Naivety: The Secret Superpower of an Entrepreneur

The day I quit my job to start my entrepreneurial journey I didn’t have all the answers…and I don’t have them all now. Looking back at my entrepreneurial career, I realise that what others often label as naivety has always been my greatest asset. Stepping into industries where I had little knowledge wasn’t a disadvantage – it was my superpower.

Naivety gave me the courage to ask questions that others were too afraid to ask. It’s easy to assume that everyone else knows better, especially when you’re surrounded by seasoned professionals. But my lack of expertise allowed me to approach situations with curiosity and an open mind. Instead of pretending I had all the answers, I admitted when I didn’t understand something. On the whole people have been more than willing to explain their processes and share insights, which helps me learn quickly and see gaps others have overlooked.

Another gift of naivety is the freedom to dream big. Industry veterans are often bound by "what’s realistic." Their experience tells them what works and what doesn’t, but this can be limiting. As someone who didn’t know the "rules," I was unencumbered by conventional wisdom. I pursued ideas that experts would have dismissed as impractical, and some of those ideas became the cornerstones of my business success.

With the rapid change of technology and whole industries, it’s not just the newbies that lack experience, even industry elders find themselves suddenly in the unknown as things move quickly and they can fail to keep up. Naivety allows me to start from a position that I should ask questions rather than state facts, and this keeps me ahead of the changes.

Naivety also helped me embrace failure as a learning tool rather than a catastrophe. Since I didn’t enter these industries with a rigid plan, I wasn’t overly attached to any single approach. This flexibility allowed me to pivot quickly, experiment fearlessly, and grow stronger with every setback.

I’ve managed to grow multiple large businesses by not shying away from industries or ideas that feel unfamiliar. I’ve used my naivety as a lens to see opportunities others can’t. I ask questions, embrace curiosity, and challenge norms. I don’t believe you need all the answers to succeed – you just need the courage to start. Naivety isn’t a weakness. In the right hands, it’s a superpower.