Sheryl Sandberg was 39 years old when she joined Facebook as its COO. At that time, she is asked: why are you going to work for a 23 year old?

But Sandberg was just following the best advice she had received. 7 years back, In 2001, Sandberg was looking to shift jobs. She had worked as the chief of staff for the US Secretary of Treasury.

After getting a few job offers, she made a spreadsheet with Pros and Cons. One of the jobs she was offered was as Google’s first business unit general manager. The only problem? Google didn’t yet have a business unit. Google wasn’t yet profitable.

A few other job offers definitely looked better. Had better titles and pay.

When Sandberg sat down with the new Google CEO: Eric Schmidt, she showed him her spreadsheet. And told him that Google didn’t really meet her criteria.

That’s when Schmidt gave her the best piece of advice: “Don’t be an idiot. If you’re offered a seat on a rocket ship, don’t ask what seat. Just get on.”

And thats why, 7 years later, Sandberg joined Facebook!

How do you find rocket ships?

How do you find things that have the potential to grow super fast? There are 2 ways:

1. Recognize inherent value

People called Laurence Graff crazy when he bid for the Wittelsbach diamond. A historical 35.56 carat diamond that was first mined in the 16th century. Graff paid $23.4 million for it. It was the highest anyone had ever paid for a diamond. People really thought Graff had overpaid. Especially because the clarity of the stone wasn’t the best.

But Graff knew how to recognize the value of diamonds. You don’t judge it based on surface imperfections, but on its internal clarity and structure!

Then Graff did the unimaginable. He recut the diamond and made it smaller, losing over 4.45 carats of it! But the stones colour grade was now revised from “fancy deep grayish blue” to “fancy deep blue.” Graff went on to sell the smaller diamond for $80 million to the Emir of Qatar!

To be like Graff, you need to be able to delve beyond the noise. See things others don’t. And be ready to hear that you’re insane. Because you will be challenged when you can see inherent value and others can’t.

The trick to retain your confidence is: don’t look at the thing. Look at the things around the thing.

When the best winemakers go to buy vineyards, they don’t look for the fastest growing vines or the size of the grapes. Instead, they focus on the quality of the soil. Because if the soil is healthier, better quality grapes can be cultivated with care!

Look out for things that aid growth.

2. Growth begets growth

Another easier way to find something that will grow super fast, is to focus on finding things that are already growing!

This can be an easier option because it’s purely based on data.

That’s how Jeff Bezos decided to quit his finance job and start Amazon – because he saw how fast the number of internet users was growing!

And that’s how Sandberg jumped ship and joined loss-making Facebook. Because even though they were not profitable, she could see how fast the rocket ship was going, how the number of users was growing!

Action Summary:

• The trick to achieve success beyond your potential is to find fast moving rocket ships!
  
• Build an edge with asymmetrical information and delve past the noise to find inherent value. Look out for internal clarity. Look out for surrounding things that aid growth.
  
• Another way to find rocket ships is to focus on things that are already growing quickly.