Breaking with convention: the man in snow-white at Berghain

A man in a snow-white outfit is standing in line outside Berghain: the most exclusive techno club in the world, known for its extremely strict door policy. It’s hard to miss him. He’s the only one dressed in pure white; hundreds of others are dressed in jet black. In this column, I’m making the case that we should all conform 10% less. Just like the man in white at Berghain. Because it’s precisely when we dare to be different that wonderful things happen—even in the world of tech and innovation.

Earlier today, I suddenly had a flashback to my time in Berlin, about three years ago. I loved—and still love—Berlin techno. And if you love techno and live in Berlin, there’s one club you really want to get into: Berghain. So I was determined to give it a try. You know, that techno club with the strictest door policy in the world. Even Elon Musk would have been turned away by the bouncers.

There are fierce supporters and opponents of that door policy; that’s a whole discussion in itself, and we’ll save that for another time. In any case, its goal is to protect a certain culture within that club. The bouncers pick out the people they think embrace the diverse alternative culture, where people of all orientations and backgrounds are welcome.

Great. But what does everyone trying to get in do next? Suddenly, the whole line looks like one big alternative parade. Black is the only “allowed” color. Jet-black makeup, fishnet, chains, leather pants. You can leave your tank top at home. Ideally, you’d also speak a bit of German, so you can answer any questions the bouncers might have. That way, you’ll look more like a “local” than a tourist.

One evening, in the middle of winter, I, too, was standing in line. Wearing my new black top, bought especially for that night. Pants covered in chains. I’d practiced my little spiel in case the bouncer tested me. And most importantly: look very serious.

I’ll let you know in a moment if I made it in. There’s one thing I want to share with you about that night. Something that caught my eye as I stood there in line, chattering my teeth. There was just no getting around it: that one guy who walked up. Everyone looked the same—except for him. Dressed all in white. A white shirt with pearls, a white scarf, white sweatpants, and white boots! His long hair was the only thing that was a different color. On top of that, he behaved differently from the rest. While everyone else was quiet as a mouse, afraid of standing out, he was cheerfully chatting with his friend. And guess what? He walked up to the line, gave the security guard a nod, and just walked right through.

Different from the norm: it can be a major advantage

The man in the snow-white Berghain outfit still gives me pause now and then. He felt no need to conform. He did things differently for once. That’s not easy, as we all know. We’re simply social animals, afraid of falling out of the group. It’s deeply ingrained in human instinct.

Still, I think we’d do well to be the odd one out just a little more often. To put on a white outfit when everyone else chooses black.

It can sometimes be uncomfortable to say “A” when everyone else says “B.” Maybe your coworkers will laugh at you. Maybe you’ll blush with embarrassment…

Sometimes, however, there’s something wonderful in return. That crazy idea that’s been lingering in the back of your mind for three years might just be the concept that leads to the next breakthrough for your tech company. That “silly” question you didn’t dare to ask might very well be on the minds of many others in the conference room.

The great names of the past and present also dared to do things differently. Nikola Tesla is known as the brilliant inventor of the alternating current system, but in his day he was declared a fool on multiple occasions. Aletta Jacobs once believed that the university should also be open to women. She was laughed at by others, but she persisted nonetheless. Steve Jobs once had a “crazy idea” that no one thought would work—until it did.

Because perhaps that’s the uncomfortable truth about innovation: when an idea is truly innovative, it often seems a bit crazy to everyone else at first. If everyone immediately finds it logical and obvious, there’s a good chance someone else has already thought of it.

Note to self: next time, I’ll do it differently too

Back to Berghain. The man in white dared to venture off the beaten path and walked into the club without any trouble. Maybe precisely because he was different from the rest. That evening, after standing in the long line for two hours, I got in too. But I went in just like everyone else—dressed in black. Just like the rest. That still bothers me sometimes. I’ve promised myself I’ll do it differently next time. Brilliant white or bright red, I don’t care. If I decide to visit Berghain again, that black top is staying home.