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STONE SOUP
WINTER 2 0 1 8 / 2 0 1 9
3 –Minute
Entrepreneurship Lesson
THE FOLLOWING short
story is one of the great lessons
for entrepreneurial success.
It is a timeless story that
remains relevant for bold
entrepreneurs pursuing
their moonshots.
It’s called ‘Stone Soup,’ and
it originally came in the
form of a children’s book.
Here’s the three-minute
summary of the story,
with my interpretation
for entrepreneurs…
STONE SOUP
A long time ago, in a tiny
medieval village, a farmer
spotted three soldiers
on the edge of town.
Knowing what would likely
happen next, he ran into
the marketplace shouting a
warning: “Quick, close the
doors, lock the windows!
There are three hungry
soldiers coming, and they’ll
take away all our food.”
The soldiers were
in fact hungry.
When they entered the village,
they started knocking on doors,
asking for something to eat.
The first villager told them
that his cupboards were
bare. The second villager
told them the same. The
next door didn't even open.
Finally, one of the starving
soldiers said, “I have an idea
-- let’s make stone soup!”
With that, he knocked on yet
another door. “Excuse me,”
he said to the villager, “do
you have a cauldron and some
firewood? We would like to
make some stone soup.”
The villager, thinking there’s
no risk, said, “Soup from
stones? This I’ve got to
see. Sure, I’ll help.” So she
gave the soldiers a cauldron
and some firewood while
another villager fetched three
rocks and some water.
They brought the water to a
boil and placed three large
stones in the pot. News
spread around the town,
and the villagers began to
gather. “Soup from stones,”
they said. “This we have to
see. I had no idea you can
make soup from stones.”
“Sure can,” replied the soldiers.
Eventually, tired of standing
around, another villager
asked, “Can I help?”
“Perhaps,” said a soldier, “if
you had a few potatoes to
spare, that would make the
stone soup even better.”
The villager quickly fetched
some potatoes and added them
to the pot of simmering stones.
Another asked, “How
can I help?”
“Well, a dozen carrots
would sure make the soup
even better.” The villager
fetched some carrots.
Soon others added poultry,
barley, garlic, and leeks.
After a while one of the
soldiers called out, “It’s done,”
and shared the soup with
everyone to taste and enjoy.
The villagers said, “Soup
from stones! It tastes
fantastic. I had no idea.”
WHY THIS IS SUCH A
GOOD METAPHOR
I’ve come to believe that
making stone soup is the
only way an entrepreneur
can succeed at creating
something big and bold.
The stones are, of course, your
passion, your labor, and your
big bold idea; the contributions
of the villagers are the capital,
resources, and intellectual
support offered by investors
and strategic partners.
Everyone who adds a small
amount to your stone soup
is in fact helping to make
your dream come true.
Most important in making
stone soup work is your
passion. People love passion.
People love to contribute to
passion. And you can’t fake it.
The human B.S. detector is
great at spotting the inauthentic
player: the used car salesman,
the carnival barker, and the
disingenuous politician.
PASSION IS A
TRICKIER SUBJECT
THAN MOST ASSUME
So what kind of passion
works well?
John Hagel, co-founder of
Deloitte’s Center for the Edge,
calls it ‘the passion of the true
believer.’ “In Silicon Valley
we have many examples of
the true believer,” says Hagel.
“These are great entrepreneurs
[who] are truly passionate
about a very specific path
and are notoriously not
open to alternative views or
approaches. Their passion
is enduring and focused.”
Passionate people are deeply
creative in seeking out and
pulling in the resources they
need to pursue their passion,
but it goes farther than that.
“People who pursue their
passions inevitably create
beacons that attract others
who share their vision,” said
Hagel. “Few of these beacons
are consciously created; they
are byproducts of pursuing
one’s passion. Passionate
people share their creations
widely, leaving tracks for
others to find them.”
Dr. Peter H. Diamandis is an international pioneer in the fields of innovation, incentive competitions and
commercial space. In 2014 he was named one of "The World’s 50 Greatest Leaders" – by Fortune Magazine.
In the field of Innovation, Diamandis is Founder and Executive Chairman of the XPRIZE Foundation, best
known for its $10 million Ansari XPRIZE for private spaceflight.
Diamandis is also the Co-Founder and Vice-Chairman of Human Longevity Inc. (HLI), a genomics and cell
therapy-based diagnostic and therapeutic company focused on extending the healthy human lifespan. He
is also the Co-Founder and Executive Chairman of Singularity University, a graduate-level Silicon Valley
institution that studies exponentially growing technologies, their ability to transform industries, and solve
humanity’s grand challenges.
diamandis.com