1851

It&rsquo;s hard to imagine a world where streaming your favorite TV shows, hailing a cab through an app, booking a room at someone&rsquo;s home over a hotel and trying on different glasses through the mail at no cost are all impossible tasks. But even a decade ago, these services&mdash;and the brands behind them&mdash;didn&rsquo;t exist.

&nbsp;

Companies like Netflix, Uber, Airbnb and Warby Parker have all flipped their respective industries on their heads. But in order to get to the position in which they all reside now&mdash;at the forefront of a new industry&mdash;the entrepreneurs behind these brands had to break from the norm. For Netflix CEO Reed Hastings, that initially meant paying close attention to the direction of consumers&rsquo; engagement with the internet.

In an interview with Business Insider, Hastings said, &ldquo;It&rsquo;s not Netflix that making the changes. It&rsquo;s the internet. We&rsquo;re figuring out every year how to use the Internet to make a great consumer experience. Every year is an experiment.&rdquo; Now that Netflix has opened the door for streaming services to succeed, the opportunities are endless for other brands to throw their hats in the ring. Hastings continued, &ldquo;It&rsquo;s a race, but there are going to be many winners. If you can build an iPhone app, you can start a TV channel. We are going to have to see how that plays out.&rdquo;

Netflix is far from the only brand to prove that embracing non-conformity has the potential to lead to great success. Uber is another strong example&mdash;by matching drivers with riders through an app, the brand created an entirely new segment in the taxi industry. Travis Kalanick, Uber&rsquo;s co-founder and CEO, says it managed to do this simply by solving a problem and addressing a widespread need.

&ldquo;From the entrepreneur&rsquo;s perspective it&rsquo;s about solving problems. It&rsquo;s about what are the interesting, complex, worthwhile, valuable problems to solve and we go after them,&rdquo; Kalanick told CNBC. &ldquo;You could have never predicted where we are now and I don&rsquo;t know if I could predict where we are going.&rdquo;

In addition to problem solving, changing an industry also requires tapping into consumer demand. Neil Blumenthal, the co-founder and co-CEO of Warby Parker, for example, recognized a disconnect between consumers and the eyewear industry. Consumers were looking for affordable and trendy eyeglasses that were convenient to buy. That&rsquo;s where Warby Parker comes in. And as the brand continues to grow, it&rsquo;s still figuring out what exactly it is that consumers are looking for.

&ldquo;Ultimately we want to be where our customers are, and we&rsquo;ve found that an in-person connection has been super valuable,&rdquo; said Blumenthal. &ldquo;Our belief has always been that the future of retail is a blend of online and offline&mdash;so while we&rsquo;ll continue to expand our physical footprint, online remains a very important part of our customer experience.&rdquo;

Going forward into the new year and beyond, it&rsquo;s likely that the business community will see the rise of new entrepreneurs looking to create a new normal. That means that brands currently operating across all industries need to be focused on innovation and the future. In order to succeed, businesses&mdash;and the people behind them&mdash;need to be willing to embrace change.

Airbnb&rsquo;s co-founder and CEO Brian Chesky told Vanity Fair, &ldquo;If we don&rsquo;t grow past what we originally invented, what led to your success leads to your death.&rdquo;

By Embracing Non-Conformity, Entrepreneurs Have the Power to Change Their Industries

1851 Franchise

From Netflix and Airbnb to Uber and Warby Parker, innovative brands have a long history of making their industries do a 180.


by-embracing-non-conformity-entrepreneurs-have-the-power-to-change-their-industries

Lawn Doctor

Design with photo of John Perry and Lawn Doctor logo

How a 20-Year Industry Veteran Tripled His Sales With a Lawn Doctor Franchise

lawn-doctor-franchise-success-story-john-perry

Fitness Premier

The Secret to Fitness Franchise Success? It's Not Just the Workouts

fitness-premier-franchise-marketing-support

Fresh Coat

Photo of Fresh Coat vehicle with ladders on top

The Rise of Home Improvement Franchises: Why Now Is the Time to Invest

why-invest-home-improvement-franchise-fresh-coat

HomeTeam Inspection Service

Photo of HomeTeam inspector in red polo and khaki pants, walking by branded vehicle

Real Estate Today: Behind the Drywall: The Truth About Home Inspections

purpose-of-home-inspection

Dog Training Elite

Dog Training Elite Franchise - DTE - National Service Dog Month - 1851 Franchise

Celebrating Service Dogs: Why Proper Training Changes Lives — And How Dog Training Elite Is Leading the Way

dog-training-elite-national-service-dog-month

Buying a Franchise Masterclass

 Franchise Opportunities

Get Support Buying a Franchise

How to Buy a Franchise White Paper

How to Buy a Franchise

How to Sell Franchises

How to Grow a Franchise

Find a Franchise Supplier

1851 Franchise Opportunities

Franchisor News

Franchisor Power Rankings

FranCamp Mastermind Summit

Franchise Development Website Builder

Franchise Resources

What ALEC-Laffer's Report Means for Franchising

Website Awards

Power Rankings

About 1851

Advertise on 1851

Contact 1851 Editorial

Terms of Use

1851 Login

GROWTH CLUB LOGIN

facebook

instagram

twitter

linkedin

youtube

Design with American and Federal Reserve flags against light blue background

Federal Reserve Expected To Cut Rates by Quarter Point, a Move That Could Boost Franchise Growth

fed-rate-cut-boosts-franchise-growth

Potbelly to be Acquired by RaceTrac in $566 Million Deal 

racetrac-acquires-potbelly-in-566-million-deal

Health Care Hiring Slowdown Highlights In-Home Care Franchise Opportunities - 1851 Franchise Agg

Health Care Hiring Slowdown Highlights In-Home Care Franchise Opportunities 

health-care-hiring-slowdown-in-home-care-franchise-opportunities

Caribou Coffee Names Scott Kennedy CEO, Eyes Continued Growth

caribou-coffee-names-scott-kennedy-ceo-eyes-continued-growth

McDonald’s Launches New Extra Value Meals as Consumer Demand for Value Continues to Climb

mcdonalds-launches-extra-value-meals

DevHub - Meet the Supplier - 1851 Franchise

DevHub: Scalable Digital Marketing for Franchises and Multi-Location Brands

devhub-meet-the-supplier

Mike Revak - Chief Business Officer - Sky Zone - Franchise Marketing Leaders - 1851 Franchise

Top 25 Franchise Marketing Leaders: Mike Revak — President and Chief Business Officer, Sky Zone

top-25-franchise-marketing-leaders-mike-revak-chief-business-officer-sky-zone

Top 25 Franchise Marketing Leaders: Cathy Chavenet — Chief Marketing Officer, Paris Baguette

top-25-franchise-marketing-leaders-cathy-chavenet-chief-marketing-officer-paris-baguette

BooXkeeping: Making Bookkeeping Cool for Franchisors, Franchisees, and Small Business Owners

booxkeeping-making-bookkeeping-cool-for-franchisors-franchisees-and-small-business-owners

Hely and Hiral Patel Bring Their Longtime Dream to Life With The Brass Tap

brass-tap-franchise-pasadena-maryland-hely-hiral-patel

1851 Keyword - The Secret To Succeeding With a Part-Time Franchise Is Picking the Right Model

The Secret To Succeeding With a Part-Time Franchise Is Picking the Right Model

part-time-franchises-picking-the-right-model

Franchisee spotlight graphic with photo of Ricki Oberoi and Layne's Chicken Fingers logo

Multi-Unit Wendy’s Operator Signs 12-Unit Deal With Layne’s Chicken Fingers

ricki-oberoi-laynes-chicken-fingers-growth

1851 Franchise Deep Dive graphic with Sparkle Squad logo

Sparkle Squad Franchise Costs, Fees, Profit and Data for 2025

franchise-deep-dive-sparkle-squad-franchise-costs-fees-profit-and-data

Design with school-aged child standing on pencil with text "Education Franchises" and "<$500K"

Top Education Franchises Under $500K To Explore in 2025

top-education-franchises-under-500k

By Embracing Non-Conformity, Entrepreneurs Have the Power to Change Their Industries

MORE STORIES LIKE THIS