A Funeral Home and a Coffee Shop: Is Being Different Enough?
Is being different enough, or does being different need to make sense to the people you're trying to serve? You don't have to do more to grow.
A funeral home and a coffee shop? 🤔
I took this picture back in August, and every time I look at it, I think about the challenges I see working with early-stage founders.
First, let me say that I know absolutely nothing about this business or its strategy. For all I know, it's brilliant! And you certainly can't argue that it's not unique.
But it raises a question I think every founder should be asking:
Is being different enough, or does being different need to make sense to the people you're trying to serve?
Too Many Great Ideas
One of the biggest challenges I see with founders isn't a lack of great ideas. It's that they have TOO MANY great ideas!
They start with a clear vision and a compelling WHY. Then another opportunity presents itself. Another market looks attractive. Another feature gets added. Another customer segment becomes a priority.
Before long, their focus shifts.
And when their focus shifts, their systems shift.
And when their systems shift, the narrative of their business starts changing too. Suddenly, they're trying to be everything to everyone instead of being something truly valuable to someone.
Focus, Systems and Narrative
Focus → Systems → Narrative.
These three things need to work together.
Your WHY defines your purpose.
Your WHO defines the people you are uniquely positioned to serve.
Your HOW defines the strategy and systems that turn that purpose into predictable revenue.
Being unique is important. But being unique without clarity, alignment, and execution can create more confusion than opportunity.
And that's where I see so many promising startups struggle.
You don't have to do more to grow. Sometimes you need to do less, but do it exceptionally well.
A Free Workshop for Founders
On November 18th, I'm hosting a FREE 90-minute workshop at Connect Labs at The Pearl in Charlotte:
From Product to Revenue: The Commercialization Foundation Every Early-Stage Founder Needs.
We're going to focus on two foundational questions every founder needs to answer before building a commercialization strategy:
- WHY does your business exist, and what makes you truly different in a sea of sameness?
- WHO are the customers you're uniquely positioned to serve, and why should they choose you?
Because until you get clear on your WHY and WHO, it's awfully difficult to build an effective HOW.
We're limiting attendance to the first 20 founders who register.
And one final thought...
Maybe the coffee is so good it's worth dying for! ☕😂
