By Marcus Timson, FuturePrint

This article is another unashamed tribute to my favourite writer Malcolm Gladwell. This time it is inspired by his book, David and Goliath: Underdogs, Misfits, and the Art of Battling Giants

The book takes its inspiration from the biblical Old Testament favourite, which I recall hearing for the first time at primary school. Whether or not the intention was aimed at inspiring us to try difficult things regardless of the odds, I think it may have made some impact. I still love the spirit of the underdog overcoming adversity to triumph over a more dominant foe, and one expected to win easily. 

But Gladwell’s analysis of this ancient story explains that the tale in its original form isn't actually the full story. The original interpretation assumes that David is the most unlikely victor. But as Gladwell explains this is not the truth, in fact far from being an underdog, David actually had two significant advantages over Goliath. First, Gladwell suggests that Goliath likely suffered from acromegaly, which is a rare condition that forces the pituitary gland to overwork meaning that you grow significantly taller and larger than average. While seemingly affording one a positive advantage by looking and sounding intimidating, it has a limiting side effect in that it causes blindness. Goliath was practically blind and in the biblical story, if you look closely, it sounds like a guy who cannot see. This disadvantages Goliath against a foe such as David. 

David also has superior firepower. When his sling is wielded correctly, it possesses the stopping power equivalent to a bullet from a .45 calibre pistol. It is a serious weapon that combined with refined technique, force and accuracy, can be devastating.

So Goliath suffered from poor eyesight, restricted mobility by wearing heavy armour and had only standard or mediocre technology designed for close combat, useless against David’s sling.

David, in contrast to Goliath, was nimble, agile and able to disable Goliath without drawing a sword and risking personal injury through close combat. He completely neutralised a giant with superior experience and strength with a disruptive and unexpected strategy. No one expected anything at all from David, least of all Goliath. 

But that's not a story of an underdog and a favourite.

David has advantages in that battle, they're just not that obvious. That's why we need to do a better job of looking at what an advantage truly is.

David had advantages in abundance to add to his ability and bravery. 

Underdogs: Case Studies

My favourite case of the Underdog has to be Netflix v Blockbusters. The weakness of this giant (it even has a gigantic sounding name) was most certainly size, inflexibility and old technology. Anyone alive when Blockbuster was omnipotent will recall the frustrating experience of choosing a film to watch at home. It took ages to find one that had appeal for all the family and that was actually available. Apart from their success at industrialising the process, Blockbuster then grew so big, and their leadership removed themselves so far from the customer base that they did not evolve and started acting less like a retailer and more like a bank. Meanwhile, an upstart David (Netflix) could see the frailty of the experience compounded by punitive late fees that only served to give blockbuster extra revenue. That said, Netflix believed there was scope and space for both, but Blockbuster declined the opportunity to buy them. The rest is (more recent) history I suppose… 

As Gladwell says, underdogs are defined by their disagreeableness, which is not obnoxiousness, but rather they are not people who require the social approval of their peers to go forward with an idea. If you need peer approval, then you wouldn't be the first to try anything new. 

As mentioned, at one critical point in the growth stage for Netflix, prior to the internet platform becoming a reality, the business was offered to Blockbuster for $50 million. This was turned down. The commercial challenges Netflix faced at this point in their growth curve, led them to want to offer a sale to Blockbuster. Their postal model was gathering fans, but it was their internet platform (which came later) that truly took them onto another level. The fact is they kept going, and Blockbusters inability to see this as a threat led to their own downfall. They were as complicit in this as Netflix, and the technological change uprooting their business model right in front of their eyes. They were blind to it just like Goliath.

So What?

If you are a smaller business you have available weapons that a dominant, established and larger competitor will not necessarily possessAudacity, speed, ingenuity and commitment to name just a few! So rather than feeling intimidated, why not embrace your vulnerability and take massive action just as David did.

Why should you read this book?

Because this book is fundamentally about the weapons of the spirit. It's about how the things that are in your heart or your soul and your imagination are equal to any material advantages that you've been given. For any start-up or small business, you are most likely not to possess material advantages. But you can out-think, out-innovate and out-perform dominant businesses in the market. What you have are your ideas, your motivation, your perseverance, your excitement and your belief! This book is an attempt to appreciate those gifts for what they are, and I think that's something that everyone should be interested in.