Marketing guru Seth Godin wrote a fantastic little book about quitting – titled The Dip. The topic is also very relevant for all startups. In order to grow rapidly, a startup must learn to become the best in something. And usually that process involves some kind of course correction; a pivot.
According to Seth, one should QUIT all those “dead end”- tasks and focus instead all efforts into becoming best in something. Being average just isn’t enough. If you aren’t the best, all your customers will google and they find who really is the best… and there goes your DINNER. So, a startup needs to become the best in something, and if it really seems impossible… choose an another market, smaller market… even a tiny little niche market…in Kemi. And if that doesn’t seem to be worth it… choose to focus into something else something bigger…something in which your startup can become the best. QUIT and re-focus… and get DINNER.
Learn to QUIT when needed
In all fields the best ones have also been QUITting lots of things. If they had not, they would not have become the best. Competition also matters and if your startup is doing something that 1000 other companies are already doing … well you better … QUIT now… make a course correction (pivot) and choose to become the best one in something else.
The best ones take almost all
In almost all fields the profits are distributed very unevenly. General rule may be that the best earns 10 times more than the one who is 10th best – and 100 times more that the 100th best. In popular sports like downhill-skiing the world champion probably earns 1000 times more than the average actively competing individual.
So, how one can become the best
1) by carefully selecting what to do
2) by doing something that matches the available talent and resources
3) by choosing to put all the effort into becoming the best.
4) … but if becoming the best really seems to be impossible then one must understand to QUIT in time and choose to do something else.
Importance of Focus
A woodpecker can tap 20 times on thousand trees and get nowhere bit stay busy OR he can tap 20000 times on one tree and GET DINNER.
Focus and get dinner