Inputs & Outputs

A successful business isn't the result of one massive effort. It's the result of many small, conscious actions that compound over time.

Over the past year I've been coaching designers on how to build and grow their businesses. And while every designer's situation is unique, one pattern keeps showing up, the ones who struggle aren't lacking talent or even strategy. They're struggling with consistency.

If you haven't started yet, then right now is probably the hardest phase of your journey. Going from zero to accelerating growth feels like standing at the base of a mountain with the summit out of sight. But every action you take chips away at the distance. Something small you do today moves you from 0 to 1. Then 2. Then 3. And eventually 100.

I like to describe these as Inputs. With enough inputs you get outputs (business results). Doing more inputs, doing the right inputs and doing them consistently is how you arrive at more outputs faster.

The challenge isn't really knowing what to do, it's staying consistent when distractions, bad days, and life get in the way. We're human. We can't grind indefinitely without small wins and visible signs of progress to keep us moving.

I know this because I've experienced it myself. I've struggled to stay on track at times, sometimes failing to deliver as much as I should to grow my business. But even during my least productive periods I'm still chipping away at my inputs and now I'm experiencing the results. Once you see the output that results from your inputs things get much easier. But in the gap between starting and getting to results a lot of people just give up.

Lately I've been obsessed with this gap. How can I help others cross it faster? How can I keep them motivated until they reach the other side? That's why I've been focused on helping my clients reduce the friction required to execute the necessary inputs, with better systems to move their business forward. Avoiding wasted effort with better planning and objective feedback from someone who has done it before. Highlighting the small wins for celebration while keeping them accountable. But also just being the cheerleader they need to stay motivated.

They still need to do the inputs but by reducing the difficulty and effort required while increasing their consistency I can ensure that they get to results. You're the star player in your business, but even superstars have coaches.