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Hidden Champions: Successful but little-known businesses

forbes.com

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Re: Hidden Champions: Successful but little-known businesses

#11

Post by jacobush »

saagarjha wrote: post #9
w1ntermute wrote: post #7

Earlier quoted context omitted.

See the wiki page for a list: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hidden_champions

Interestingly, the only two companies I know from that list are in the field of aviation: Embraer and NetJets.

I knew ARRI, Embraer, Höganäs, from their old school kitchen ware) and Enercon.

I thought I knew "International SOS", but I actually knew "SOS International", another entity altogether.

Re: Hidden Champions: Successful but little-known businesses

#12

Post by jansan »

w1ntermute wrote: post #7
ivanech wrote: post #3

There's not a single example of one of these businesses in the article

See the wiki page for a list: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hidden_champions

The real hidden champions are naturally not included in that list.

Re: Hidden Champions: Successful but little-known businesses

#13

Post by didericis »

dzink wrote: post #8

The natural state of a business is to become known to its target market, but keep its secrets and success hidden to avoid competition. Growing up in an entrepreneurial family for the first 15 years of my life I learned to never brag about my successes, but to show vulnerability and connect/help the vulnerability shown by fellow founders, because your network is a lot more likely to help you that way. In silicon valle…

I think this also applies to nice, affordable towns. I’ve googled “best places to live” a couple times, but every time I do I can’t help but think all the places that show up are either trying to engineer a revitalization/aren’t as nice as advertised or must be at least somewhat swamped and overpriced. Any true gems with affordable prices and great atmosphere/people are only that way while they’re still hidden. If people widely advertise the quality of their neighborhood, they’ll get more money when they sell, but they’ll ruin the atmosphere and affordable entry prices. So any neighborhoods out there that still actually care about the quality and affordability of the town will advertise themselves very quietly and remain mostly hidden.

Maybe that’s just wishful thinking on my part, idk. I’d like to think there are really nice, affordable small towns with a real sense of community out there somewhere.

Re: Hidden Champions: Successful but little-known businesses

#14

Post by pjbster »

w1ntermute wrote: post #7
ivanech wrote: post #3

There's not a single example of one of these businesses in the article

See the wiki page for a list: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hidden_champions

This scene from Cocktail includes some other ideas: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oHdUl8hHwKY

(None of those examples are on that list.)

Re: Hidden Champions: Successful but little-known businesses

#16

Post by josefrichter »

Indie Hackers website was similarly eye-opening experience for me: it basically lists various hidden champions of internet. Companies you won't find on Techcrunch or in YCombinator, yet they generate nice seven-figure profits per year to their owners.

Re: Hidden Champions: Successful but little-known businesses

#17

Post by cannam »

saagarjha wrote: post #9
w1ntermute wrote: post #7

Earlier quoted context omitted.

See the wiki page for a list: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hidden_champions

Interestingly, the only two companies I know from that list are in the field of aviation: Embraer and NetJets.

Jamba certainly takes me back.

I'd heard of Bobcat, De La Rue, Embraer, McIlhenny, Petzl, Tandberg (famous for reel-to-reel tape-recorders). I do think it's wonderful that the list includes a company known for "wristwatch hands".

Molex is a pretty well-known name because of the eponymous connector, but I'd never considered whether it might be a company.

Re: Hidden Champions: Successful but little-known businesses

#18

Post by happyrock »

What are some examples of this phenomenon in the tech space? I'd guess this category would include lots of niche shareware products or legacy tools with no modern successors. Would any of them be considered "champions" rather than just profitable small businesses?

Re: Hidden Champions: Successful but little-known businesses

#19

Post by pcmaffey »

dzink wrote: post #8

The natural state of a business is to become known to its target market, but keep its secrets and success hidden to avoid competition. Growing up in an entrepreneurial family for the first 15 years of my life I learned to never brag about my successes, but to show vulnerability and connect/help the vulnerability shown by fellow founders, because your network is a lot more likely to help you that way. In silicon valle…

This is the best take on sv business culture since Mike Judge. Thanks for that steak image.
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