They're all a by-product. You don't look for them as the main focus, they are the result of what you do in service to your customers.
3 days ago • 1 min read
A common pattern that I see in people who are new in leading positions is they try to maximize the results. What's that even mean? That in order to get the best results, you have to seize the right time. At uni, it might work. In real-life... not so much. Because it's about waiting. Waiting for the right time. Time that might never come (as perfect as expected). In business, the right time is not too early, nor too late. The right time is when you make a decision. A decision that might be...
4 days ago • 1 min read
That's what most people will tell you: "Don't burn bridges." Here's the thing, though: sometimes there are bridges that need to burn. Still, you can make them burn graciously.
5 days ago • 1 min read
This one is taken over by Geraldine Carter. It usually sounds like this: “I should probably say yes to this revenue, right?” Or worse: “I already said yes.” Or worse: ”Why would I say no to revenue?” Or worse: ”It’s hard to say no to revenue.” Or worse: ”I don’t say no to revenue.” Or worse: ”I’ve never met a dollar I didn’t like.” Here’s the thing – That one-time custom package that you were about to create… It looks like a harmless little shoot in your yard. But it’s a sapling. And left...
8 days ago • 1 min read
You don't get to hire somebody highly qualified to do non-qualified-to-do work (paying top dollar). It makes no sense. It's the same in business. Your customers don't want to pay premium for a commoditized thing. And your focus in business has the same perspective. Is it important to have all the tiny work done? Absolutely. Can you have someone else do it so that YOU focus on the high impact? That might be a better way to make your business thrive. Maybe. It's all on the focus.
10 days ago • 1 min read
How do you assure financial predictability to your customers? One way of doing so is by giving them fixed prices. Another way is through warranties. Another one from helping them picture what it's going to look like in a further future. Or letting them know what things will be involved. All of them though, need to happen BEFORE they buy. Because there's nothing worse than getting "surprises" that blow your budget.
11 days ago • 1 min read
"Clarity comes in the articulation, not after it." David C. Baker Taking your ideas off your head and putting them onto paper (or whatever media you use) gives you the clarity of what you want to communicate. You'll realize it only by going through the pain.
13 days ago • 1 min read
"A founder needs to know all the technical side." That's not necessarily true. A founder/principal/owner doesn't need to know all of the technical side (be it in technology, in services, in consulting, etc.) —even if they're soloists. What they need to know is how to make decisions. And make them better everytime.
15 days ago • 1 min read
The best decision That's what you aim for: The best decision... within what you have. Will it be THE best decision ever? Fuck no. It'll be the decision that lets you move. And steer in the way. And how you get to make big, bold decisions that don't harm you? Starting with small ones. Against the common conception of "Quality beats quantity", this (as in writing) has to do more with quantity over quality. At the right scale. Small decisions let you practice, learn, refine, correct. So that...
16 days ago • 1 min read