Introduction to Opportunities Topic 4

Be Agile

Don’t confuse the size of the next step with the size of the entire undertaking. The sports cliché, “take it one game at a time,” is applicable to entrepreneurship, too. One step at a time. Be aware of where you are in the process: you can’t get to 100 customers without getting 1 first.

When scaling is required you will learn to take multiple steps simultaneously. But if you’re solo, you can’t start there.

A lot of what you’ve heard and perhaps even learned in school about entrepreneurship is wrong. Most academics aren’t doers, they’re observers and analyzers. But for you, learning is not an end unto itself unless you’re pivoting from entrepreneur to philosopher. Learning should result in “knowing” what your next step ought to be to build your business, based on evidence. You must make progress. If you follow this program, you will.

Be willing to change your course based on market pull. Sure entrepreneurship is “science”, but it’s part art, too. The biggest wins are often behind the thickest walls. How do you know when to keep beating on the wall or to stop beating your head against it? There’s no simple answer. Experience and intuition help you determine when to change course and when to persevere.