Creativity lessons from how Boxbollen created a global success. (The Creativity Explorer. Episode 112)
Let me start with a statement: Boxbollen is a super fun product, a great gift, a huge success – but most of all an amazing idea!
Jacob and Victor Eriksson, two brothers from Sweden, came up with the idea of putting a foam ball on an elastic string and to connect it to an app that counts the hits. The result: a perfect family game that feels like a computer game but happens in real life.
They are on track to sell 200,000 (!) Boxbollen (www.boxbollen.com) this year – almost all of them as Christmas presents.
I had the privilege of meeting with Jacob and Victor and they told me that It it started off slow (they sold < 3000 copies the first year), and there were many people who told them all the reasons for why Boxbollen would never work. But the brothers did not listen to the nay-sayers, instead they looked for, what they call, “receipts”.
‘Receipts’ are instances when you receive positive and honest feedback about your idea being great. In the case of Boxbollen it was things like when they showed off an early prototype in a park and a family came up and refused to give the Boxbollen back. Or when they showed it off in a pool in Malaga and a couple on a date, drinking champagne and eating strawberries, could not take their eyes off the demonstration.
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Receipts.
When you doubt your idea, these receipts will give you energy.When you move forward these receipts will confirm that you are going in the right direction.
The word “receipt comes from the 14 century word “receit” meaning “the act of receiving”.
When you launching a new idea you are often in no-mans-land and there are few indicators that what you are creating will work. That’s where these receipts become so important. You are receiving proof that you are on to something.
A word of caution: Look out for fake receipts – dishonest praise from friends trying to be nice or from people with a hidden agenda.
But keep chasing the true receipts.
Jacob and Victor almost manically chase receipts.
The final advice from Jacob was: “Do not listen to the haters. Listen to the lovers. Collect receipts of positive and honest feedback.” And then he added: “And surround yourself with positive people with big and bold ideas.”
Develop your creativity and keep exploring!
Fredrik Haren – The Creativity Explorer.
ps. As always: I would love to hear your comments and thoughts at: https://www.linkedin.com/posts/fredrikharen_boxbollen-creativity-success-activity-6853595107967533056-XWaG
28
Nov