over 1.4 million patients and perform over 200,000 sight-restoring
surgeries each year. Two-thirds of their patients are served at no
cost, and those who pay, pay an average of just $75. The hospital
was modeled on the management style of McDonald’s—only it
gives fast care for low (or no) money.
Here’s another example:
Casas Bahia grew from one man selling blankets and bed linens
door-to-door to the largest retail chain in Brazil. They sell elec-
tronics, appliances, and furniture. With its emphasis on serving the
poor customer, its low prices and credit determined by payment
history rather than formal income—70% of Casas Bahia cus-
tomers have no formal or consistent income—Casas Bahia grosses
over US $1 billion and has invoked total loyalty in its customers.
I feel most of us don’t think big enough. Not even close. To help
s-t-r-e-t-c-h your mind, read Prahalad’s book just mentioned and
read The Power of Impossible Thinkingby Wind and Crook.
Wind and Crook explain that our mental models of the world
are what stop us or help us. Thinking there is no profit in helping
the poor is a limited mental model. The people in Prahalad’s book
have moved beyond limited thinking.
With all of this in mind, what do you want to accomplish from
studying this material? What’s your “impossible” dream? What
would you want, if you knew you could not fail? Whatever it is,
write it down here:
What Is Impossible?