idle; it means that you are prepared, that you have the ability to grab every opportunity presented to you, but that you’re wise and informed enough to choose the ones with the most impact.
5. Choose your mentors and partners well
The whole of the series is all about creating alliances always with the agenda of winning the throne. That is not to say that they always chose well. But at last scene of the 6th season, Daenerys’ armada is a study on masterful alliances. She has her advisors (Tyrion Lannister, Missandei, and Varys), the army she has amassed (the Unsullied, the Dothraki, and the ships of the Masters), her most trusted (her dragons), and three Houses that are veterans of battle (Dorne, the Greyjoys, and the Tyrells). These allies are the ones she believes would lead her to victory and, though we have yet to see, she seems to have built a strong group.
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As previously said, you cannot be a successful startup on your own. The kind of people you surround yourself with matters a lot. Your mentors will guide you and will help you deal with what happens to your startup at any stage. Your partners will work with you to help achieve your goals. Choose the ones who believe in you and your product, who has the skill to assist you, and the foresight to point out opportunities you may have missed.
So, who’s watching Season 7?
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Featured image credit: outsiderzone / 123RF Stock Photo
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