Developing a plan is variably useful.
Sometimes it’s more important. Sometimes, it’s just not.
When you’re spending a lot of money, or the stakes are high, it’s more important to try and think through a problem. It might even make sense to do some testing, gather data, and then create a plan.
Everything else is generally better when you just start. No initial process has ever survived real-world application. No startup has ever created a business plan and then stuck to it. It’s not the plan that’s important, it’s how fast you can build something and learn from your mistakes.
Here’s how Steve Blank said the same thing:
“No business plan ever survives first contact with customers.”
- Steve Blank
So, before you sit down and think, think, think—just remember that you’re probably going to be changing a lot as you go. What’s more important than the exercise of thinking through every detail is focusing on the biggest risks and just getting started.
That’s it. Just do something.
Here’s another good one that has stuck with me for years:
“Everybody has a plan until they get punched in the face.”
- Mike Tyson