Oportunidades Disfarçadas 2 - Carlos Domingos

Have you ever heard the famous phrase "Every problem is an opportunity in disguise"? This is exactly what Carlos Domingos shows us in his book.

If you think that mistake, failure, and personal tragedies are unrecoverable, "Oportunidades Disfarçadas 2" will show you that this is not true! Through various success stories and case histories (which only emerged after failures, losses and even chance), you will learn that everything can be an opportunity!

Want to know how to take advantage of the chances that life gives you? Keep reading this PocketBook and find out!

About the book "Oportunidades Disfarçadas 2"

"Oportunidades Disfarçadas 2", "Disguised Opportunities 2" in a free translation, published in 2019, is the sequel to the successful "Oportunidades Disfarçadas". In the new book, Carlos Domingos expands the discussion and brings more cases of great companies and ideas that emerged in the most diverse ways: after errors, chance and so on.

In a fluid manner and with a large background bibliography, the author presents nearly 200 stories ranging from the creation of Netflix to the big idea of the writing system tactile, Braille.

Throughout its 16 chapters, Carlos shows the various lessons that all these stories bring us and teaches us how to see opportunities in the midst of unexpected situations.

About the author Carlos Domingos

Carlos Domingos is an entrepreneur, lecturer and publicist. He worked as a columnist for the newspaper Valor Econômico and was a member of CONAR (National Council of Self-Regulated Advertising).

In 2000 he founded his own agency and now he works with large companies. He is the author of the book "Criação sem Pistolão" and "Oportunidades Disfarçadas".

It won several awards, such as the 12 lions in Cannes; Professional of the Year - from Rede Globo; the Grand Prix of Creation - Abril advertising award; he also won the award for Best Ad in the World - from Advertising Age.

To whom is this book indicated?

The work "Oportunidades Disfarçadas 2" is suitable for creative people and those who wish to be. As the author himself says, "the function of this book is precisely to help you find creative ways out of your problem".

If you have an entrepreneurial mindset, want to learn how to better deal with problems, or want to be inspired to come up with new ideas, this book is ideal for you!

Main ideas of the book "Oportunidades Disfarçadas 2"

• Value your customer: he is a potential collaborator, but he can also become a competitor;
• Try to learn from your mistake: it's a sign that you tried;
• "The important thing is that we do our best in what we can do."
• Failure is a fertile place, we must seize the moment;
• Fierce competition makes continuous improvement a requirement;
• Even the environmental threat can be harnessed;
• Face the problem, don't run away from it;
• Work hard, be bold and be on your guard to take advantage of luck;
• The important thing is to be a transforming agent, who can resignify the environment and the situation you are going through;
• Escape from common sense;
• Ambush marketing is a strategy that can be used, you just need to know how to apply it;
• Even dire scenarios like war present opportunities;
• "The issue is not the limitations, but the best you can do within them."

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Opportunities Disguised in Customer Dissatisfaction

Many great services came about because of dissatisfaction, did you know? Uber, Dollar Shave Club and Netflix are a few examples. The book "Oportunidades Disfarçadas 2" brings several stories of how a problem with an established company caused many entrepreneurs to come up with new product ideas and open their companies.

Through examples like "Chicago Tylenol murders", which involved Johnson & Johnson, the author Carlos Domingos shows how the concern with the client is more important every day. A product-centric company is increasingly losing ground to companies that are customer-focused.

At the end of the chapter, Carlos presents stories where companies like Lego and Facebook have enlisted the help of customers to develop better versions of their products. It shows once again the importance of listening and understanding the demands of customers, who may be willing to help the company on a better path.

Opportunities Disguised in Mistakes

Do you know what the Incredible Hulk, Teflon and cornflakes have in common? They were all the result of a mistake. The book "Oportunidades Disfarçadas 2" tells the story of inventions that became world-famous and even more used than they should have been thanks to mistakes.

If you think mistakes are no good and a waste of time, let me introduce you to "the company that makes the most mistakes in the world": Ikea. Its founder, Ingvar Kamprad, states that "making mistakes is the privilege of those who try". If you don't step out of your comfort zone because you're afraid of making mistakes, why not rethink that?

Carlos Domingos comments on the importance of establishing the workplace as an environment of psychological safety, where it is possible to study the error, understand why it happened and what could have been avoided and not simply look for and point the blame for those situations.

A good example cited in the book is author Jim Collins: In 1994 and 2001, he published "Good to Great" and "Built to Last", about large companies that achieved a high standard of performance and had everything to succeed and last.

However, in the 2008 crisis, many of the companies mentioned were bought out or went bankrupt. You know what Jim Collins did? He acknowledged his mistake and studied what would have gone wrong. Thus, in 2010, the author launched the book "How the Mighty Fall", demonstrating the stages of decline and how to avoid it.

Opportunities Disguised in Crises

Do you think there is no moment in life that can present an opportunity? In this chapter of the book "Oportunidades Disfarçadas 2", the author discusses four major chances that arose from the great American depression, which began in 1929, such as the growth of Las Vegas.

Las Vegas was just some town in the middle of Nevada. Concerned about declining revenues during the crisis, the government has bet on reducing restrictions on drinking, gambling, marriages and divorces. The idea soon paid off and the city became what we know today.

In 2001, however, with the attack on the Twin Towers, tourism decreased. Seeking to overcome yet another crisis, the government resorted to an advertising campaign that focused on forgetting about fear and secretly having fun in Las Vegas. That's when the famous motto came about: "What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas."

Since then, it has become the fastest growing city in the United States, showing 24, 900% growth.

From these stories, author Carlos Domingos shows that the crisis is an opportunity to invest in something that had never been thought of before. As he says in his book "Oportunidades Disfarçadas 2",

"The important thing is to do our best in what we can do."

Opportunities Disguised in Failures

"It's common, when coming across someone who has failed, for people to say: 'He ran and ran and got nowhere. ' But failure is a place. An uncomfortable place, sure, but with fertile ground and prime views."

This is how Carlos Domingos sees failure. Not only him, but also many other successful entrepreneurs. Samuel Morse, for example, did not achieve what he expected in the field of arts and design and left it, coming to build the telegraph and invent the Morse code.

Many leaders have already understood the importance of failure. From this emerged, for example, FailCon, a conference focused on the exposure of failures by entrepreneurs and leaders.

But it is worth pointing out: it is not the failure itself that presents the opportunity, but rather the course correction from it and the analysis of what led you there. According to the book "Oportunidades Disfarçadas 2", we should be prepared for when this happens and make the best of the situation!

Opportunities Disguised from Fierce Competition

In the world we live in, competition is becoming increasingly fierce. Carlos Domingos argues that this is a good thing because it always forces us to improve. He gives examples of big brands whose competition makes them stand out in the market, as is the case of Coca × Pepsi and Adidas x Puma.

Carlos also talks about the "theft" of Dieter Rams' design by Apple. Is there anything to condemn? On the contrary! As the author himself says in "Oportunidades Disfarçadas 2", there's nothing wrong with being inspired by something and taking it even further, as it was with Steve Jobs ' brand.

Another point highlighted by Domingos in his book is that we should not try to copy the other and invest in something just because the competitor has also invested. It is important to recognize the problems faced, understand the solutions needed, assume the weaknesses and use them as a differentiator!

Opportunities Disguised as Environmental Threat

For a long time, consumption on the planet was rampant and no thought was given to the consequences. Nowadays, however, we see more and more companies standing out for having changed their behavior, avoiding waste, betting on recycling and conquering a more conscious public.

The book "Oportunidades Disfarçadas 2" shows us examples of companies that have found ways to profit from raw materials that would otherwise be discarded, such as the cider developed by Simon Wright, and also companies that have developed cheaper materials because they avoided waste, such as Elon Musk's famous SpaceX.

According to Carlos Domingos, there are advantages and challenges in the opportunities of this branch: on one hand, we have the abundance of raw material, the preference of a younger public and laws that benefit the business.

On the other, it is necessary knowledge in the area, a good investment in research and innovation and the maintenance of a high standard, demanded by the public.

Opportunities Disguised in Fatalities

Once again, author Carlos Domingos presents us with scenarios where many would say no good can come out of it. He argues that it is necessary to develop a "culture of facing the problem", where we do not run away from it but face it as something inevitable that can teach us.

Opportunities Disguised in Chance

The book "Oportunidades Disfarçadas 2" features a quote from Michael Lewis, in which he states that "people don't like to hear that success depends on luck". But it's not just luck. For you to find a disguised opportunity, it is necessary to:

• Work hard;
• Be bold;
• Be aware.

Carlos Domingos argues that you always have to be prepared, paying attention to the chances that chance gives you. The author states that if luck still doesn't come your way and everything goes wrong, you can always learn from failure!

Opportunities Disguised in Personal Tragedies

Did you know that a 13-year-old boy, who lost his sight in both eyes while playing, was responsible for improving the lives of nearly one billion people? This happened when Louis Braille invented the writing system that bears his name.

Just like that story, "Oportunidades Disfarçadas 2" brings us several other examples in which people in tragic situations have shown themselves to be transformative agents and have given new meaning to their condition, taking advantage of it. The author points out that if nothing is done, evils will only come to harm, but it is possible to change that!

Carlos Domingos comments on people who feel oppressed by situations like these and then presents the philosophy of Steve Jobs, who was aware of the proximity of death as something that motivated him.

Disguised Opportunities All Around You

Just as we have seen that there are random disguised opportunities, they also exist in the streets, in travel, in government decisions, in literature and in big changes, as we can see in the examples given by the book "Oportunidades Disfarçadas 2" of the creation of Cirque du Soleil and the writing of Star Wars.

As author Carlos Domingos always points out, it is important to be aware and work hard to realize the ideas that arise in the most unexpected moments. In this way, energy, breath and determination are required.

He also calls attention to the importance of escaping from common sense and thinking differently and innovating. As Xerox says on its website,

"The one thing that's predictable about business is that it's fundamentally unpredictable."

Opportunities Disguised in Ambush

Are you familiar with the concept of ambush marketing? The author Carlos Domingos presents us with several cases in which this strategy was applied. It is nothing more than taking advantage of an event (in most cases, sporting) to promote your producer, even without being the official sponsor.

The book "Oportunidades Disfarçadas 2" exemplifies with the story of the Atlanta Games in 1996, in which the official sponsor was Reebok, which had paid 50 million dollars. Nike, however, acted both inside and outside the stadiums: outside, she "dressed" the city in propaganda. On the inside, it was the sponsor of sprinter Michael Johnson.

With his famous gold Nike sneakers, the athlete broke two records and was always showing off his attention-grabbing shoes around. This way, the sports company got the publicity even without paying a fortune for the official sponsorship.

Opportunities Disguised in Wars

We know that war is never the ideal scenario, but we must recognize that they exist and must continue to exist in the world. In this way, the book "Oportunidades Disfarçadas 2" invites us to look at good things that were the fruit of armed conflict, such as the Paralympic Games, Don Quixote and Viktor Frankl's Logotherapy.

If even from tragic moments and setbacks like those cited by Carlos Domingos the human being finds strength and gives birth to amazing things, we can also be inspired to face our adversities!

Opportunities Disguised in Limitations

Even after all these stories, do you think you don't have what it takes to seize an opportunity? "Oportunidades Disfarçadas 2" shows us that the mouse was created with a roll-on of deodorant, what we know as a drone was developed by a young unemployed man.

As author Carlos Domingos states, "the question is not the limitations, but the best you can do within them". That way, don't put off the idea you have in your head any longer: use the technologies you have available!

Acknowledge that Mario Bros' appearance is due to pixel and colour restrictions and remember: disguised opportunity needs only one agent to make it a reality!

What do other authors say about it?

In "The innovator's dilemma", American professor Clayton Christensen explains that successful companies have a tendency to stick to their "cash cow" products rather than venture into something new.

Psychologist Carol S. Dweck argues in her book "Mindset" that there are people with a fixed mindset and others with a growth mindset. People with a growth mindset like challenges because they believe that error is a source of learning.

Finally, Austin Kleon, author of "Steal Like an Artist", makes the case for the importance of getting out of your comfort zone: "explore places you've never been and seek out new experiences. This will expand your creative capacity".

Okay, but how can I apply that to my life?

In the last chapter of his book, Carlos Domingos gives us practical tips on how to make work everything we have seen. To do this, you must:

• Remain in discomfort: understand the problem as an opportunity, analyze the situation and identify what can be learned and improved;
• Be curious: Be open to the unknown, pay attention and study everything you can about the subject. The more you read and become informed on the subject, the more the ideas start to appear;
• Be creative: make connections between seemingly unrelated things, invent and imagine different solutions to challenges;
• Have resilience: despite the obstacles, keep in mind that in the worst case scenario what can happen is that you fail. And we've already seen that that's not bad, right?

Disguised Opportunities thinking can make your life more productive, dynamic and exciting, so don't leave it to change your mindset later!

Did you like this summary of the book "Oportunidades Disfarçadas 2"?

According to Carlos Domingos, one of the ways to find the opportunities around you is with good reading. What did you think of this summary? Did he inspire you? Leave your feedback in the comments!

To learn more about the cases cited by the author and the various stories of opportunities, you can purchase the complete work in Brazilian Portuguese by clicking on the image below: