by Will Dean
alpha testing of, 129
annual introduction of new, 213
filtering of ideas for, 129
for first Mudder event, 16–17
ideation, 128–29
innovation and, 111–21, 128–33
mock-ups of, 129
modification of, 117–18
rejection of, 129–31
stages in development of, 128–31
O’Hagan, Sarah, 177–78
Olympic Games, 172–73
OnStar, 123–24
optimization/innovation balance, 125–26
organizing personas, 126
Oundle, 33, 34, 36, 37
Outside, 75–76
overcoming difficult experiences, and character building, 28
Oxford, 40
Palm, 119
Palms, Katie, 3, 19, 46–47, 159
Patterson, Alex, 61, 72, 75, 90, 174, 227–28, 239
PayPal, 203
perfectionist ideal, 187–88
Perot, Ross, 111, 155
Perry, Joe, 229
personal identification, with Tough Mudder brand, 97–101
personality types, 126–27
personal responsibility, 92–94
pessimism, 121
physical contact, 183–85
Pierce, Randy, 79–83
Pine, Joseph, 97
pledge speech, 61–62
Policelli, Duane, 127–28, 129
Pollard, William, 197
primal fear challenges, 113
public speaking, 34–35
Pyramid Scheme, 82
Railton, Kyle, 229–30
Reebok, 202
Reinhart, James, 147–48, 149
rejection, of potential obstacles, 129–31
Rent the Runway, 148–49, 154–55
resilience, 29, 109
Richardson, Guy, 101–2, 168, 229
Richardson, Miranda, 101–2, 168, 229
Richman, Avielle, 105, 106
Richman, Jennifer, 105, 110
Richman, Jeremy, 105–10
Ries, Eric, 117
“Ring of Fire” (Cash), 17
Rio Olympic Games, 2016, 172–73
risk taking, 27–28
Road to the World’s Toughest (TV show), 227
Runner’s World, 103
Sandy Hook Elementary School murders, 105
Seven Day Warriors, 165–69
Shanghai Mudder event, 235–36
Siben, Matt, 72, 75
60 Minutes (TV show), 75
Skilling, Jeff, 69
Skillman, Peter, 119–20
skivs, 36
Slutsky, Adam, 211–12
Social Animal, The (Brooks), 179
social media, 95, 178–79
SoulCycle, 180
SpaceX, 203
Spartan Race, 48–51
Stanford prison-guard experiments, 100
Starr, Ringo, 171
“Stars and Stripes Forever, The” (song), 63
starting line ritual
Braveheart charge of first Tough Mudder event, 18–19
evolution of, 59–60
pledge speech and, 61–62
“storyteller” personality type, 126
Stowe, David, 107
Stowe School, 33
Strongman Run, 67–68
Superstorm Sandy, 65
Swamp Stomp, 16
takers, 176
Take-Two Interactive, 211
Team 8819, 12–13, 23–26
Team Blind Pete, 239
Team Rubicon, 62–63, 168, 229
teamwork, 16
TED talks, 97
Thatcher, Margaret, 29–30
Thomas, Nigel, 16
thredUP, 147–48
ticket sales, 217–18
TM5K, 125, 135, 214
TMX, 213
Toughest Mudder, 103, 214, 225–31, 238–42
Tough Guy, 68–69
Tough Mudder
adversity overcome by, 64–77
character building and, 27–51
credo of, 87
Dean’s conception of, 4–5, 9–12
Dean’s vision for, 237–38
in Dubai, 234–35
failure, learning from, 197–219
fear, owning your, 59–77
first Mudder event, Bear Creek, 1–21
future direction of, 225–43
growing and developing tribal culture at, 85–103
headquarters relocated to Brooklyn, 208–9
innovation and, 111–136
leadership and, 141–63
logo for, 10, 17
mission statement for, 23
naming of, 10
pledge for, 4–5
scrapbook timeline tracking progress of, 231–32
in Shanghai, 235–36
Spartan Race, rivalry with, 48–51
triathlon experience of Dean as inspiration for, 9–10
tribal community, connecting to, 171–90
tribal values and, 23
veterans and veterans’ charities and, 62–63, 165–69
Web site for, 11–12
Wilson lawsuit and, 66–76
Tough Mudder Bootcamp, 135–36, 237, 238
Tough Mudder Half, 159, 214
Tough Mudder University, 91
Toyota, 87, 91–92
Trench Warfare, 102
tribal community, connecting to, 171–90
AFI rule and, 190
balancing self-reliance and interdependence and, 175–76
cooperation-competition tension in, 172–73
effort versus success and, 188–89
fitness trends and, 174–75, 191–92
inspirational aspects of, 180–82
Martinez as example of, 191–95
online community, connecting to, 185–86
perfectionist ideal, overcoming, 187–88
physical contact and, 183–85
social interaction and, 176–80
social networks distinguished, 171–72
Tough Mudder Bootcamp and, 186–87
tribal culture, growing and developing, 85–103
attachment and allegiance, building, 97–101
authenticity and, 87–88, 97
challenges of, 95–97
communication of experiences and, 94–95
credo and, 87
cultural interview and, 88
deviating from, consequences of, 204–10
examples of hires that didn’t fit culture, 89–90
5 Whys principle, 91–92
hiring process, 85–90
kaizen (continuous improvement), 87, 91–92
motivations of Tough Mudders and, 94
“No Dickheads” hiring criteria, 89
personal responsibility, 92–94
Richman as example of, 105–10
social media and, 95
specialist expertise, teaching, 90–92
Tough Mudder University, creation of, 91
trial internships, 88
tribes within tribes and, 99–100
unlimited holiday policy and, 93
volunteers and, 101–2
tribe, 23
Tribe (Junger), 239–40
tribes within tribes, 99–100
Twinkle Toes (Block Ness Monster), 132–33
unlimited holiday policy, 93
Urban Mudder (TM5K), 125, 135, 214
values-oriented entrepreneurial leadership, 160–62
veterans and veterans’ char
ities, 165–69
volunteers, 101–2
Walk the Plank, 17, 109, 198
Wall Street Journal, 85, 232
Warby Parker, 146–47, 154
Wayne’s World (movie), 209
whanau (extended family), 89
“What Consumers Want” (Pine), 97
What They Teach You at Harvard Business School (Broughton), 44
Wikipedia, 101
will, 6
Wilson, Billy (Mr. Mouse), 66–67, 68–76
Wilson lawsuit, 66–76
Winklevoss twins, 76–77
work-life balance, 197–200
Worksop, Great Britain, 29–31
World’s Toughest Mudder, 103, 214, 225–31, 238–42
Wounded Warriors, 62, 168
Zappos, 88
Zelnick, Strauss, 211
Zuckerberg, Mark, 76–77
Zumba, 237
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* My extremely patient general counsel, Marc Ackerman, likes to remind me that he prefers using the term “electrify” to “electrocute,” as the latter is defined as to “injure or kill someone by electric shock.” Sure, it hurts, but the vast majority of injuries on the obstacle occur when Mudders fall awkwardly as they try to twist their bodies away from the electrified wires, not from the shock itself.
