Plan To Lose To Win

A winning plan may win for a while. What about when it stops working?

And when the next one stops working, or if it never works to begin with? We need a ‘best, worst-case scenario’:

• Assume your plan will flop and leave you needing to adjust course immediately. What do you do then?
• Assume your next one’ll become saturated, and everyone starts doing it the same way. What do you do then?
• Assume the one after that’ll go out of style, and becomes ineffective. What do you do then?
• Assume someone crucial leaves, putting the whole plan in disarray. What do you do then?

The negative cascade of “what if”s will lead you toward stronger, more robust, more disruptive ideas that will give today’s plans a run for their money.

Unless you’re absolutely certain, plan to lose, to win.