“90% of everything is crap.”
I’m not being negative: that’s Sturgeon’s Law, summarised. Sturgeon was a science fiction writer observing the quality of writing in the 1950s.
It’s like the well-known Pareto’s Principle, which says 80% of the result comes from 20% of the effort/assets/etc.
What does it mean for your strategy?
Most people think about this in terms of what they do in the external environment to get payoffs.
- Which efforts to pursue or not
- Optimising for a numbers game seeking volume (quantity) of actions (bets) expecting a small percentage to be quality and provide payoffs. (eg, lead generation, speaking engagements).
But Sturgeon’s Law can also provide payoffs inside the organisation.
What if you could stop doing the 90% of “crap” things inside the organisation?
- Remove friction
- More time to explore
- More time to be creative and generate ideas (innovation!)
- More productivity
- More focus, less confusion
- More efficient and effective
- More time understanding the environment
- More time understanding customers and competition
- Happier people
- All leading to: moving faster than competitors
Give me six hours to chop down a tree and I will spend the first four sharpening the axe.
Abraham Lincoln
Questions
- What matters most (the 10%)?
- What would you stop doing (the 90%)?
- How can you streamline activity to maximise quality, focus and creativity?
- If you don’t do it, how does it help your competitors?
Clarification
Some will think this is about maximising utilisation of time on the 10%. It’s not.
- It’s about not wasting time on the 90%.
- Use the liberated time for all types of “sharpening the saw”.
- Look at everything as opportunity cost.
Where to start?
Revisit your purpose and intent.
Another perspective – https://matt-rickard.com/90-of-everything-is-crap
The difference between successful people and really successful people is that really successful people say no to almost everything.
Warren Buffett