A false premise that many entrepreneurs start from when they want to grow is assuming that growth is caused by their ability. However, growth isn’t caused by skill. It’s caused by market forces. And it will only occur to the extent that our decisions align with those forces.
It’s a subtle distinction, but it’s important to understand.
When you believe that growth is caused by ability, you focus on getting skilled at tactics and strategies to market, sell, and scale.
When you believe that growth is caused by market forces, you focus on tapping into those forces.
To make an analogy, assuming growth is a result of ability is like trying to sail a boat as if the wind didn’t exist.
You see fast moving boats with their sails trimmed flying upwind. So you trim in your sails like theirs. But because your bow is pointing downwind, nothing happens.
Wait though: isn’t understanding the wind a part of the skill of sailing? Isn’t part of being a skilled entrepreneur understanding market forces?
Absolutely. But that skill is entirely reliant and secondary to market forces. Even an expert sailor can’t pilot a boat without wind. And the world’s best sailor can only go so fast in a breeze.
If you want to grow, you have to find a greater energy source or figure out how to more effectively harness the wind that you currently have. That’s the priority. And that priority will dictate your strategies and tactics.
Image Source: By Royal Canadian Yacht Club Archives – Royal Canadian Yacht Club Archives, CC BY 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=20912164