At heart, I’m an idea guy. I love coming up with them, I love playing with them, and I love hearing about them — that’s why I went to TEDxUSC 2011. This year’s theme was “Actions Speak Louder,” and the speakers were all people who had come to believe something — and were doing something about it. Their speeches all showed how they crossed the boundary from thinking to doing, all in their own way, all in their own industry, from professors publishing, to motivated individuals starting non-profits, to the less-restrained and more-flexible starting clown colleges. At many start-ups, and for many entrepreneurs, the actions fall to the wayside, and the ideas keep your attention. There is no start, no changing the world. So it was great to hear about how all of these different people got to start. Everyone who doesn’t take the plunge has a different reason, of course. But the two I see most — and these are actually true of not just entrepreneurs but operating companies as well — are:
  1. They’re too comfortable with the way things are
  2. The idea is endlessly optimized
It’s a truism that the clients who have just lost their jobs, have gone into default on a loan, or who have just lost a key customer are more than happy to throw themselves into a new company or a new product; it’s the ones with good jobs, other successful businesses, or lucrative product or service options that end up being comfortable with where they are and end up letting an opportunity languish. Of course, it’s hard to criticize someone for focusing on something that’s working well enough. The root cause here often is that the client isn’t prepared to be honest about their own goals with themself — they talk a good game about doing something innovative, but it turns out that they really love to go home at 5pm, to spend their free time fly-fishing, and to accept a lower income in return for security. All valid goals, indeed, but too few people are prepared to admit them to themselves. Be honest: if you like things how they are today, that’s fine. Just own it. The other type is the client seeking perfection. As Voltaire said, “the perfect is the enemy of the good.” Of course, every idea can be continually refined and made better; for many people, this activity is just darned fun! And, again, good for them; but at some point in time, like the speakers of TEDxUSC 2011, you have to turn your words into actions, or all you’ve done is create words. Usually privately. In some document on your computer. That nobody else has the password to. Yeah, let’s not end up with that. Go for it. Take your first step. Don’t know what your first step is? Well, then, you need a business plan. Many people give the advice “don’t write your business plan, just start the business!” Done correctly, your business plan is how you figure out how to start the business. It’s not about grand ideas; it’s about your next step. If you know your next step, without a plan, then go for it. If you need to do some digging to find that next step — to turn your words into action — then a business plan can help you speak louder.