Stop Drowning in Priorities. The 5 Steps to Doing What Actually Matters

Startups move fast, but speed without focus leads to chaos.

One of the most common mistakes I see in fast-growing teams is the accumulation of too many priorities. Founders start with a clear goal, but as momentum builds, they take on more.

More opportunities, more experiments, more features, more meetings… and then progress slows down.

When everything is a priority, nothing really is. The team stays busy but rarely moves the needle. Execution feels heavy. Morale drops. Strategy starts to feel like noise.

The root of the problem is usually a fear of missing out. Founders are afraid to say no. Without a clear framework for prioritization, everything feels urgent and important.

The solution starts with discipline.

1. Get clear on the core vision. Ask yourself, why do you even exist?
   Seriously, if you can’t come up with a compelling answer, how do you expect someone else to buy into your idea? It might take a few iterations, but keep reflecting until you find something that clicks.

2. Choose the 1-3 most critical priorities that drive the business forward. Based on your purpose, identify what the most important things are that need to happen to make your vision a reality.

3. Define what resources are needed. Invest most of your energy into getting them and implementing them. Evaluate everything else against those priorities. Defer or eliminate the rest.

4. Communicate with your team. Make sure it’s crystal clear to everyone why these are the most important priorities and the impact they will have on the company once addressed.

5. Track progress. There’s a saying that goes: “what gets measured, gets improved”… or something like that. You want to ensure that you’re moving in the direction that addresses the priorities. You also don’t want to be chasing people for updates, so implement a system where everyone can easily self-report their progress.

It’s going to require an investment in time and patience. But clarity is not a luxury when you’re building something ambitious; it is a requirement for sustainable growth.

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Keep building, keep going 🚀

Startups, corporates, it doesn’t matter. I've seen great ideas crash from not thinking a few moves ahead. That’s why I built the Straightforward Strategy Blueprint, a FREE template so your idea doesn’t become another could-have-been. Get it here.