Chapter 57: The Third Door

This week’s idea has fundamentally changed my life.

And if you read this and take action on it, it will change yours as well.

The easiest way to explain it is with a story:

When Steven Spielberg was 17 years old, he was obsessed with movies. 

But like most 17-year-olds, he had no clear path into Hollywood.

So he got creative…

He put on his father’s suit, carried a briefcase with nothing inside but a sandwich, and walked past the security guard at Universal Studios.

He kept walking until he found an empty office, put his name on the door, and started working.

The details of this story live somewhere between myth and legend, but the core idea is what matters.

Instead of waiting for permission (which likely never would have come) he took initiative and created his own access.

Spielberg’s career didn’t begin through the front gate.

It began through a side entrance.

He found what’s called the third door.

The Third Door

The idea comes from Alex Banayan’s book The Third Door.

Think about it like this:

You pull up to a nightclub on a cold night.

There’s a long line out front. That’s the main door. It’s obvious, crowded, and where most people wait.

There’s also a second door. That’s for VIPs and people with connections.

But there’s also a third door. 99% of people don’t know it exists.

It’s unmarked, probably around back, and you’re going to have to hunt for it.

The analogy is about a nightclub, but it applies to almost everything.

A Personal Story:

I didn’t have language for this at the time, but I’ve done this myself.

When I was first getting into producing short films, we didn’t have a clear path or “permission” to do it. 

A friend came to me with an idea for a short film about a motorcycle surf trip down the California coast.

Instead of waiting for someone to green-light it, we made a simple deck ourselves. Just enough to explain the idea and why it would be interesting.

Then I went out and found a few hundred email addresses of brands I thought could be a good fit.

Over the next few months, I emailed and called all of them.

Most didn’t respond, a few said no, but a handful were curious.

Eventually, four brands put up enough money to fund the entire trip and pay everyone involved.

The film had a sold out premiere and ended up doing over 57,000 views on YouTube. 

More importantly, it opened doors to work with those brands again and introduced us to people we never would have met otherwise.

At the time, I didn’t think of it as some clever strategy. 

I just didn’t see another option.

But looking back, it was obvious….

That was the third door.

Wrapping Up:

As the new year starts, most people are setting goals.

So here’s my challenge for you:

Take one thing you want to accomplish this year and ask yourself a question.

Does the path I’m taking require someone else to say yes first?

If it does, you’re probably waiting at the the wrong door.

The third door usually isn’t obvious.

It’s hidden and getting to it might be a little uncomfortable.

It might come in the form of an email you haven’t sent.

Or an event you can host to get around the people you want.

Or a project you can start without waiting for approval.

The third door won’t be easy, but finding it will help you get what you want quicker than anything else you can do.

And if you’re serious about what you want to achieve, it’s likely your best bet.

I hope this helps.

-Dodds

P.S one of the best “third doors” is making short form content. i’ve seen people land retainers, get invited to events, and launch businesses off a simple 30 second video. If you want to work with me to learn how to package your ideas so you can build a short form content strategy that open doors + grows your audience and business, the next cohort starts on tuesday