Set Yourself Apart...Even in the Smokies

One of my favorite books from the past few years is Peter Thiel's Zero to One. If you haven't read it, Thiel's thesis is simple yet counter to so much buzz in the entrepreneurial world, especially in his home turf of Silicon Valley. Thiel argues against strategies like disrupting existing markets since, by definition, it requires going directly against entrenched businesses. Thiel instead suggests that the path to the greatest success is to create a new market, in essence taking one where there are zero businesses and being the only one in it. Hence, the title.

While Thiel's thesis is sound, it is not realistic for every entrepreneur. Not everyone has the imagination or resources to create a Facebook, PayPal or Disney World. Last week, though, reminded me how important it is for any entrepreneur to set his or her business apart from the others.

My wife and I had a great few days last week vacationing in the Smoky Mountains to celebrate our anniversary. We did a lot of fun stuff there. The highlight was definitely whitewater rafting. What made it stand out from our other activities, like hiking beautiful mountain trails, a minor league baseball game and ziplining?

We've been rafting on various rivers with a bunch of different companies. In fact, we've rafted on the same Upper Pigeon River as we did last week. While we were rafting on the Upper Pigeon, there were other companies giving tours at the same time. What set this experience apart was the fun that the company we used, Rafting in the Smokies, put into it. From the moment we checked in through the bus ride to the starting point until our ride ended, including when our guide tipped our raft so we fell into the river, the company's various team members had a great attitude and kept us laughing and engaged. Nearly a week later, my wife and I are still repeating a funny phrase that our guide used.

In contrast, the very next day, we went horseback riding. It was a pleasant hour on a beautiful mountain trail. Throughout the ride, though, our guide rarely said anything to us beyond some advice as to which way to lean. There was virtually no engagement by our guide or nor did he tell us anything of interest. Except for the fact that my butt is still a little sore and that my horse's name was Cha-Ching--hopefully a harbinger of good things to come--the outing was nice but not too memorable. I can't even remember the company's name.

Both outings had something in common. They were activities in places in which there are competitors. Both activities came with the opportunity for the vendors to enhance our experience in a unique and memorable way. A week later, one set itself apart. The other, simply put, did not.