Most founders think they need the perfect résumé, the right connections, or the proven playbook to win.
But in 1983, a 61-year-old farmer proved that sometimes the unconventional path changes everything.
The Race No One Expected Him to Finish
The race was brutal: 544 miles from Sydney to Melbourne. Elite ultramarathon runners—half his age—lined up, trained and sponsored, ready for glory.
Then came Cliff Young. A 61 years old potato farmer in overalls and gumboots. No coach, no strategy, no special gear. Just years of chasing sheep across thousands of acres… and a belief in himself.
The crowd laughed when they saw him. He didn’t even look like a runner.
The Shuffle That Changed Everything
When the gun fired, Cliff set off with a strange, awkward gait. Reporters called it the “Young Shuffle”. Runners disappeared into the distance while Cliff lagged behind.
But while the elites followed tradition—running 18 hours, sleeping 6—Cliff kept shuffling. Through the night. Through the pain. Through every mile.
By not knowing the “rules,” he broke them.
By not stopping, he won.
Cliff crossed the finish line 10 hours ahead of the the athlete in the 2nd position. A farmer in gumboots, rewrote the history of ultramarathons.
What Startups Can Learn from Cliff Young
- Credentials don’t decide outcomes– Cliff had no résumé that said “elite athlete”. Founders don’t need one either.
- Ignorance can be freedom He didn’t know the “right” way to run a ultramarathon. That ignorance became his edge.
- Persistence beats pedigree Endless shuffling outlasted the best-trained runners. Startups win the same way—by refusing to stop.
Why This Inspires Us at Data I Am
At Data I Am, we’re building with the same mindset.
We don’t follow the playbook of traditional data tools—complex, bloated, built only for engineers. Instead, we’re taking a different path: making Salesforce data loading and fixing radically simple, for anyone.
Just like Cliff’s shuffle, it may look unconventional. But we believe it’s the winning strategy.
Sometimes, it’s the potato farmer in gumboots who rewrites the rules of the race.
For startups, that’s the reminder: the path no one expects may be the one that wins.
👉 What’s your “Young Shuffle”?
To learn more about Data I Am visit: https://dataiam.com
