Be the Buffalo
Charge into the storm and get through it faster.
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Time to result
- ~ongoing to results
- Steps
- 2
- Confidence
- 88%
Be the Buffalo is a mindset metaphor drawn from nature: when a storm comes, cows run away and stay in the rain longer, but buffalo charge straight into and through the storm, clearing it faster. Perell uses it to encourage taking the frightening action that looks bad or hard, because that is exactly where opportunity, growth, and success live. She applies it to disruptive forces like AI, market changes, and personal setbacks. The core lesson is that adaptability and courage, not avoidance, determine who succeeds.
Origin
Perell uses the buffalo metaphor in her book, contrasting how cattle run from storms and stay wet longer while buffalo run through them, to teach founders to run toward the challenges they fear.
Core principles
- 01Most people and animals run away from a storm; the buffalo runs through it.
- 02Running with the storm keeps you in it longer; charging through ends it faster.
- 03The action you are scared to take is usually where the opportunity is.
- 04Adaptability, not avoidance, is what makes you successful amid change.
How to run it
- 1
Spot the storm
Recognize the frightening change or challenge in front of you — a disruptive technology, a market shift, or a personal setback — that you are inclined to avoid.
Watch out Running away, like a cow, only keeps you in the rain longer.
- 2
Charge through it
Take the action you are scared to take and move directly into the challenge, because charging through gets you to the other side faster than avoiding it.
Pro tip The scary, hard-looking move is usually where the growth and success are.
In the wild
Rather than shying away from AI like a cow running from a storm, Perell argues founders should lean into the new technology and adapt, treating the disruption as the opportunity to charge through.
→ Those who adapt to the change position themselves to succeed while avoiders get passed by.
Common mistakes
Running from the storm
Avoiding a frightening change keeps you exposed to it longer, like a cow that runs with the rain and stays wet, and forfeits the opportunity on the other side.
Is it for you?
Best for
Founders and professionals facing disruption, market change, or personal setbacks who instinctively retreat.
Not ideal for
Situations demanding patient de-escalation rather than a bold head-on charge.
From the transcript
“The buffalo runs through the storm and it actually is gets through the storm faster.”
“Buffaloos charge straight into the storm and get through it faster.”
From the episode
Kim Perell: 5 Execution Traits That Transform Ideas Into a $100M Business
Kim Perell