“Sevens kill companies.” ← I think that email struck a nerve.
I was Zooming with a founder friend last week about her frustration with her team. She’s spending a lot on salary, and she knows they’re all working hard. But she suspects most of what they’re doing won’t help grow the company. (She’s probably right.)
Of course, I didn’t know what they should be working on either. Instead, I gave her 3 questions to help her team cross off all the bad ideas and prioritise the most impactful work:
1. If this works, how big could it be?
2. What are the riskiest assumptions behind this idea?
3. What’s the quickest way we can test those assumptions?
Remember, progress means deciding what not to do. Use these 3 questions to keep your team working on tens, not sevens.