The Day I Destroyed Thousands of Pounds of Speakers…on purpose

Back in the Turbosound days, our loudspeakers were becoming internationally successful — so successful that they were being copied.

One particular company in Canada went further than most: they cloned our patented TMS-3 right down to the smallest detail.

We took them to court… and we won.

And then I ordered their counterfeit speakers to be publicly destroyed by chainsaw.

Yes, really.

Why go to such extremes?

Because back then, it wasn’t just about money. It was about principle. It was about

protecting our people, our innovation, our quality — the things that take years to build and minutes to undermine.

But here’s the part that took me years to see:

The chainsaw wasn’t really about them.

It was about me.

At that stage of my life, I was driven (obsessed might be the better word) by money,

success, prestige, and winning. The public destruction was more of a performance of identity than an act of brand protection.

But beneath all of that was something meaningful:

A belief that what we created deserved defending.

A belief that standards matter.

A belief that shortcuts come at a higher cost than most people realise.

And, unlike my destructive attitude, those beliefs have stayed with me.

And here’s what I’ve come to learn:

If you stand for nothing, you’ll fall for anything.

Every entrepreneur eventually reaches a moment where they have to decide: What will I defend?

Not just legally.

Not just financially.

But in principle.

Your product quality.

Your people.

Your values.

Your purpose.

Your boundaries.

Your integrity.

Those choices shape your business, and in some ways, your life.

If you’re facing a dilemma about standards, ethics, culture, or quality… pause for a second and ask yourself:

What would I not tolerate, even if nobody’s watching?

Then listen to the answer that comes up naturally. That’s usually your compass.

As always, I’d love to hear your thoughts.

Let me know about a moment where you had to defend what mattered.

P.S. actually there was also a commercial benefit — no-one else copied our speakers after that!