When you’re starting a business, crafting a detailed business plan might seem like the logical first step. As someone who LOVES strategising and learning about business tactics, you might expect me to advocate for that approach. But here’s the kicker: when getting started on anything (including a business), focused action is far more crucial than a meticulously crafted strategy or business plan.
This could be taken to mean ‘go and talk to customers’ or ‘validate early,’ but I’m not even suggesting that. I’m saying that ANY focused action is beneficial. The act of doing something, anything, that moves you forward is more valuable than trying to map out every step before taking the first one.
At some point, you’ll want to turn your head to strategy formulation and planning. But first, momentum is key. Focused action leads to valuable insights and opportunities, setting the foundation for a more refined strategy as you grow.
Embracing Imperfection & Action
At Yondar, we’re ex consultants who love to talk about strategy and operations. It’s what we do. But when it came to launching Yondar, we leaned into action. We recognised our tendency to overthink and spend time ideating or crafting plans before taking the first step. But, if you try to conceptualise too much or iron out every detail before starting, you’ll never actually start.
This approach is rooted in the action-motivation feedback loop, a theory which argues that action drives motivation, which in turn drives further action creating a reinforcing feedback loop.
So, we picked a topic we were passionate about and dove right in. We’re banking on action creating the real learning and momentum necessary for success. We built Yondar as the ultimate toolkit for consultants and change makers, knowing we’d probably evolve along the way. We have ideas on where we want to go, but these are lightly held – this bias for action has been our driving force.
Learning from Others: Case Studies
Our realisation about the power of action was rooted in action theory, but reinforced by studying other successful businesses and their journeys. Many started with less-than-polished ideas and iterated their way to success. If I’d heard pitches for some of these ideas early on, I might have suggested going back to the drawing board, or talking to more potential customers. Yet, these companies began, learned through doing, adjusted, and ultimately thrived.
Here are a snippet of their stories:
Cogo:
Cogo, now a thriving tech startup, originally launched as Conscious Consumers in 2010, aiming to bridge the gap between hospitality businesses and customers who prioritise social and environmental values. They took the first crucial step in creating a platform that connected eco-minded consumers with accredited businesses.
Their initial actions laid the groundwork for their subsequent evolution. As they gained traction and insight from their early efforts, they identified an emerging technology, open banking and decided to pivot. Rebranding as Cogo in 2016, they integrated live banking data with their Carbon Footprint model, allowing users to track the carbon impact of their spending in real time.
This shift was enabled by the insights gained from their initial efforts, demonstrating how taking action and adapting over time can lead to success.
Tapi:
Tapi began its journey as Flatfish, with an idea to help people find flatmates. The initial concept was straightforward: create a user-friendly platform for individuals to connect with potential roommates. By actively engaging with potential customers and closely observing market needs, the founders discovered a more pressing demand: organising maintenance and repairs for rental properties. This feedback sparked a pivotal shift. Tapi evolved from a roommate-finding service into a comprehensive property management software, offering features like tenant screening, lease management, and maintenance tracking.
Tapi’s pivot came much earlier in their journey than Cogos but can provide a similar lesson – by beginning with action and leveraging real-world insights, Tapi were able to adapt and grow in response to market needs.
Slack:
Known globally today, Slack started from the ashes of a failed gaming company. Initially, Slack was part of an online game ‘Glitch’ developed by Tiny Speck. When the game failed to gain traction, the team realised the internal messaging tool they had created was far more valuable. By shifting their focus to this tool, Slack was born, revolutionising workplace communication and collaboration.
Slack’s success underscores how taking action, even if it initially seems to lead in the wrong direction, can reveal unforeseen opportunities and ultimately lead to significant success. Unlike Tapi, had they applied ‘best practice’ and dug into customer interviews or validating product market fit, they may never have built Glitch, and would never have found great success in Slack.
Each of these examples took a very different road but illustrate a common theme: action creates momentum, which leads to valuable insights and opportunities, which inspires action.
Action Theory
Action drives motivation:
Contrary to the traditional belief that motivation must come before action, the action-motivation feedback loop suggests that taking even a small step toward a goal can create a sense of accomplishment and progress. This feeling of success triggers the release of dopamine in the brain, a neurotransmitter linked to pleasure and motivation. Consequently, you feel more driven to keep moving forward and achieving your goals. In essence, taking action increases your motivation, creating a reinforcing cycle of action and motivation.
You might think, “That sounds so obvious,” but putting it into practice is the hard part and something I wrestle with. I also see friends in the same boat: they’re eager to start a business or a personal project but get stuck in analysis paralysis, waiting for the ‘perfect’ idea or direction. The advice I have is, just start—don’t overthink it!
Applying it
Start with Action, Not Perfection
Instead of waiting to perfect every detail before launching, begin with small steps. Whether it’s sharing wireframes of an idea, posting content about something you’re passionate about, or releasing a minimum viable product (MVP), the goal is to get your idea out into the world and start engaging with people.
Take Advice, But Don’t Let It Stop You
Seek guidance, but don’t let it paralyse you. Use advice to inform your next steps, not to delay taking action. You might not receive much feedback initially, but you can evolve your idea as you take those first steps. Keep going, iterating, and putting things out into the world.
Prioritise Action and Learning Over Planning
While planning is important, it shouldn’t overshadow action. Focus on learning through doing and gaining the practical insights that theoretical plans often miss. By prioritising action, you create opportunities for real-world feedback that are invaluable.
Tools and Concepts That Can Help
While business tools can be helpful, it’s crucial to keep it simple. Do enough planning to get started, then shift focus to action.
Lean Canvas: A one-page business plan template that helps you deconstruct your idea into its key assumptions. It allows you to quickly sketch out the most critical aspects of your business and test them.
Minimum Viable Product (MVP): A development technique in which a new product is introduced in the market with basic features, just enough to [hopefully] get the attention of consumers.
Want to share your start-up stories and strategies? Connect with us at Yondar and let’s keep the conversation going!
