Naive Audacity
- Pedro Zaraza
- Mar 20
- 2 min read
Why Your "Inexperience" Might Be Your Greatest Asset
At 25, I took on what seemed impossible - renovating an entire hospital's sanitation system with no money, no experience, and no clear path forward. The story, shared in my book "Bridging the Opportunity Gap," teaches us something powerful about innovation and leadership: sometimes not knowing what you “cannot” do is your biggest advantage.
I call this "naive audacity" - seeing your goal so clearly that the obstacles do not matter.
When I and my team at JCI Limbe (a membership organization of young leaders) encountered failure after failure, we did not retreat. Instead, we got creative, turning a trade show booth into a compelling showcase of the poor conditions of the hospital. That pivot not only secured funding but created a movement in the community.
Here is what I learnt about experience: while valuable, it can also become a trap. The more we know about what typically works or does not work, the less likely we are to try something radically different. This is why some of today's most disruptive companies were started by people who "didn't know better" - they had not learned all the reasons their ideas should not work.
Look at how startups are reshaping traditional industries. Airbnb's founders were not seasoned hoteliers. Spotify's team did not come from the music industry. Their "naivety" about industry norms became their biggest asset.
Here are some tips to apply naive audacity in your work:
Focus on outcomes, not obstacles. When we saw those broken hospital washrooms, we did not get stuck on the "how" - we stayed focused on "must."
Turn inexperience into innovation. If you do not know the "right" way, feel free to find a better way.
Use storytelling to build movements. Our team did not only solve a problem - but we also helped others see why it mattered.
Embrace the power of "yet." Instead of "I don't know how," think "I don't know how... yet." Then figure it out!
The next time someone tells you are too inexperienced, or your idea is impossible, remember that every breakthrough started with someone naive enough to try what "had not been done before”.
Maybe, just maybe your lack of experience is exactly what qualifies you to take on the next big challenge. Maybe, like me and my team discovered, it is your secret weapon.
What will your naïve audacity help you achieve?
Get a copy of my book Bit.ly/ArreyBook to unpack more stories and lessons.
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