Edition #61 | Crazy Ideas and Cold Shoulders | Monday, May 18, 2026

You’ve probably had an idea that made people laugh or look at you like you were wasting your time. Most people fold when that happens. The ones who build something lasting usually don’t.

Let's get into it.

On May 18, 1897, Herbert Henry Dow founded The Dow Chemical Company in Midland, Michigan. This was not his first try. His first chemical company had already gone bankrupt. Undeterred, he moved to Midland, Michigan in 1890 and founded the Midland Chemical Company. There he continued refining his electrolytic methods. However, when he proposed expanding into the production of chlorine and caustic soda (bleach), his financial backers strongly opposed the idea. They eventually removed him from control of the company. When he started his third company one with a clearer technical vision, many people in town didn’t take him seriously. One historical account notes that in the beginning, “laughs, not dollars, were what most townsfolk contributed to his visionary plans.”

Some even called him “Crazy Dow” as he rode his old bike around gathering supplies while chasing ambitious chemical ideas. He worked brutal hours, sometimes sleeping at the factory, and faced aggressive competition from established players who tried to push him out. Despite the skepticism and setbacks, Dow kept developing better processes and new products. Over time, the company he built through persistence and constant improvement grew into one of the largest chemical companies in the world. His first head of patents Tom Griswold who worked closely with him later observed, “From H.H. Dow, there was a new idea every morning.” That consistent drive to keep creating, even when things were uncertain, became part of how he operated. Sometimes a little crazy mixed with innovative ideation makes all the difference.

What stands out most about Herbert Dow is not just what he built, but how he built it. Two principles defined his path: persistence through repeated failure and the refusal to let outside doubt silence his momentum. These are the same principles that separate those who talk about doing something from those who actually do it.

Pressure and setbacks are part of any real pursuit. What matters most is how you respond to them. This verse points to the strength that comes from staying clear, focused, and resilient even when things feel difficult. For any person moving forward while facing pressure or uncertainty, the real advantage lies in refusing to let those challenges define your direction or break your momentum.

This reflects a powerful mindset: obstacles don’t have to stop us. When we choose to, we can use resistance, doubt, or setbacks as fuel to move forward instead of letting them hold us back. Strength grows when we decide that what’s in our way can become part of the way.

It’s easy to put ideas on hold when people don’t take them seriously or when progress feels slow. But waiting for support or perfect conditions rarely leads anywhere meaningful.

Think about one idea or goal you’ve been sitting on because you’re worried about what people will say or because progress has been slow. Spend 20–30 focused minutes on it today anyway. Don’t wait until you feel supported. Just move. The people who adopt this mindset are the ones who eventually create real opportunities for themselves and others and will effect change in other’s lives and in their own. I love to experiment, how about you? Share how you think about experimentation in the comments at the top of the page.