Go Big Or Go Home?

Boiling the ocean.

So cliché. We hear those words all the time in corporate America. It basically means you are trying to do way too much within a given endeavor/timeframe. Usually, those projects end up failing because you didn’t focus your efforts on the goal at hand and you let things get way out of control to the detriment of your resources.

But those words also have a lot of relevance for startup entrepreneurs, whose budgets are considerably smaller and time to market may very short. The first step is establishing a reasonable and manageable goal. Building toward that goal requires a well-thought out plan of action, with trackable tasks and milestones. You’re never going to meet your objectives if you’re flying by the seat of your pants. It’s focus that propels you to the finish line.

Easier said than done. I know. You’re excited and eager to create something prospective customers will embrace and value. Your passion drives you and ideas flow with no sign of stopping. It’s like you can’t control it…

But you must.

Take a step back. There’s a time and place for everything and even though you’re tempted and desperate to launch something beyond this universe, be thoughtful and careful about your longer term strategy. Start simple and work your way forward. You will have a better chance of meeting success if you keep your initial plans short and your end goals manageable.

This is the time to test. Try something. If it works, great. Incorporate it for the next launch. If it fails, you learned a lesson. Don’t make it a super-costly one.

Go big or go home?

Not always the way.

Go small to start. You have a better shot of winning big.