Planned serendipity as a strategy: Lessons from Sibella Court
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Sibella Court explains how intuition, authentic relationships and planned serendipity shaped one of Australia’s most successful design businesses
When it comes to business planning, most executives wrestle with spreadsheets and data analytics, searching for the perfect formula to drive business growth. Sibella Court took a different path, building a successful business that spanned global brand collaborations, without creating a single business plan or cash flow projection. As one of Australia’s most sought-after interior designers and style influencers, her progression from magazine styling to international recognition demonstrates an approach that prioritises relationships and instincts over traditional business metrics.
Ms Court's unconventional approach began in the magazine world of the early 1990s, working for Vogue and Marie Claire in Australia before heading to New York. There, she collaborated with fashion giants like Donna Karan, Bergdorf Goodman, and Saks Fifth Avenue. When she returned to Sydney in 2008, she opened The Society Inc, a retail concept that blended homewares with styling services.
In a recent interview with Dr Juliet Bourke, Adjunct Professor in the School of Management and Governance at UNSW Business School for The Business Of, a podcast from UNSW Business School, Court explained that her business thrived for 15 years without traditional planning methods, raising questions about the role of intuition in business strategy.
Building business foundations through authentic relationships
Ms Court's success stemmed from her commitment to genuine human connections rather than transactional networking. Her approach to relationship building began during her magazine years when she partnered with food stylist Donna Hay to create a new genre of photography that combined interiors and food styling.
"I teamed up with Donna Hay, who's one of my dear friends, and we'd been shooting in the same studio, and we teamed up as interiors and food, which hadn't really been done before. I mean, there were some of the English magazines that were doing it under Ilse Crawford, but we had this different way of looking at it, and we would hire fashion photographers to shoot our food and interiors,” said Ms Court, who explained that this collaboration caught international attention and opened doors when she moved to New York.
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The foundation of Ms Court's business networking philosophy centred on curiosity about others rather than self-promotion. She discovered that authentic interest in people's stories created lasting connections that generated opportunities years later. "I do think the socialising is a really big part of it,” she told Prof. Bourke. “I don't socialise as much now, but anytime I do, something comes out of it. It's a casual passing, a casual conversation that sticks with someone or sticks with you, and a seed is planted, and something always comes of it."
Her approach extended beyond traditional business events to include art openings, gallery launches, and industry gatherings where she could meet makers, artists, and craftspeople. These connections became integral to her design process and business model. Ms Court surrounded herself with artisans whose work she could incorporate into her projects, creating a network that served both creative and commercial purposes.
The strategy behind planned serendipity
Professor Barney Tan, Senior Deputy Dean (Impact and Partnerships) for UNSW Business School, explained in podcast that Ms Court's approach to business was one of "planned serendipity" – the systematic creation of conditions that allow good fortune to occur. This concept challenges the notion that business success results from either pure luck or rigid planning.
"In reality, a lot of what looks like luck is actually the result of systems and groundwork that create conditions for good fortune to happen," Prof. Tan explained. "It's about creating the conditions for intuition to thrive, and Sibella's journey illustrates this perfectly."
Ms Court's move from New York back to Sydney demonstrated this principle in action. Her decision appeared impulsive – made within 48 hours during a family visit – but was supported by years of accumulated experience, relationships, and resources. "When I got home, I was like, 'I'm not doing it. I'm moving home.' Within like 48 hours, it was the strangest thing," she recalled.
The timing proved advantageous. Ms Court had accumulated three storage spaces full of props and inventory in New York, providing her with three years of stock when she opened The Society Inc. This preparation, combined with her global network of suppliers and makers, created the foundation for her Australian venture. The Global Financial Crisis, which might have devastated a cash-strapped startup, became an advantage because she didn't need to purchase new inventory.
Prof. Tan's research on Vietnamese fintech startup MomoPay revealed similar patterns. He explained that companies that appeared lucky had actually invested in sensing capabilities, maintained close relationships with customers and policymakers, and fostered cultures of real-time information sharing. When unexpected opportunities arose, they were positioned to respond quickly.
Recognising when business models need evolution
Ms Court's decision to close The Society Inc in 2023 demonstrated another aspect of intuitive business management – knowing when to pivot or exit. The closure wasn't driven by financial failure but by changing personal circumstances and market conditions.
The catalyst came when the building housing her business faced demolition, forcing Ms Court to confront the enormous collection of objects she had accumulated over decades. "I did four Lawson's auctions and sold thousands and thousands of my objects that I had collected for such a long time,” she recalled. “So, there was this lead up to that, and then I think it just almost organically happened, even though I'd been in the back of my mind that this was going to happen soon."
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Personal factors also influenced the decision. Ms Court's business partnership with her husband had deteriorated alongside their marriage, creating operational challenges. "My partner was my husband as well. And, you know, our relationship fell apart as did the business, and it was unravelling over quite a few years and I was holding up the whole business and running the whole thing."
The closure revealed the importance of understanding revenue streams within complex business models. Ms Court discovered that while The Society Inc retail operation consumed 65% of her time, she never drew a wage from it. Her primary income came from other activities under the Sibella Ms Court brand: ambassador roles, interior design projects, manufacturing collaborations, books, and television work.
This realisation enabled her to transition to Sibella Court Studio, a streamlined operation focusing on high-value design services for hotels and commercial spaces. The new model eliminated the time-intensive retail operation while preserving the most profitable elements of her business.
Navigating technology integration in creative industries
Ms Court's experience with artificial intelligence reflects broader challenges facing creative industries as automation capabilities expand. Her hotel design projects now use AI for administrative tasks like meeting transcription and action item generation, demonstrating practical applications that enhance rather than replace human creativity.
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"The AI we're using at the moment is usually to record all of our WIPs, which are huge and long and lengthy with many people, and it writes the minutes for us, and then it tells us all what to do. So that has been an incredible saver," Ms Court explained.
However, she sounded a note of caution about AI's capacity to replicate the human elements that define her work. When experimenting with AI image generation, she said the results often missed the essence of her design philosophy. Her resistance to AI design tools stemmed from her emphasis on artisanal elements and vintage pieces with history. "If I'm doing, you know, a hotel or whatever interior space I'm designing, you know, 50% of it is artisan-made, whether that's custom or bespoke, 40% probably vintage, and then this tiny little 10% is off the shelf."
Prof. Tan's research on AI adoption in Korean creative industries supported Ms Court's perspective. His findings revealed that successful integration required careful consideration of stakeholder responses and emotional impact. "Firms that succeeded weren't just using AI behind the scenes, they were thinking about how the technology would be received by users, clients and even their own designers,” he said.
The challenge for creative businesses lies in determining which processes benefit from automation without compromising the authenticity that clients value. Ms Court's approach suggests that AI works best as a support tool for administrative tasks while human creativity remains central to client-facing work.
Lessons for business leaders
Ms Court's journey offers insights for business leaders navigating uncertain markets. Her success without traditional planning tools doesn't negate the value of strategic thinking but suggests that rigid adherence to plans can prevent recognition of emerging opportunities. "I didn't have a business plan or really care about the projections, or all of those sorts of things," Court reflected. "Maybe it's just good timing is a big part of it as well."
The concept of planned serendipity requires investment in relationship building, market sensing, and maintaining flexibility to respond to unexpected developments. Ms Court's networking approach prioritised genuine interest in others over immediate commercial gain, creating a foundation for long-term opportunities. “We're always having casual conversations,” she reflected. “Ask whoever you're talking to a lot of questions; that's always interesting."
Ms Court emphasised the importance of building authentic professional communities rather than transactional networks. "I do surround myself with makers as well, and they're all so integral to my design process,” she said. “When you build that community too, your name is interwoven with a certain type of craftsmanship." This approach created mutual benefit, where each party served as a marketing channel for the others.
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Her willingness to pivot when circumstances changed – from New York to Sydney, from retail to services – demonstrates the importance of regular business model evaluation. Understanding which activities generate real value versus those that consume resources without adequate return, enables more informed decisions about business evolution, according to Ms Court.
For creative industries, Ms Court's experience suggests that technology integration should enhance rather than replace human elements that clients value. The key lies in identifying processes where automation adds value while preserving the authenticity and personal touch that differentiate creative work from commoditised services. "Look: never say never, but in my career lifetime, I doubt that a space that I could create would be created by AI, and a client's going to take that," Ms Court observed, highlighting the continued importance of human creativity in her field.