I once worked for a company who’s business model was buying Aerospace and Defense electronics businesses. In fact, my job was to call business owners directly and gauge their interest in selling their business. Our investment criteria was specific, and one of those criteria was having products with “high barriers to entry.” These companies may have designed highly engineered products, attained industry certifications through a long, arduous process, or have expensive capital equipment they accumulated over time. These “barriers to entry” make it difficult for someone new to compete. Fewer competitors provides more opportunity for higher profit margins.
Providing value in business and finding an uncrowded surf spot with good waves and may sound like two different activities, but there are similarities!
I live on the Central Coast of California, where the water temp rarely climbs above 60 degrees Fahrenheit. That, in itself, is a disincentive to go surfing. Anyone who has done a cold plunge can attest to that. However, cold can be overcome. Surfers pay a few hundred bucks and buy a neoprene wetsuit and booties, making their surfing experience bearable.
Even with that barrier, there are still competitive surf spots. Pismo Pier or Morro Rock on a Saturday morning are great examples. As long as there are waves, a crowd is nearly guaranteed at those well-known spots. I personally prefer to surf where higher barriers to entry are required. Here are a few “barriers” to entry that one considers when surfing on the Central Coast:
Location - the further away from civilization, the less people are willing to go there. It could require a long drive, a hike, or even a boat ride. Though this requires a significant amount of time and dedication to understanding our coastline, it usually has the added benefit of amazing wildlife and natural beauty along the way.
Power - sometimes the ocean's power attracts surfers. In fact, there are a handful of surfers around the world that keep track of all storms, and make a point to go there and surf the biggest waves on the planet. But for the most part, double-overhead level power weeds out 90% of the people who would show up to Morro Rock on a Saturday morning. "Nature is the best regulator," says my friend Michael Owen.
Equipment - related to the above. If there's powerful surf, you need a big board (or a jet ski in some situations) to catch those waves. It costs money to shape or buy a board for these types of waves, and a large enough vehicle to transport you and your equipment. Not everyone has both of those, even if they may be physically capable of surfing larger waves.
Timing - I love dawn patrol. It sucks to wake up early, but it's the best time for surfing and experiencing peace and natural beauty. On the central coast, this is usually the best time for light wind and glassy surface conditions as well as active wildlife (which could be beautiful or scary depending on the situation). Folks having a couple beers on a Friday night are usually not surfing with me and my friend Robert at 6AM the next morning. We can beat the crowds with a dawn patrol. On the other hand, weekdays during the middle of the day are good times to surf because many surfers have work to deal with.
It’s not easy to engineer an electronics component to a defense specification or maintain a stringent industry certification. It’s not easy to invest lots of money into capital equipment that increases productivity for a business. But, some businesses are set up to accomplish these things and may even employ people who have fun doing it!
The secret must be finding those barriers that you are uniquely good at overcoming. In surfing, I love the early mornings, I love interacting with mother ocean’s power (to a certain extent), and I love using my time to travel where there is no cell service and explore the beautiful coastline while surfing swell energy. I live for these things others see as barriers.
Find the things you love to do that others see as barriers, and do more of it. You may be uniquely qualified to take on and love these challenges.