This summer, I’ve had the distinct privilege of coaching 5 students from the Maryland Institute College of Art’s MPS in the Business of Art & Design program.
This week, they’ll present their final business plans, pitches, and slide decks as the culmination of their learning.
As we near the end, each of them want to know if it’s okay if they make some stuff up. Their numbers, their “go to market” plan, their exit strategy.
They say, “Where do these numbers come from? Is it okay if I guess?”
“Sure!” I say. “Business is all about making it up as you go.”
There’s no such thing as a sure thing in business except the results of whatever you’ve tried. And you can’t try anything until you craft an initial hypothesis and perform experiments to either prove it or disprove it.
If you feel like you’re just making things up at the beginning (or the middle… or later), you’re exactly right.
That’s no reason to fear; that’s a reason to celebrate!
As Erica Dhawan argues in a piece on unlearning in Forbes, we must “learn to value process over programs, questions over answers, and influence over control.”
That is not to say that business is a crap shoot. The more your experiment, the more you learn how to make educated guesses. The more you question, the better you’ll be at anticipating the answers. But the biggest mistake you will make is thinking that you’ve learned the answer.
Every new customer, every new product, every new day is an opportunity for surprise. Even the most practiced process can defy all expectations.
Don’t fear. Rejoice.
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Making it up as you go is no reason for fear http://t.co/Py7U48EY
Second good bit of “wisdom” on business today. Thank you!
nice Tara, awesomely nice!
I really needed this today.
As someone in the early stages, there are so many things to learn, discover by doing, and create, and let’s face it, it’s emotional to confront those negative voices in our heads sometimes.
Thank you for outlining this topic so constructively.
Hey @edhawan! Gave you a little unlearning love in today’s short piece: http://t.co/lzB3b2J6
Making It Up as You Go is No Reason for Fear http://t.co/f6Z3UhYt (via @taragentile)
Making It Up as You Go is No Reason for Fear http://t.co/87vOFgjJ (via @taragentile)
You seem to have the knack and the gift of writing timely advice, delivered to my email in the nick of time!
I have a new client, which is wonderful, but this new process will be one of pushing myself out of my “comfort zone” and into uncharted waters! Sometimes fear comes first, thank you for helping me send it to the back of the queue !
“Business is all about making it up as you go.”
There’s no such thing as a sure thing in business except the… http://t.co/tIzEHMrU
Amen. I know no other way. RT @skooloflife: Making It Up as You Go is No Reason for Fear http://t.co/s0cC1pki (via @taragentile)
Making It Up as You Go is No Reason for Fear http://t.co/mRgCrgfK
Making It Up as You Go: http://t.co/93xp7a6L – business truth from @taragentile
[...] Gentile dropped a bombshell this week with her post on why Making It Up as You Go is No Reason for Fear. Everyone, no matter if they’re a superstar or a beginner, makes their business plan up as [...]
Hi Tara,
. I think this post in particular resonated with me. I believe that to do big things we must focus on process over events.
I heard about your Blog from a friend and I am really enjoying the content
I have many friends who talk a big game but they end up doing nothing. Yet, I have other friends who quietly seem to just make things happen. Overtime I have begun to realize this is because they are focused on process.
Process is less exciting to talk about but a bazillion (by my calculations) more important. Without process an outcome does not exist.
One of the questions I have been battling a lot with lately is: If process is so darn important than why does so much of our society focus on outcomes? What do you think?
[...] To be a success in today’s business world, you’ve got to be masterful at improvisation. Or as my friend Tara Gentile, says, “Business is all about making it up as you go.” [...]