Certainty Is A Myth

During an Annual Operating Plan meeting this afternoon, a colleague and I chatted about how certainty is a myth.

In the tech sales domain, we often chase certainty in the garb of planning. We run endless models, analyze every risk, and demand the “right” conditions to deliver on our plans. It sounds responsible. But in reality, it’s how otherwise intelligent people keep themselves stuck.

Two wannabe entrepreneurs spot the same opportunity. One builds elaborate plans; the other tests crude prototypes. The planner is still planning when the tester has moved ahead in the market with a basic proposition that sells.

That’s the difference between planning and acting.

I see it all the time. People hesitate, convincing themselves they need more data, more certainty, more alignment. Meanwhile, the ones willing to move forward-despite the unknowns-are shaping the future. They are the ones getting something into the market, even if it’s rough, because an imperfect solution that exists any day beats a perfect one that doesn’t.