Prioritization

Are you willing to let your company die because you can’t prioritize well?

Your ego and ambition say you can do it all. You can’t.

When you prioritize, you have to let everything else be mediocre.

Not everything can be optimal. Otherwise nothing is optimal.

The hardest choice to make in a startup is not what to elevate, but what to let slide.

I just spoke with a founder who is overwhelmed with his fundraise.

Peeling back the onion, it’s clear his priority is fundraising.

He’s also wants to make growth a priority. And moving product forward. And improving account management.

No wonder he hasn’t had time to work out, sleep, or eat properly.

The bulk of our conversation was about which thing took REAL priority.

Looking back at the end of the quarter, what would put the business in dire straits if he let it slide?

Fundraising.

What could be mediocre?

He cringed at this question.

Every high-achieving perfectionist cringes here.

That’s a good sign. Prioritizing should hurt.

What could be mediocre is Product and Account Management.

The business won’t die if he doesn’t make improvements there.

If you’re overwhelmed, take a good hard look at your top 8 priorities. Then pick your REAL priorities from that list.

Because if you have more than 3 priorities, those are your fake priorities.

You haven’t had the spine to prioritize.

Am I being mean? Yes. But I need to make this point clear.

You are not superwoman. You cannot bend space and time. You have limitations.

I love your ambition. I love your vision.

Now stop bullshitting yourself and pick what gets your attention and what stays mediocre.

Otherwise you can kiss your mental heath goodbye. Being a martyr will feel temporarily nice for your ego.

Then it will eventually kill your company.

I swear I deliver the message with love. But it’s a bitter pill to swallow, there’s no sugar coating it.

I’ve been there. Don’t play the martyr. Everyone loses.

Make the tough call and prioritize. Then focus. And win.