10 CRAZY Decisions That Proved to be GENIUS

Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re exploring business gambles, artistic risks, and daring choices that initially drew criticism and mockery, only to become recognised as legendary strokes of genius.

Ford’s Model T Assembly Line

Cars are supposed to be crafted by skilled workers, not churned out like factory widgets. That’s what people believed, until Henry Ford came along, and applied the assembly line method to automobile production. The assembly line method streamlined production, allowing each worker to perform a single, specialized task. This helped drop the price of the Ford Model T from $850 in 1908 to $260 by the 1920s. Cars were no longer just for the wealthy but for everyone. Ford’s decision was revolutionary, creating the modern middle class and transforming the global transportation industry. Once mocked for seemingly cheapening craftsmanship, Ford’s decision became one of the most important ideas of the 20th century.

Winston Churchill Refusing to Negotiate with Nazi Germany

In 1940, France fell, and Hitler controlled most of Europe. In desperation, British politicians urged then-Prime Minister Winston Churchill to negotiate a peace deal with Germany. It was a sensible course of action. Britain stood alone, its military stretched thin, and the odds stacked against its favor. But to everyone’s surprise, Churchill refused. Declaring Britain would “never surrender”, Churchill rallied the nation, buying time for allies like the United States to enter the war, and ultimately helped secure victory for the Allied nations. What was at first considered a reckless and even self-destructive decision turned out to be the most consequential and bold call ever made by a leader under pressure.

The Beatles Refusing to Tour

Music tours bring in cash, and at the peak of their powers in 1966, the Beatles knew this. Then they made the radical decision to stop touring entirely. The group found tours to be exhausting. Screaming fans drowned out the music. They were also limited by the constraints of live performances in their era. Fans and the paparazzi thought the biggest band group in the world was flushing their whole career down the toilet. This did not matter to the Beatles. Instead, the band ended up producing some of their very best. With albums like “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band”, the Beatles altered the landscape of recorded music and shaped modern rock and pop. Quitting the road didn’t end them, it immortalized them.

Netflix’s Shift from DVD Rentals to Streaming

In the early 2000s, Netflix was a quirky DVD-by-mail service competing with Blockbuster. Then, in 2007, the underdog made a bold pivot. Netflix began investing in online streaming. At the time, most people did not have a fast internet connection. Netflix’s pivot was scoffed at, and people ridiculed the idea of watching movies online. However, Netflix doubled down, later producing its own content, such as “Stranger Things”. The underdog’s gamble ultimately won. It not only destroyed Blockbuster, but it also transformed the once-minnow into a global media titan with over 200 million subscribers. Today, streaming dominates the entertainment industry, and Netflix’s rapid shift is regarded as one of the most disruptive business moves in modern history.

Airbnb Launching During the 2008 Recession

The 2008 financial crisis was not exactly the best time to ask people to rent out rooms to strangers. Airbnb had another idea. Why not let people stay in someone else’s home instead of a hotel? Customers met the idea with skepticism and ridicule. Who can trust this concept, especially during an economic downturn? But necessity drove adoption. Airbnb gradually became a budget-friendly travel alternative just when people needed it most. What started as three guys renting out air mattresses during a design conference grew into a hospitality giant valued at over $100 billion. For Airbnb, launching its idea in the worst possible economic climate was a masterclass in timing.

SpaceX’s Reusable Rocket Technology

Rockets had always been single-use; the idea of re-landing them was in the realm of science fiction. So, when Elon Musk announced that SpaceX would be doing exactly that, NASA veterans were skeptical. It wasn’t an easy take-off and return for SpaceX. Musk’s team continued to test, crash, and try again. Finally, in 2015, they successfully landed the Falcon 9. SpaceX’s phenomenal milestone slashed launch costs, made space travel more sustainable, and reignited global interest in space exploration. What sounded crazy a decade ago is now industry standard. Reusable rocket technology is now identified as essential for future space missions. Sometimes, stubborn persistence pays off in world-changing ways.

Google’s 20% Time Policy

Autonomy at the workplace does not come easily. When Google adopted the same idea in the early 2000s, it was initially observed as a disaster in the making. Google would let engineers spend 20% of their work time on personal projects. Most companies, then, would scoff if their employees were to even spend a few hours on “side hustles.” But Google’s bet paid off spectacularly. Their 20%-time policy led to the development of Google News, AdSense, and numerous other innovations that are now the backbone of the company. The culture of freedom and creativity that Google instilled through its new policy kept it ahead of the curve against other competitors. Google proved that trusting employees with autonomy can lead to billion-dollar breakthroughs.

Linus Torvalds Releasing Linux as Open Source

At a time when the working ingredients behind software were jealously guarded and sold for big money, Linus Torvalds created a new operating system for fun and released it for free. The result is the popular operating system Linux that now powers everything from Android phones and smart TVs to 90% of the world’s supercomputers. Linus’s choice was a shocking one to start, but also incredibly smart. By letting anyone use, modify, and share his open-source software, Linus empowered a global community of developers. What began as a seemingly naïve giveaway by industry standards became one of the most influential tech decisions ever. Linux’s enduring popularity demonstrates that collaboration can beat competition.

Nintendo Pivoting to the Wii

While Sony and Microsoft battled over high-end graphics and processing power, Nintendo made a bizarre decision in the mid-2000s. Forgetting the arms race being waged by its competitors, Nintendo began focusing on motion controls and unveiled the Wii. Critics laughed at Nintendo’s newest console, likening it to a toy for casual gamers. Ironically, Nintendo had the last laugh. The Wii sold over 100 million units worldwide. It drew in families, seniors, kids, and people who had never played video games before. Accessibility was in, and raw power was out. Games like Wii Sports became cultural phenomena. When the dust settled, Nintendo’s counterintuitive decision created a whole new market of gamers and redefined the industry.

Sony Selling PlayStation Consoles at a Loss

Selling something for less than it costs to make sounds insane. But this is exactly what Sony did when they launched the PlayStation in 1994 and sold it at a loss. Analysts were shocked, but Sony was confident they would make their profits from game sales and licensing fees. It worked. The PlayStation became a brand. Sony’s strategy aimed to get the console into as many homes as possible. This helped build a massive user base and developer ecosystem. The PlayStation is now one of the most successful consoles in gaming history, having sold over 500 million units across generations. Sony’s short-term loss led to long-term dominance.

Which of these risky moves do you think was the boldest stroke of genius? Let us know in the comments, and don’t forget to subscribe for more like this.