“Therefore, what?”

Famous marketer Guy Kawasaki, at remarkablepeople.com, has lots of interesting content.

We recently stumbled upon a recent podcast re: surviving the pandemic. It is titled “The Art of Perseverance.”

Here’s a nugget of wisdom from the episode:

• Rule #1: Run the right race

In other words, the effects of the pandemic are not going to be short term, so take the long view. Plan on a “decathlon” – as the race will be long and require multiple skills.

Guy ends with a focus on the question: “therefore, what?”

As an example, if you saw a future wherein everyone would have smart phones, with excellent cameras, and Internet connectivity, then “what?” What would you do? Invent a photo sharing platform like Instagram? Etc. Etc.

He says, in addition to taking a number of actions to just survive, we need to be asking ourselves this question: “Therefore, what?”

If I am in the Ed Tech space, and the pandemic is accelerating existing trends toward virtual learning, what does that mean for my product? What should we do now, to get ahead of the trends, and not just survive, but thrive?

If I am in the wine distribution business, and online ordering is exploding, what does that mean for my service? What should we do to adapt, long term, to a world of vastly expanded virtual shopping and home delivery? What unique value can I deliver to my wine customers in this environment?

If I am in the financial planning service space, and physical meetings will be more difficult to organize, what does that mean for my service?  How do I engage even more effectively virtually with my clients?

Etc. Etc.

Of course, it is super easy to advise people to “see the future, adapt, win!” It is a lot harder to actually do it. But, in addition to hunkering down for the long race, to the extent you can anticipate customer demands, you can prosper long term. As a leader, it is your job to think hard and smart about the future – while still surviving today.

Running For The Long Haul

Joel