Think from the End State: Keep a Startup’s Beginning and Destination on the Same Thread

From the initial startup idea to the destination, do not lose the thread or go off course. Have you experienced this? Sometimes we begin speaking, then suddenly go blank and have to stop and ask, “What was I going to say?” or “Why did I get onto this subject?” Why does the mind go blank like that? The problem is that before speaking, you did not establish a clear starting point and endpoint for that line of thought, anchoring the topic and conclusion. ---- The same principle applies to entrepreneurship. See the previous post: Bezos thinks long term and works backward from the end state to plan each step today. As you run flat out from your startup idea toward the destination, keep checking that the key waypoints are anchored. Make sure small short-term gains do not pull you off course and ever farther from the endpoint. Keep asking yourself why you are here. During the entrepreneurial journey, minimize improvisation and think long term. We often plan the next step while doing the current one, but our thinking is too short-term and too limited. We end up responding to whatever problem appears, doing whatever it requires, and solving immediate issues without a long-term direction or goal. Keep the beginning and endpoint of the startup on the same thread. The most important value of identifying and clarifying the end state is that it trains an awareness: staying on topic. Keep the startup’s beginning and endpoint aligned, always on the same thread.