We don’t rise to our opportunities; we fall to the level of our preparation. Many entrepreneurs start the week with bold strides: they launch a new Facebook ad campaign or send a new product logo to their graphic designer. They do things that move the needle. By 2pm, they’ve completed their checklist and launched a brand new service… …and then their toilet gets clogged. The entrepreneur looks around and asks, “Who’s going to fix this toilet?” (a tumbleweed rolls through) And quickly realizes, “It’s me. I’m the only person willing and able to use a plunger.” So the entrepreneur spends the next three hours plunging a toilet. At five, he goes home and thinks, “What a crappy day.” The next day, the entrepreneur comes into work a bit earlier, and carries an extra coffee. Before the other staff arrives, the boss makes more solid moves: approving yesterday’s art, responding to a partnership offer, and scheduling two new clients. Then the staff arrives and says, “The copier is out of ink.” The entrepreneur disengages from the valuable work–work that generates $500 per hour–and drives to the ink store, texts back and forth with the office staff to figure out which ink cartridge to buy, and drives back. An hour later, the printer is working but the owner is not. On a grander scale, a Founder might launch an ad campaign that attracts 50 new clients. The clients sign up for a six-week makeover. The books show a huge uptick in revenue, and all signs point to growth. But six weeks later, all of those clients are gone. Retention was next to zero. And it’s all because the Founder has tried to build Step Three before solving Step One. Here’s an example: An entrepreneur who self-identifies as a “Farmer” tries to cut back her hours. But she hasn’t replaced herself in the Sales role, so when she takes time off, revenue plummets. ...
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