Just read this decent book called Purple Cow - Seth Godin, which is basically about trying to be remarkable . This is an excerpt
The Cow is so rare because people are afraid.
If you’re remarkable, it’s likely that some people won’t like you. That’s the part of the definition of remarkable. Nobody gets unanimous praise – ever. The best the timid can hope for is to be unnoticed. Criticism comes to those who stand out.
Where did you learn how to fail? If you’re like most Americans, you learned in first grade. That’s when you started figuring out that the safe thing to do was to fit it. The safe thing to do was to color inside the lines, don’t ask too many questions in class, and whatever you do, be sure your homework assignment fits on the supplied piece of card stock.
We run schools like factories. We line kids up in straight rows, put them in batches, and work very hard to make sure there are no defective parts. Nobody standing out, falling behind, running ahead, making a ruckus.
Playing it safe. Following the rules. Those seem like the best way to avoid failure. And in school, they may very well be. Alas, these rules set a pattern for most people(like your boss?), and that pattern is awfully dangerous. These are the rules that ultimately lead to failure.
In a crowded marketplace fitting in is failing. In a busy marketplace, not standing out is the same thing as being invisible.
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