Studio Note #81: Things change. The Goal Doesn’t.
You can’t anticipate everything.
There's an understandable excitement that comes with identifying a new opportunity for your business.
You see the potential. You recognize the relationships that could make it possible. You start imagining what it might become.
But recognizing an opportunity and being prepared to capitalize on it are two different things.
I've been reminded of that distinction recently while exploring some new business relationships.
On paper, everything makes sense. There's a clear need, a potential audience and an opportunity to create value.
But the deeper you get into the conversation, the more important the details become.
What works well for one customer may not translate directly to another. The assumptions you've made about your capabilities deserve another look. And sometimes the best thing you can do for a promising opportunity is resist the urge to move too quickly.
I've never been particularly interested in selling someone something simply because I have it to sell.
I'd rather understand what they actually need and determine whether we're equipped to deliver it.
Sometimes that means expanding your capabilities. Sometimes it means finding the right people to work alongside you.
And sometimes it means realizing that what you thought was the perfect solution isn't quite as complete as you believed.
That doesn't make the original vision any less worthwhile. It simply means there's more work to do to fully realize it.
The goal hasn't changed. Your understanding of what it takes to get there has.