5 Questions I Ask Before Saying Yes to Something New

Once I first began out, I mentioned sure to all the things.

That is what most entrepreneurs do. You are in construct mode, and you do not wish to miss a possibility, so you retain stacking your calendar and pushing ahead. However in some unspecified time in the future, all that saying sure turns into a legal responsibility.

For me, it confirmed up within the type of distractions. I used to be spending time on issues that did not align with our strengths, did not serve our clients, and, if I am trustworthy, did not energize me or my workforce. I knew I wanted a filter to guage the flood of alternatives that got here our means.

So I constructed one.

Right now, earlier than we are saying sure to something new, whether or not it is a product, a partnership or a giant initiative, we run it via 5 easy however highly effective questions. These questions hold us targeted on what we do greatest, what we care about, and the place we’re going subsequent.

If you happen to’re rising quick or feeling stretched skinny, this filter would possibly allow you to, too.

Associated: The 6 Questions I Ask Earlier than I Say ‘Sure’ to Something

1. What influence does this have on our development?

That is the place I begin. Progress needs to be a part of the end result, however not simply income development. It may imply growing market share, increasing right into a strategic area of interest, constructing our portfolio and even enhancing our inside skillset. However it has to maneuver the enterprise ahead in a significant means.

I’ve realized to look past the plain. Typically, a brand new alternative creates a door right into a buyer section that wasn’t accessible earlier than. That preliminary entry level won’t be your greatest income driver, however it might place you to supply extra impactful options down the road.

That is what I name high-leverage development: one thing that generates momentum, not simply movement.

2. Does it align with our distinctive skill?

Our workforce has a particular power: bringing farmer-invented, field-tested merchandise to market utilizing a particular mix of selling and gross sales technique. We do not simply distribute instruments — we inform their story, construct belief and get them in entrance of the suitable individuals.

After we keep in that lane, we win.

However I’ve stepped outdoors that lane earlier than. I as soon as took on a venture just because I favored the individual behind it. Their product wasn’t all that completely different from what was already available on the market, and it did not play to our strengths. We ultimately needed to stroll away from it, and in hindsight, we by no means ought to have mentioned sure.

Each founder must know what they’re actually, actually good at. And as soon as you have outlined it, you have to guard it.

Associated: Reply These 7 Questions Earlier than Beginning Your Facet Enterprise

3. Does it mirror our mission and values?

At Thunderstruck, our mission is evident: we join farmers with modern merchandise that remedy real-world issues. That phrase, modern, is a dealbreaker. If a product is not completely different or higher, if it does not remedy one thing in a better means, it is not a match for us.

We do not want a guidelines to smell out misalignment. We all know our values, issues like integrity, respect and long-term pondering. If we’re evaluating a possible accomplice or alternative and one thing feels off, we belief that intuition.

As a founder, the minute you begin making choices that do not line up with who you might be or why you began, the entire basis begins to crack. You lose readability. Your workforce feels it. And ultimately, so does your buyer.

4. Does success imply extra freedom or much less?

Loads of entrepreneurs chase development in any respect prices, solely to comprehend later that they’ve constructed themselves a cage.

Years in the past, I discovered myself in that spot. I used to be pouring time, vitality and assets right into a technically profitable enterprise, nevertheless it left me with zero flexibility. I used to be working two companies without delay and had no area to breathe. That have taught me a vital fact: if a possibility does not create extra freedom, it is not actual development.

Today, I solely say sure to issues that give our workforce extra room to maneuver, no more weight to hold.

Associated: Each Profitable Enterprise Has Dangerous Critiques — Even Mine. This is How I Sort out Adverse Suggestions.

5. Is it going to be enjoyable?

Most entrepreneurs do not take into consideration enjoyable once they’re evaluating a brand new alternative. They consider development, scale and execution. But when the work does not energize you or your workforce, that momentum will not final.

Enjoyable does not imply it needs to be simple. It means the problem feels price it. It means your individuals are leaning in, not testing. You’ll be able to really feel the distinction when one thing clicks. The workforce is engaged. Concepts are flowing. There’s vitality within the room.

And you may really feel it when that spark is not there. The room is quiet. Progress slows. No person’s excited to select it up once more.

I have been on either side. After we tackle one thing that excites us, we carry out higher. Gross sales get sharper. Advertising will get extra inventive. The entire firm runs stronger.

Founders typically overlook pleasure as a result of it does not present up on a spreadsheet. However in case you plan to develop one thing significant, it needs to be sustainable. Pleasure is what retains the engine working. Ignore it, and all the things slows down. Prioritize it, and all the things strikes quicker.

On the finish of the day, alternative is not the laborious half. The world’s stuffed with shiny pitches, good concepts and individuals who need your time.

The laborious half is realizing what’s yours to chase and what’s simply noise.

That is what this filter does. It clears the static. It retains your workforce targeted, your values intact and your development sustainable. As a result of ultimately, it is not about how a lot you may tackle. It is about changing into the form of chief who is aware of what actually deserves your time.