The best early stage founders share one trait. Relentless curiosity. Early on, I noticed something. The best founders don’t just build companies, they live their industry. You can tell within minutes of talking to them. That realization changed how I operated Broadlume. I didn’t just run a company, I became obsessed with flooring. - Reading decades old industry reports for fun - Working in multiple stores as a "undercover" sales rep (see picture for the first store I worked in) - Asking endless questions to customers, competitors, and suppliers - Listening to customer phone calls to pick up the industry slang and abbreviations - Visiting showrooms on weekends (I visited 125+ locations) I even went as far as taking samples home and analyzing them to understand why retailer Curiosity is a superpower. USE IT. It compounds into growth. The founders who win aren’t just chasing money, they love the game of building and learning. If you’re not obsessed with your industry, someone else will be. And they’ll run circles around you.
Welcome to the flooring world Todd. I literally grew up in a carpet shop. 38yrs of being surrounded by flooring. Some say if you cut me open, I bleed carpet tufts 😂 Ps. You’ll probably like the name of one of our retail stores….. 👀
This nails why some founders seem to have a "sixth sense" for their industry. It's not magic - it's just thousands of hours of obsessive immersion creating pattern recognition that others don't have. Makes me think of how pro athletes "see things in slow motion" while amateurs are still thinking about their next move.
Love that! Curiosity does not kill the cat :)
Digital Director Runrug | Innovative-focused online flooring brand
6dCouldn’t agree more. There isn’t a flooring strategy or financial statement I haven’t read (that’s publicly accessible), all for nothing more than curiosity 🧠