Member Article

London bears the challenge of uncertainty

London was stunned to see a bear trap pop up in a variety of locations, with a gift placed precariously on the pressure plate inside. From Greenwich Park to Canary Wharf, passersby on their commute were challenged to reach into the unknown in the hope of a reward for their bravery.

The masterminds behind this are award-winning author Matt Watkinson, and entrepreneurial investment bigwig Csaba Konkoly. Watkinson is an internationally renowned author, speaker and consultant on customer experience and business strategy who has announced the launch of his latest book ‘Mastering Uncertainty: How great founders, entrepreneurs and business leaders thrive in an unpredictable world’ co-written with Konkoly – with a slightly different approach to that of your standard book launch.

Via a carefully crafted stunt, Matt placed copies of his book at the centre of a giant bear trap across various locations across London, secretly filming how people would react when faced with the unnerving spectacle, resulting in a heartwarming video.

Mirroring the very ethos of the book, the stunt was designed to see how members of the public would react when faced with mastering their own uncertainty. Should they take the risk and reach for the prize, uncertain as to whether the bear trap would snap shut, or simply walk away? Did the benefit outweigh the risk?

This is a quandary faced by many business owners and entrepreneurs, and it’s the focus of the book.

What separates the world’s most successful entrepreneurs and business tycoons from the rest? It’s not their superhuman intelligence. It’s something more fundamental: they understand how to turn uncertainty to their advantage.

Commenting on the stunt, Matt said: “We wanted to demonstrate that uncertainty can be found in people’s everyday lives and we all have the ability to turn that to our advantage.

“We all know that the future is inherently unknowable, and yet we behave and plan as though it is. Once we truly understand the nature of uncertainty, though, we can take practical steps to make the most of the opportunities that come our way.”

Mastering Uncertainty: How great founders, entrepreneurs and business leaders thrive in an unpredictable world offers practical advice on how we can improve our odds, whether through maximising our networks, learning how to read warning signs, or assessing where best to place our energies.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Lucy Seller .