Hiding Behind Research

A few weeks ago I met with two older, experienced entrepreneurs who have been working on their most recent startup for a few years. They referenced all this industry research proving they were on the right track. They unveiled mock-ups and color graphs. They had done everything but figure out if there was a market for their solution. No product, no letters of intent, no conversations with prospective customers.

It made me think about the maxim of “measure twice, cut once," and how sometimes we get so afraid of cutting that we obsess over the measuring (our team would tell you I do this too). No matter what business we are in, we ought to lean into our courage and go to market sooner. Sometimes cutting multiple times is the best way to measure.