The secret to change, profit and a year's supply of Chicken Nuggets.
In case you missed it, the biggest story of the weekend came from a man on a mission: Carter Wilkinson.
Carter's original plea:
Carter appealed to the internets “HELP ME PLEASE. A MAN NEEDS HIS NUGGS”. No matter your stance on this, it’s interesting to see how (and if) an idea can spread and a moment can be formed.
Though his appeal to the Wendy’s Burger Chain started slow, his friends picked up the plea to get to 18 million retweets and the ‘holy grail’ of a whole year of chicken nuggets. [For the reader’s sake, we’ll avoid a rant on what that might do to your physical and mental health].
The network effect is a beautiful thing. Before long he made his way to a Twitter ‘moment’ and into the mainstream media and surpassing the 1 million retweet mark.
Carter has a long way to go. Considering that this would be a record for Twitter, it’s a really long way. His current count is at 2.5 million.
Why has this worked?
He doesn’t have celebrity. He doesn’t have a million followers.
But he does have belief. A simple cause that people can get behind. Derek Siver has a great explanation on how to start a movement below, if you have the time [hint: it’s about showing people the vision, even if that’s gyrating in a field].
What we can learn from Carter
Let’s face it, Carter’s cause is pretty simple and isn’t necessarily solving an imminent problem. And though it’s a big jump from chicken nuggets to business, there are some great lessons to take away.
We believe that small things can make a big difference. Solving small problems, doing small things well, and shouting about them can create change. Because it starts with and ends with people. It creates belief and impact.
The Facebook Team released a report on what best motivates their staff. Despite the frequently reported horrors of Silicon Valley culture [we won’t mention the pay-gap or the inhuman working hours], the takeout is surprising: belief is what motivates their employees best.
