“Business is simple. Solve problems that people care about, and deliver more value than you take in return.” – Alan Stein, Jr.
Last month, my friend Alan Stein and I happened to be in Las Vegas at the same time. We met up for a bit, and I introduced him to some friends we were with. One of these friends had, the prior month, sold his business to the world’s largest commercial real estate company, and was now leading the company’s office in San Antonio.
Alan is a basketball performance coach. He works with elite athletes, and is one of the absolute best I know at communicating truths in simple, impactful ways. Alan believes the performance secrets of elite athletes apply beyond sport and into business and life. (If you want to improve your performance, I can’t recommend Alan’s new book, Raise Your Game, highly enough.)
When my friend learned of Alan’s career he asked Alan what advice he’d offer him. Alan said this, “Business is simple. Solve problems that people care about, and deliver more value than you take in return.”
Business is simple. And as Alan deftly observes, just because it’s simple, it doesn’t mean it’s easy.
It’s simple to interview your customers, but it’s a lot easier to assume they are like you.
It’s simple to have an idea worth pursuing, but it’s a lot easier to keep dreaming up more of them.
It’s simple to write unit tests, but it’s a lot easier to stick to the work that’s fun.
It’s simple to dial the number, but it’s not easy dealing with the prospect of being told “no”.
These are some of the basics of being in a digital business. Simple, not easy.
When first getting to know a friend who I knew to be a successful entrepreneur, I asked him, “What exactly do you do?” Without missing a beat, he said, “I do the things other people aren’t willing to do.” He makes bold commitments to prospects because he believes in his team and the value of the product. He calls on potential investors to convince them of opportunity they should want to be a part of, even though the possibility of a bad financial outcome exists. He takes the phone call from the unhappy customer. He has the hard conversations with his employees.
All too often, we avoid taking action on what we know we must do. We’ve become pros at distracting ourselves— we’re great at seeking more information, adding complexity, getting lost in what’s fun, and pursuing alternate paths and projects.
Some things in life are complex. When we try to make complex things too simple, they become simplistic. But too often, we err in the opposite way. When we try to make simple things too complex, they become complicated.
If you’re in a place where you can’t move forward because your world has gotten complicated, start by simplifying your thinking and finish by acting on what you know deep down you must do.
Solve problems that people care about, and deliver more value than you take in return. It’s simple… just not easy.
