Listen, my China.

There's a business term that separates the rich from the broke: "Speed to market."

And it's more important than having the perfect logo, the perfect website, or the perfect anything.

The entrepreneurs I work with who make the most money? They're "speed to market" people. They don't sit around waiting for lightning to strike their creative genius.

They cheat. Legally. Ethically. And profitably.

While their competitors are still stuck in planning meetings, debating fonts and arguing about brand colors, these speed demons are already counting cash.

Here's the brutal truth: Creativity as most people practice it is a sin, not a virtue.

Why? Because it's slow. Because it's ponderous. Because it starts with a blank slate and pretends you need to reinvent the wheel every bloody time.

Walt Disney (you know, that guy who built a small empire) said it best: "Stop talking and begin doing."

So let me give you 5 creativity shortcuts that'll have you moving faster than a Blue Light taxi in peak hour traffic...


Shortcut #1: Steal and Adapt What's Already Built (Like a Boss)

Here's a story that'll blow your mind.

At Disneyland's Indiana Jones ride, they wanted the vehicle to suddenly reverse as a giant boulder comes thundering toward you. Problem? It's literally impossible. With 18 vehicles on the same track, a reversing car would smash into the one behind it.

But if you've been on the ride, you know your vehicle definitely backs up. You feel it in your gut.

Plot twist: The vehicle never moves. It's the walls and ceiling that move, creating the perfect illusion you're going backward.

Where did Disney's engineers get this brilliant solution?

A bloody car wash.

You know those self-service machines at the garage where you park while brushes move around your car? Boom. Million-dollar solution found in a R50 car wash.

The lesson? Whatever you're trying to do, somebody's already figured it out. Just not in your industry. Your job isn't to reinvent everything from scratch – it's to find what's already built and adapt it.

Pro tip: Every time you see anything, go anywhere, experience anything, ask yourself: "How can I use that in my business?"


Shortcut #2: Work Backwards (Start With the Money)

Most people approach creativity like a drunk person approaches a braai – they start with whatever's in front of them and hope for the best.

Let's say you want to open a restaurant. Most people start with the name, the theme, the menu.

Wrong.

Start with what'll make a customer come back. Start with the last few minutes they're in your place. What happens at the till? What creates the highest average spend?

Start with the outcome and work backwards.

In the movie business, they figure out product placement before they even write the script. That scene in the book that happened inside a dark bar at night? They'll move it to a sunny deck so they can get money from sunglasses companies, jacket brands, and liquor companies for patio umbrella ads.

They work backwards from the money.

You should too.


Shortcut #3: Know Your Customer Before You Know Your Product

Here's where most businesses cock it up completely.

They gather their "creative team" (usually three people in a boardroom with stale rusks) and immediately start brainstorming random ideas.

Stop. Right. There.

I don't care if your product smells like jasmine, ocean breezes, or a Durban taxi rank in December. I don't care if it's made from cedar planks or imported unicorn tears.

Tell me who's buying it first.

Is she 25 or 45? Single or married? Does she shop at Woolworths or PnP? Does she drive a Golf or a Fortuner?

Because here's the thing – creating a marketing message for a 25-year-old single woman in Sandton is completely different from targeting a 45-year-old married mom in Stellenbosch.

Don't play blind archery with your marketing.

Know exactly who you're aiming at before you even think about what you're selling. It's not just the best way to make money – it's a massive creativity shortcut because it narrows your focus from day one.


Shortcut #4: Swipe, Swipe, Swipe (But Do It Right)

Here's something that'll make you smile: I get genuine joy hearing from entrepreneurs who took an example from our newsletter, adapted it to their business, and made bank.

You should never start with a blank slate.

Too hard. Too slow. Too expensive.

Instead, gather examples of what's already working. Study what others are doing. Then adapt it for your market.

This isn't copying – it's being smart. Every successful business does this. Apple didn't invent the smartphone – they just made it better. Facebook didn't invent social media – they just executed it better.

Your job is to find what works and make it work for you.


Shortcut #5: Let Random Objects Spark Million-Rand Ideas

This one's my personal favorite, and it's pure genius.

Instead of staring at a blank page trying to come up with campaign ideas, I flip through catalogs of random promotional items. Toys, gadgets, seasonal decorations – anything that sparks an idea.

I once created an entire "Magical Business Boot Camp" campaign for a restaurant client because I found magic tricks, cards, and top hats in a catalog. The theme came from the props, not the other way around.

Here's how it works:

• See a magnetic construction set? "Build a Better Business" campaign
• Spot foam autumn leaves? "The seasons are changing – time to change your marketing strategy"
• Find toy dinosaurs? "Dinosaurs ruled the earth until they failed to adapt. Don't risk extinction!"
• Jumbo dice? "If you want to gamble, go to Monte Carlo. If you want guaranteed results..."

One construction set theme could work for kitchen renovators ("Build a Better Kitchen"), gyms ("Build a Better Body"), or schools ("Build a Better Future").

The beauty? One idea becomes dozens of campaigns across different industries.

Speed Kills (The Competition, That Is)

Here's what separates the winners from the wannabes in South African business:

Speed to market beats perfect to market every single time.

While your competitors are having their 47th meeting about whether their logo should be navy blue or royal blue, you're already testing, learning, and making money.

While they're debating the perfect tagline, you're adapting what's already working and getting ahead.

While they're trying to be creative geniuses, you're being a creative thief – legally, ethically, and profitably.

The Bottom Line (Where It Always Counts)

Creativity for creativity's sake is masturbation.

What you need is fast, decisive, practical creativity that gets implemented and makes money.

You need to be the entrepreneur who moves while others are still thinking. Who adapts while others are still creating. Who profits while others are still planning.

Because in business, the fastest finger wins.
​