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The story of Richard Montanez is an example of his journey from an ordinary job to extraordinary success. Earning $4 an hour, despite no degree and limited English, he recognized the opportunity. An idea given after understanding the needs of the customers changed both his fate and the company.
New Delhi. The story of Richard Montanez is considered to be the strongest example of hard work, vision and courage in today’s times. He started his career with a modest job in the American food company Frito-Lay, where he earned just $4 per hour. Neither did he have a major degree nor a good command over the English language. Despite this, he did not let the situation become his weakness and started understanding the world around him deeply.
Thoughts from the factory floor
Richard’s work was limited within the factory, but his thinking did not stop there. He used to see every day who was buying the company’s snacks and whose preferences were being ignored. During this time, he realized that there were almost no spicy and spicy flavored snacks in the market for the Latino community. This was an opportunity which others were not able to see.
did not wait for permission
Richard did not wait for permission from any manager. He prepared a sample of the spicy snack at home and presented his idea directly to the company’s CEO Roger Enrico. The management was impressed by his confidence and deep understanding of the customers. This idea later emerged as Flamin’ Hot Cheetos.
Sales worth crores and big learning
Flamin’ Hot Cheetos have sold hundreds of millions of dollars and become one of the company’s most successful products. Richard Montanez’s identity also changed completely and he reached the position of Vice President in a Fortune 500 company. His story proves that it is more important than a degree to be close to the problem and understand the customer’s need. The right vision and initiative often outweighs even the biggest certificates.
