What Business Lessons Can You Learn from Driving a Ferrari at 120 mph?
Last week I had the tremendous experience of driving a Ferrari 430 Scuderia on a closed track with a professional driver coaching me. This blog is my excuse to post the video below. I also was amazed at the techniques and skills that one would have to acquire to really get around the track quickly and how these same disciplines apply to business. I thought I’d share some of my thoughts with regard to the parallels below.
First, Here is the Video…
Thanks to Kenny and the guys at exoticsracing.com for a great time!
Get Out of Your Comfort Zone (without dying)
I have to admit that when I was still standing on the throttle down the straight away and I saw break lights in front of me…it was a bit unnerving. The coach was telling me “keep going, keep going” yet I was staring at red break lights from another Ferrari right in front of me. I followed his instructions and continued to accelerate, which clearly put me outside of my comfort zone. After a few laps I gained confidence in the car’s breaking ability and started to get more aggressive.
I have never come across a successful entrepreneur that did not step outside their comfort zone. I also have discovered though, that you don’t have to be so far outside your comfort zone that you are putting your business at the risk of failure. This concept of risk tolerance is a delicate balance. You want to take risks where the success is significant upside, and the failure is not your complete demise. I have seen people take risks when starting companies that are excessive (such as taking on debt too early). Get out of your comfort zone, but don’t take on so much risk that you will crash your car into the wall 🙂
 Pick a Line -Stay Focused
The line I picked into the corner was critical to my exit speed though the corner. You can see in the video that the driving coach is telling me to turn in, clip the apex of the corner, and then exit at full throttle out of the corner. I realized if you don’t pick the right line, you can’t exit the corner at maximum speed. Picking the right line is critical. In business, the parallel is “focus”. There are some many directions you can go, especially in the technology space because technology is so malleable. Often times there is a temptation to pivot too early before you have really tested and applied your vision. Just like in driving the car, you start to get a “feel”, I also believe there is a lot to be said for the “feel” of trusting your gut in business.
When I started ProspectNow, I just knew there was a market for it. In fact, I had no doubt because I had experienced the problem first hand. While we did many pivots with regard to execution and trial and error…the core vision of helping brokers/lenders close more deals has not changed. Don’t get distracted, pick a line, and stay focused.
 Slow Down to Go Fast
This is the old race car adage that you have to “slow down to go faster”. I really noticed this on the track. If I tired to get to cute or to creative with the car (such as too many down shifts or entering the corner too fast), it slowed me down. I really think this can be applied in business. Sometimes we feel we always have to be doing something regardless of how productive it is. It feels good to be “doing” but often times this leads to doing the wrong things that slow us down. Everyone has a “to do” list, but it’s just as important to have a “don’t do” list.
Hope you enjoyed the video and happy prospecting!