Shipping is hard. There’s a lot that gets in the way. However, it is becoming a glaring differentiator for businesses that succeed versus those that drown in persistent mediocrity.
I think pressure really gets in the way for organizations that have a problem shipping. When it comes time to getting across the goal line, there is hesitancy for a number of reasons such as:
- Fear of failure
- Culture of bureaucracy
- Avoiding responsibility
- Poor belief system
- A loser’s mentality
- Lack of leadership
- Being exposed to the world
Stalling becomes a habit for groups and people that don’t ship. Better to look busy than get something across the goal line. I think with the number of people that are able to get things done, the laggards who can’t ship are becoming more exposed. There are too many examples of those that make ideas happen.
One of the trademarks of our team is our execution and how we get things done. It’s a big reason we have great partnerships with our clients. The world is not waiting around for the hesitant. It’s moving too fast. I like knowing that we can help others get in the game at the right pace and expectations. It means shipping when we are uncomfortable and being agile enough to change.
Creative work has a lot of risk and reward to it. Ideas can be rejected. Concepts may not connect. Or you knock it out of the park and a whole business opportunity changes.
When it comes to the world of ideas and creativity, I say focus on shipping. Don’t hesitate. Put yourself out there. Break the nonsensical, fear-based cycles and push to ship. There’s not a good reason to hold back. Ultimately, stalling pushes you further out of relevance today. Look at the competitive landscape. There are too many good businesses making ideas happen.
Do you ship or do you stall?
