Instant Results: (Drag Strip) vs. Sustainable

INSTANT RESULTS (DRAG STRIP) VS. SUSTAINABLE & SCALABLE RESULTS (LE MANS)

In the sections ahead, I’m going to cover each of the four components of the growth systems in detail. But as you’re reading, it’s important you think about something: What kind of engine am I trying to build?

That’s right, we’re going back to car racing analogies. But stay with me, because this is important.

The fundamental mechanics of a powertrain are fairly similar, but there is a big difference between what you find in a Ferrari and what you find in a homemade go-kart. Some engines are designed for short sprints, others for sustained high speeds. Some are known to be reliable, and some are, well, pieces of shit. For all intents and purposes, let’s assume we are building a growth engine (i.e, a fully powered growth system) that is practical, safe, reliable over time, and capable of sustaining high speeds for the long haul. Think Le Mans more than drag strip.

The most common questions I receive from entrepreneurs and CEOs tend to be focused on how to build a phenomenal growth system capable of winning Le Mans tomorrow. This focus on instant results isn’t really surprising. After all, I know firsthand that driven entrepreneurs and CEOs are oftentimes biased toward action and want results

quickly. Because of this, I am going to take just a moment to address the “instant results” thought pattern with something that is not related to business but is most certainly related to money: lotteries.

Fun fact: nearly a third of all lottery winners eventually declare bankruptcy. This is exponentially higher than the population at large. But why is that?

One of the reasons this occurs is that wealth (or the lack of it) is like sales (or the lack of them). It is very often a symptom of other behaviors, good or bad. Many people play the lottery under the belief that if they merely had more money, they’d be set. But as the numbers show, the problem is not necessarily a lack of money. It is the lack of a system to properly manage money. If you have terrible financial systems in place to begin with, or none at all, a massive windfall is unlikely to solve the underlying problem. Hell, it can actually exacerbate it.

Of course, addressing symptoms rather than root causes is not a fallacy limited to lottery winners. How many health symptoms do we treat with a Band-Aid solution (metaphorical or literal) rather than addressing the issues lying beneath the surface? How many cracked walls have been painted over because those responsible hope to never address the foundation problems that may be causing them? And how many CEOs and entrepreneurs are looking to create lasting growth by trying to just “sell more” or “sell harder”?

The best way to determine if you are falling into the trap of looking for short-term and symptom-oriented solutions is to ask yourself two questions:

1.

Am I looking for a solution that is sustainable? When I say sustainable, I mean reliable growth you can reasonably count on in the future. Think, “eating better and exercising more,” not “crash diet to fit into your favorite dress or suit next weekend.” Or better yet, think, “Will this solution help me hit the next mile marker or the two-hundred-thousand-mile mark on my odometer?”

2.

Am I looking for a solution that is scalable? When I say scalable, I mean growth that doesn’t get more difficult as time goes on. Think, “Do I really want to build a business that requires me personally driving from Milwaukee to Chicago to close this one small sale?” Not at all. Another way to think about this may be asking, “Is this something that only works because there is a unicorn-like driver behind the wheel, or is this something that creates more opportunity for anyone driving?”

This is usually when entrepreneurs and CEOs say some version of, “I don’t disagree with all that, but I just want to increase sales today. We can worry about that sustainable and scalable stuff later.” This mentality is completely understandable. If you are going to take the necessary time to build a growth system that creates lasting and exponential growth opportunities, it may actually come at the expense of small shots in the arm today. The investments today of time and money may come at the expense of getting sales up this week or this month. But would you rather increase sales by 10% today or 10 times

tomorrow?

Okay, back to your regularly scheduled growth system lesson.