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

TruBlue Home Service Ally

TruBlue’s Home Maintenance Plans: Peace of Mind for Homeowners

trublues-home-maintenance-plans-peace-of-mind-for-homeowners

Caring Transitions

Caring Transitions Targets Peoria, Illinois, for Franchise Growth

caring-transitions-targets-peoria-illinois-for-franchise-growth

Caring Transitions Celebrates a Strong Start to 2025 With 19 New Franchise Sales and Momentum-Building Training Events

caring-transitions-celebrates-a-strong-start-to-2025-with-19-new-franchise-sales-and-momentum-building-training-events

Right at Home

Right at Home 30th Anniversary in Home Care with Right at Home Logo

Celebrating 30 Years of Excellence and Future Innovations in Home Care

celebrating-30-years-of-excellence-and-future-innovations-in-home-care

Why TruBlue is the Ideal Franchise for Multi-Unit Owners: Scalable Growth With a Purpose

why-trublue-is-the-ideal-franchise-for-multi-unit-owners-scalable-growth-with-a-purpose

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 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

DoorDash Expansion Could Reshape Delivery and Operations for Franchise Brands - 1851 Franchise

DoorDash Expansion Could Reshape Delivery and Operations for Franchise Brands

doordash-acquistions-deliveroo-sevenrooms

Crumbl Franchise Investment - TSG Consumer Partners -  1851 Franchise

TSG Consumer Partners Takes Minority Stake in Crumbl, Signaling Franchise Growth Potential

crumbl-franchise-investment-tsg-consumer

Yum Brands Reports Strong Q1 Results with Big Boost from Taco Bell

yum-brands-reports-strong-q1-results-with-big-boost-from-taco-bell

QSR: McDonald’s Gains Momentum With Chicken Innovation, Value Deals and Franchisee Support

mcdonalds-franchise-recovery-chicken-strategy-value-deals-2025

The Future of Franchising: Trends and Predictions for 2025 and Beyond

the-future-of-franchising-trends-and-predictions-for-2025-and-beyond

The Ultimate Guide to Selling Franchises: Building Your Brand’s Growth Machine

ultimate-guide-to-selling-franchises

franchise supplier award design with Locate AI logo and 1851 Franchise badge

Franchise Real Estate Services | Locate AI — Emerging Leaders in Franchise Support

locate-ai-emerging-leaders-in-franchise-support

The Ultimate Guide to Selling Franchises: How to Position Your Value Proposition

The Ultimate Guide to Selling Franchises: How to Position Your Value Proposition — Point of Differentiation

how-to-position-your-value-proposition-with-a-point-of-differentiation

The Ultimate Guide to Selling Franchises: How to Clarify Your Positioning – The “Why You/Why Now”

the-ultimate-guide-to-selling-franchises-how-to-clarify-your-positioning-the-why-youwhy-now

Franchisee spotlight image with Randy and Sandy Craft, Children's Lighthouse logo on blue background

The Crafts’ Successful Journey from New Parents to Children’s Lighthouse Franchisees

the-crafts-successful-journey-from-new-parents-to-childrens-lighthouse-franchisees

Franchisee spotlight graphic with photo of Amy Lepke and family and Papa Murphy's logo

After 14 Years as a Stay-At-Home Mom, Amy Lepke Returned to Papa Murphy’s — This Time as an Owner

papa-murphys-franchise-amy-lepke

Franchisee Spotlight with Micki Waters and Papa Murphy's Logo

Work Mom: How Micki Waters Became a Mother Figure to Her Entire Papa Murphy’s Team

work-mom-how-micki-waters-became-a-mother-figure-to-her-entire-papa-murphys-team

District Taco Franchise Costs, Fees, Profit and Data for 2025

franchise-deep-dive-district-tacos-franchise-costs-fees-profit-and-data

Layoffs Surge to Pandemic-Era Highs, Opening Doors for Franchise Growth

layoffs-surge-to-pandemic-era-highs-opening-doors-for-franchise-growth

Franchisee spotlight image with photo of Robert Trujillo and UWRG logo on blue background

How Robert Trujillo Expanded His Construction Business With UWRG

how-robert-trujillo-expanded-his-construction-business-with-uwrg

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

MORE STORIES LIKE THIS