Hey road warrior!

I’m not sure where to start, but here’s the playlist, and it has a twang (because I just put down 2804 miles across the American southwest).

On the Road Again - Willie Nelson (also sung by Snoop Dog and Matthew McConaughey!)

El Paso - Marty Robbins (El Paso is the approximate halfway point between Los Angeles and Austin. And this is my favorite gunfighter ballad).

I’ve been everywhere (man) - Johnny Cash; and this is how I felt by the time we got back to LA.

Last week we packed up the car and the dogs to make the two-day drive from Los Angeles to Austin, TX to celebrate my best friend’s 50th. Of course, this also meant we had to drive back.

Now, you’re probably wondering, Why did you drive?? In retrospect I’m not sure, but it seemed like a good idea at the time. We have a house in Austin and were going to make some repairs and bring some things back that wouldn’t fit into suitcases.

Plus . . . there were experiences we wanted to have that are just harder to have when you fly in and out of a place.

Take Buc-ee’s - the largest gas station in the world, right in New Braunfels, TX. (Though it’s going to be surpassed by an even bigger one next year in Luling, TX, it’s birthplace).

Buc-ee’s is a stunning example of using inversion thinking to innovate.

Inverse thinking means considering the opposite perspective.

For example . . .

Who likes stopping for gas? NO ONE. But what if you rejected that idea, and instead asked yourself, what would make someone WANT to stop at a place to get gas.

You’ll find out if you’re ever in the vicinity of a Buc-ees, like the one in New Braunfels, the world’s largest gas station. Buc-ee’s used inverse thinking and managed to take something people hate to do - stop for gas - and turn it into something that is a reason to stop. I mean, not only are there 120 pumps (which means no waiting), but gas isn’t even the best reason to stop. Buc-ees also has the world’s largest convenience store – with barbecue brisket sandwiches that melt in your mouth, the longest jerky bar I’ve ever seen (I love jerky!!!), and the world’s cleanest bathrooms in America (according to Cintas). Trust me, on our road trip, I have a huge appreciation for spotless gas station bathrooms.

Us getting our picture taken with Buc-ee.

Buc-ee’s has made me a total convert. I loved this place. But what fascinates me most is how Buc-ee’s managed to take a very old model (annoying gas stop + convenience store with crappy snacks + icky bathroom) and turn it into some sort of wacky wonderland that was a highlight of my day. I’m a sucker of western style jerky. You know, the superdry kind that can rip a tooth out if you’re not careful. I sure wish there was a jerky bar in the LA area.

So how about this thought experiment: How could you take some aspect of your industry, your business, or really anything dull, outdated, or downright painful and turn it on its head to come up with something new?

Inverse thinking is a mental model encouraged by Charlie Munger (you know, that brilliant partner of Warren Buffet). Munger suggests pursuing success by being clear about what you want to avoid (poverty, illness, loneliness, and so on) rather than what you want to achieve. He said avoiding stupidity is easier than trying to be brilliant. If you look at Munger’s track record, I think he’s onto something.

You can use inverse thinking to get your creative juices going simply by asking yourself the question that is the opposite of the way you’d usually ask it.

• How could we lose money next year?
• How could we make our team less creative?
• How could we make our messaging less original?

What pops into your mind might just be things you’re doing today and need to avoid. And that will almost always uncover things you could do to achieve the opposite.

Take the Sagrada Familia, that still unfinished cathedral imagined and started by Gaudí, that when completed (theoretically in 2026) will be the tallest cathedral in the world. He used inverted thinking to inform how to get the spires so tall by using string and weights to build an upside down model of the cathedral.

3 things to ponder this week.

• What are you doing NOW to get a head start on 2024?? I wrote an article on Linkedin on why the next 60 days are the most critical ones for success in 2024.
• To brine or not to brine (Thanksgiving is almost here!) Personally, I’ve taken to spatchcocking my turkey and cooking it on my Weber!
• What books do you gift? Seriously, I want to know. I love giving books, but I need more ideas.

Thanks for reading to the end! Happy weekend.

Ginger