Zero to Startup: Day 18: Graduating from Checkers
If you have thought 5 steps ahead, you're behind.
I will confess, I may have acquired a newfound addiction: playing online chess. About a week ago, my girlfriend’s brother challenged me to a game of online chess. Naturally, I said yes and my ego kicked in, thinking the years of playing chess with my father would have him beat. Needless to say, I was wrong and he beat me.
Ever since then, I have found the love again for chess and forgot how humbling and mentally invigorating the game is. It’s fascinating to me how applicable to life the game of chess is and many lessons can be taught by a simple game of strategy. But above all else, the best lesson that comes out of the game that I takeaway is the fact that even if you have thought through every possible scenario, there’s still a move that you’re missing.
Founders enter a very competitive world, one that will put them side-by-side with competitors attempting to reach the same goal. For the case of analogy, let’s say this goal is the checkmate of chess. While this may be debatable for a good cause, every founder in this competitive space has the same pieces to play and the same moves they can make. Maybe they partner with someone, maybe they acquire a company, maybe they hire new staff. The decisions are endless.
Similar to chess, founders must also be aware that they will lose pieces. It would be near insane to think they could grow to be successful in a market if they didn’t make some sacrifice along the way, but again, that’s just part of the game.
But the aspect I love the most and the one I believe is most applicable, is the one of needing to think many steps in advance, not just taking account for the initial fallout of a decision. You see, for a founder, they must dedicate themselves to fixing a problem that may take 10-15 years to see fruition.
Therefore, like chess, the founder must be the strategic mind of the game and be wary of outcomes not just on their one move, but on their move their going to make in 5 steps. For example, thinking a market will gain traction is not enough, nor is thinking about the next market after that. The founder must be thinking about the fourth market they will enter and thus build their growth strategy around getting to that point, while also being aware of how other competitors are playing their strategy out.
The last comparison I’ll make, and the one that isn’t thought through typically until it’s too late, is the aspect of time. While a founder must be patient, the clock continues to countdown. It’s easy to let the time distract you, but if you have thoroughly thought through how people are going to react and what is your strategy to ensure the next 5 steps are accounted for, then you have ultimately bought yourself some time.
The game is like a dance, which makes it beautiful and mysterious in all the best ways. Some will say starting out on the offensive is the better play, while other will say being patient and letting the competitor show their strategy first is the way to go.
Whatever your strategy may be, I believe the best strategy is to play your game the way you want to with careful thought. Reading the future is a superpower that founders need to develop, and the only way to do so is to make mistakes along the way.