The Sure Thing Outline

<Your “hook” or “introduction to the introduction” can go here.> In his essay “The Sure Thing,” Malcolm Gladwell explains how famous entrepreneur Ted Turner wasn’t much of a risk taker. Gladwell develops this idea by telling the story of two of Turner’s big business deals and showing how, in spite of what people think, they were not really big risks at all.

      First, Gladwell describes Turner’s purchase of a failing television station in the late 1960s. 

• bored, looking for “fun,” “risk,” “scare everyone”
• looks to buy tv station in bad shape— “don’t do it!”
• Turner buys it anyway, big shot, risk taking entrepreneur!

     Next, Gladwell shows how this deal wasn’t actually a big risk for Turner.

• already had plenty of money/good billboard business
• experienced in ad business already, and that’s all TV is
• free advertising for new station
• thought of a way to get good programs on his station
• not too expensive, anyway, really
• figured out how to not even put any money down

     Then, Gladwell looks at another “risky” deal Turner made: the purchase of the Atlanta Braves in 1976.

<You find the “bullets” to put in here…>

     Finally, Gladwell shows how this deal, too, was not exactly much of a risk for Turner.

<…and here, too.>

<Wrap up somehow, either with a tie-in to your hook from the introduction, or with some other idea that showed up while you were writing. Avoid “so you can see” type summaries!>