Moonrats, Misnomers, and Entrepreneurs

What if you learn innovation from a moonrat?

Moonrats aren't exactly a creature you'd want to cuddle up with; fortunately, they've found other ways to survive. As misfortunate are their looks, their name might be even more unfortunate because it's not even true! Moonrats are neither rats, nor are they from the moon.

But then again, buffalo wings are neither wings, nor from buffalos... but they are from Buffalo, New York. In 1964 entrepreneur of the Anchor Bar, Teressa Bellissimo was curious what some leftover chicken wings cooked in some hot sauce would taste like. It was flight at first bight!

Even though they're both misnomers, moonrats and buffalo wings don't let the little details get in their way; rather, they focus on what's beneath their names: coming out at night to feast on insects and delighting billions with a spicy, savory, taste.

One of the first and continuous lessons entrepreneurs learn is that entrepreneurship is rife with misnomers, from business plans to elevator pitches, things aren't always exactly what they say they are.

The sooner and more consistently you are able to navigate this reality and find ways to use it to your advantage, the sooner you can convert potential confusion into potential opportunities and profit.

Keep in mind that the names moonrat and buffalo wing are effective even if not accurate, because they have some tether to a truth--they are nocturnal animals that look a lot like a rat and chicken wings from Buffalo. The same holds in entrepreneurship, so as you encounter misnomers, be sure to discover the hows and whys they are.

What's in a name? Think about the name of a product, service, or project you are working on. What if you changed one part of its name? What if you intentionally gave it a misnomer to give you or it a new advantage?

Want to stay curious? What if you feed your curiosity and the Animal Entrepreneur!

Thank you for your curiosity, stay curious, and let your curiosity lead your learning with more Curiosity-Based Learning content and activities from What If Curiosity!