How in the hell is Lego still alive?

Of all the toys, video games, and technology-based gadgets, it’s amazing to me that something that involves clicking two bricks together has withstood the test of time.

My son will spend hours putting a Lego set together. He is fascinated by his creation and I think that it gives him a sense of accomplishment. I enjoy watching him immerse himself in his task and I appreciate that he does not come up for air until it is finished. Watching him present his finished project is always a joy for me.

Bricks that stick together does not seem like a multi-billion dollar idea. I think that the most fascinating part of the Lego story is that it was probably a thousand dollar idea which rode the coattails of persistence and determination. I like the million dollar ideas. I have had tons of them. The only reason I don’t make millions of dollars from my ideas is because I quit pursuing them if they don’t result in a million dollars overnight. Ideas are easy; persistence, consistency, and follow-through are difficult. If Lego had quit every time things went a little flat, they would have vanished years ago.

I watched a documentary on Lego. They discussed a situation that took place when they began making robots with electric gears and computers. People were excited to build the Lego robots but they were also hacking into the internal workings of the computers and making the Lego Robotics do things outside the realm of what they were originally intended. The company felt like there was a crisis and did not know how to intervene. One side of Lego said that they should legally attack the perpetrators who were manipulating the Lego computers, while the other side of the room wanted to embrace the ingenuity of the users and see what the Lego community wanted to do with their machines. In response to the seeming “crisis” brought on by Lego users hacking into the components of Lego Robotics, a Lego engineer was quoted as saying,

“We have to remember that 99.9% of the world’s smartest people are not employed by Lego.”

Sounds pretty similar to the idea behind open-source software. Most ideas are best shared. Trying to hoard information and convincing myself that I am the only one with the “right” way to solve a problem is rarely the correct way to think. Inclusivity and the culmination of ideas have a history of success. “Mine. Mine. Mine.” Doesn’t seem to be the best strategy as it pertains to business or relationships but it is generally my first instinct.

I can be pretty childish. I can believe that I possess the only way to do something and convince myself that this alone gives me some sort of power. I have a way of arguing like my children and dressing it up in adult clothing.

Accept the ideas of others.

Appreciate input.

Share.

Peace, Love, and all things Beef related.

Beefcake