I first read about the “Hedgehog Concept” in an article on the Agile Lifestyle website. The article is over a year old, but the concept was developed by Jim Collins and has been around for several years. The Hedgehog Concept is basically the idea that if a person (or a business) can find a way to make money doing something they’re deeply passionate about and have an innate ability for (or do better than anyone else), they will be successful.

A personal hedgehog is an exercise done by an individual in which they determine – with the help of those who know them well – what they’re passionate about, what innate skills or abilities they have, and what marketable skills they might possess. You then see where the three areas intersect and overlap. Anything that falls into all three categories is said to be your “Hedgehog.”

So, in true graphic designer fashion, I created the following venn diagram with the outcome of my hedgehog exercise: