Recently, I was on a Werner Herzog bender. Famous for directing classic films like AGUIRRE: THE WRATH OF GOD and FITZCARRALDO, Herzog also has a big personality. He’s lived an astonishing life, which he recounts in his distinctive Bavarian accent on seemingly countless YouTube interviews.
In 2023, Herzog published a memoir called Every Man for Himself and God Against All, where he lays out his philosophy and tells many engaging stories about his life. I wrote “tells” because there’s an audiobook version of the book, narrated by Herzog, which I highly recommend.
In any case, the book includes the following anecdote about the making of AGUIRRE. Here’s the setup: while filming in Peru (the film is set in the Amazon,) the production ran out of money. They were on a shoestring budget, and funds had run out. Lucki — Herzog’s half-brother, who was managing finances — went for broke:
One night, when we were really up against it, Lucki went to Miraflores, the affluent suburb of Lima, and went from house to house offering a deal. Because practically everyone there had a dollar account in the States to keep money hidden from the Peruvian tax authorities, they were interested in getting outside money directly funneled into the United States. Lucki said he needed $50,000 worth of Peruvian Soles right away. In return, he would have that sum wired from Germany to the United States with an extra 10% on top as a reward for so much trust. The sum would arrive within 48 hours. People in Lima had read about my project in the newspapers, but who was going to sign up for it in the middle of the night in response to someone knocking on the doors? Lucki, though, had a natural gift for creating trust, which he knew better than to abuse. A very young entrepreneur, Joe Koechlin von Stein, took him up on the offer. He needed dollars because he was planning a rock concert with Carlos Santana. With no more guarantee than a handshake, he handed Lucki the Soles the next day, and the project was saved for the time being.
Who does something like this? (Could you?)
I brought this passage to episode 20 of the Traction Heroes podcast, because I wanted to unpack with Harry the idea of gumption: a rare combination of boldness, initiative, and action that breaks through obstacles and makes things happen.
Gumption is essential to getting traction. Is it something innate, or can it be developed? Tune in for our thoughts.