Hope Horner is an accomplished entrepreneur and the award-winning CEO of Lemonlight, a production company based in LA.
When one of my cofounders and I started our company, we closed a high volume of sales for video projects within our first month. The catch? Neither of us knew how to make a video.
It sounds like a recipe for disaster, right? Surprisingly, it wasn’t. We figured it out as we went along, and our inexperience ended up being one of our biggest advantages.
If you have an idea for a business in an industry you’re not entirely familiar with, and all you’re hearing is, “What are you thinking?” or “That’ll never work,” this is for you. Launching a company in uncharted territory can be overwhelming, but sometimes, it’s exactly the right decision.
1. Inexperience can be your biggest asset.
Not knowing everything about your chosen market doesn’t automatically mean you’re doomed to fail. In fact, it can help you avoid the trap of thinking inside the box.
When we entered the video production industry, we weren’t bogged down by traditional processes or industry standards. That gave us the freedom to experiment and approach problems with a beginner’s mindset. We didn’t have the years of industry knowledge that might have dictated how things “should be done,” and that was key. Instead, we brought fresh eyes to the process and created something that worked for us—and our clients.
So, if you’re entering a new market, embrace that learning curve. Inexperience can be an advantage when it pushes you to think creatively and challenge industry norms.
2. Build a team that complements your knowledge gaps.
If you’re launching a business in a field you’re unfamiliar with, don’t let the gaps in your knowledge hold you back. Instead, surround yourself with people who have the skills and experience you lack.
One of the most important things we did early on was bring in a third cofounder who understood video production inside and out. While inexperience can help you see things differently, having someone with expertise is important for delivering on your promises. That way, you can focus on learning, growing and steering the business while ensuring you’re still providing value to your customers.
3. Confidence is key—even when you don’t have it all figured out.
When we first started selling video content, we had no idea what we were getting ourselves into. We didn’t know the rules of the industry or how anything worked for other production companies, but we believed in our ability to deliver on our vision and figure it out along the way.
My takeaway from those early days is that confidence goes a long way. It allows you to tackle challenges head-on without overthinking every step. Don’t be afraid to dive in, make mistakes and adjust your strategy as you go. Believe me, we made mistakes—big ones. But we learned from each one and got better because of it.
If you’re hearing a lot of discouragement, remember that no one else can see your vision as clearly as you can. Don’t let self-doubt creep in just because you don’t have all the answers upfront. Fake it till you make it!
Final Thoughts
By approaching an industry with a blank slate, you’re free to think outside the box and bring a fresh perspective to your idea. Sure, that means you’ll make mistakes, but it also means you’ll approach problems in new and innovative ways. In our case, we faced a lot of resistance from traditional video production companies who didn’t like our new approach. (We even got hate mail!) But we didn’t let that stop us—we just kept pushing forward, confident that our model was right for us and our clients.
If you’re new to an industry, start seeing that as your superpower. Break the rules. Challenge the status quo. Your fresh perspective might be exactly what the market needs.
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