How Small Companies Punch Above Their Weight

If only it wasn’t so obvious. But it is. I’m talking about the companies out there that have the cash flow, the willing investors, the big budgets and the equally big client listings.

These companies know how to beat the drums and blow the whistles. They know how to make you sit up and take action. You want to ignore them, but you can’t. Territory has been marked, boundaries staked and guarded, and little slows them down—until maybe something—or someone— does.

Notice the kid weaving through that thicket of trees with agility and speed?

It’s that skinny pipsqueak of a kid. He’s here one second and gone the next. You barely notice him. He doesn’t look like much; he’s thin and scrawny—the kind of kid that doesn’t typically get a second look. But look again. This kid is surprisingly strong. He is also whip-smart and tenacious. He is nimble and quick to react. He has grit and wants to stick around. He has “it”—and “it” is being redefined as we speak.

Big companies with big war chests, never-ending resources and other stuff come with their share of baggage, which can exact a cost.

With size comes obligations: huge overhead, thousands of employees, risks and liabilities, the list goes on.

With size comes reputations to protect, a risk-averse culture, “safe” strategies to maximize profit margins—and a stagnant pot of ideas that is infrequently stirred. The cash is there, yes, but it’s easy to become complacent, settled in the conventional ways—and tired.

The scrappy kid? He doesn’t have much more than the faded shirt on his back and a craving need to somehow make it all work. And work he does. He’s in the game, and he’ll fight to stay there.

This post is about the little companies out there that are fiercely trying to make a difference. They want to create something exciting, useful and new. Watch them. They’re on the move.