Finding the Opportunity Hiding in Plain Sight
How Delta Thinking and Creative Recombination Spark Innovation
Sometimes, the most significant opportunities aren’t about inventing something new but questioning what everyone else has accepted as “just the way it is.” It’s about spotting the cracks and deltas and asking yourself, “Does it really have to be this way?” That’s how I’ve approached my career and built businesses like Can-Am Warranty. And it’s a mindset anyone can learn…if they’re willing to look deeper, get uncomfortable, and think differently.
Let me explain how this works, why most people don’t see these opportunities, and how you can spot them in your world.
The Can-Am Warranty Story: Finding the Delta
For nearly 15 years, I heard dealers lament Chrysler's abrupt change to void warranties on vehicles exported out of the original intended market. It wasn’t a minor inconvenience… it was a gaping problem. Dealers adapted around it, grumbled about it, and eventually accepted it as the way things were. Nobody thought to solve it…it was just part of life.
But here’s the thing…every time I heard someone complain about it, I saw an undercurrent, a delta. This wasn’t a tiny frustration… it was a pain point many dealers felt but had resigned themselves to. That’s the first clue to opportunity…when people complain but also shrug their shoulders. It means they think they’re powerless to change it. And that’s where I stepped in.
To create Can-Am Warranty, I had to dive headfirst into a domain I wasn’t intimately familiar with… the underwriting and administration of service contracts and limited warranties. I knew the wholesale business inside and out, but this was a different world. I had to learn the nuances, the hot buttons, and the pain points from both sides of the equation…dealers, administrators, and underwriters. It was an intense immersion, but I was used to that.
My entire life has been about navigating new environments. As a kid, I moved often, always being the new kid in school (9 times). In direct wholesale, I’ve had to learn how every dealership operates as its own unique ecosystem. Those experiences gave me a level of acuity that’s become second nature. I can drop into a system, learn its rules, and see its cracks. That allowed me to build Can-Am Warranty…a solution dealers didn’t even realize they needed until it was right before them.
Why Most People Miss These Opportunities
Most people are so focused on their day-to-day tasks that they don’t have the bandwidth to see these deltas. Their lens isn’t wide enough because their programming is designed for stability and familiarity. That’s not a bad thing…it’s how most people thrive. But it’s also why they struggle to see the gaps that someone like me is naturally attuned to.
Here’s why:
1. Tunnel Vision: People get wrapped up in their “eyes on the prize” tasks. They focus on hitting targets, month end, following routines, and staying in their lane. It’s hard to see the broader picture when locked into one perspective.
2. Normalization of Frustration: Over time, people just accept the inconveniences and inefficiencies of their work as the cost of doing business. It becomes part of the landscape, and they stop questioning it.
3. Fear of Complexity: Diving into a new domain, like I did with warranty underwriting, feels overwhelming to most people. They’d rather stick to what they know than risk getting lost in unfamiliar territory.
4. Stability Over Risk: Most people’s mental programming prioritizes stability. They’re wired to avoid risk, not to challenge systems. The polymaths, the autodidacts, and the naturally curious thrive in this space.
What Makes a Delta Thinker?
Delta thinking isn’t about being more intelligent than everyone else. It’s about seeing what others overlook and questioning the rules they’ve accepted. Here’s what sets Delta thinkers apart:
1. Curiosity as a Superpower: Delta thinkers aren’t satisfied with surface-level understanding. They dig deeper, asking, “Why is it this way?” and, more importantly, “Does it have to be?” (Critical thinking and challenging authority are frowned upon by leaders during our formative years)
2. Interdisciplinary Perspective: They draw from a wide range of experiences and knowledge. In my case, wholesale taught me the dealer pain points, while diving into warranty underwriting and administration gave me the tools to solve them.
3. Adaptability: They thrive in new environments and networks and quickly learn the rules and patterns. For me, this was shaped by a childhood of constant moves and a career that demanded navigating dealer ecosystems…always having to fit in.
4. Risk Appetite: Delta thinkers aren’t afraid to step into the unknown. They’re willing to bet on themselves and their ability to figure things out.
The Power of Creative Recombination
Sometimes, solving a delta isn’t about inventing something brand new. It’s about recombining what already exists in a novel way. Look at spray dish soap…we’ve had liquid soap and spray bottles for decades, but it took someone with a wide lens to combine the two and completely change how we handwash dishes. So simple
Carvana is another great example. They didn’t invent selling cars…dealerships have been doing that forever. But by combining online shopping with the idea of a vending machine, they reimagined how people perceive buying cars. It’s simple, convenient, and cuts through many traditional pain points of the dealership experience.
Tesla operates on a similar principle. Elon wasn’t the first to build electric cars…he combined direct-to-consumer sales, over-the-air software updates, and a nationwide charging network. He solved problems people didn’t even realize they had…like waiting for a dealership to update your car or worrying about where to charge on a road trip.
Think about Uber. Taxis existed forever, but Uber combined GPS technology, smartphones, and user ratings to create a service that feels seamless. It solved the frustration of hailing a cab and wondering if it would even show up. They did this so well they created a whole industry and don’t own a car
Then there’s Ring doorbell cameras. They took an old concept…home security…and combined it with real-time video and smartphone notifications. Suddenly, people had a way to monitor their front door from anywhere in the world. The product itself wasn’t groundbreaking, but the combination of technologies was.
The same principle applied to Can-Am Warranty. I didn’t invent warranties, underwriting or export policies. I simply combined existing tools…warranty administration and an understanding of export pain points…to create a solution that changed the game for many dealers.
How You Can Start Spotting Deltas
If you want to think this way, you need to widen your lens. Here are some steps to get started:
1. Listen for Lamenting: Pay attention to what people in your circle complain about but have accepted as unchangeable. That’s your first clue.
2. Question the Rules: Whenever you hear “That’s just how it’s done,” ask yourself if it’s really true. Most of the time, it’s not.
3. Explore Adjacent Domains: Don’t just focus on your industry. Look at tools, systems, or ideas from other fields. Could something from tech, logistics, or consumer psychology solve a problem in your world?
4. Immerse Yourself Quickly: When you find an opportunity, dive in. Learn the nuances, the hot buttons, and the pain points. It’s intense, but it’s the only way to build a solution that really works.
5. Build Relationships: The best opportunities come from understanding people’s needs and building trust. In wholesale, relationships are everything, and they’ve been the foundation of every business I’ve built.
Turning Delta Thinking into Action
Not everyone has the programming to think this way, and that’s okay. But if you’re curious, adaptable, and willing to challenge the status quo, you can train yourself to spot these opportunities.
It’s not just about business. Delta thinking applies to every aspect of life. It’s about living with a wide-angle lens, seeing the cracks in the systems around you, and asking the questions others don’t.
The world doesn’t change because people accept it as it is. It changes because someone sees a delta and decides to do something about it.
That someone could be you.
So, what’s a delta in your world? What’s the frustration people shrug off as “just the way things are”? What can you combine, question, or reimagine to solve it?
Opportunities are everywhere if you’re willing to look.
This is the lens that’s guided me my entire career. From Wholesale to Can-Am Warranty to Auto Auction Review, it’s all about seeing what others don’t.
If you can master this way of thinking, the opportunities you’ll uncover are limitless.
That’s all for now (long one today)
See You Next Tuesday 😀
About Bob Manor
Bob Manor is the founder of South Ontario Auto Remarketing, Can-Am Dealer Services, and is Co-Founder of Auto Auction Review. Bob is also the creator of the Freedom Formula. With over 30 years of experience in the car dealership world, Bob specializes in wholesale, dealer services, and personal branding. His mission is to help dealership professionals take control of their careers, build resilient personal brands, and achieve lasting freedom in business and life.
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