One of the biggest challenges for entrepreneurs is finding their focus. Entrepreneurs, by their very nature, are full of ideas and energy, which works well to get things going, but can be a liability as the organization grows.
Two weeks ago I was talking to an entrepreneur that had built a small business in a hot market but didn’t have the kind of growth that would be expected based on the success of several competitors. Tactfully, I asked him about this and he immediately chalked it up to trying to be all things to all people. Put more simply, he didn’t find his focus.
We’ve all read stories of entrepreneur CEOs asked or pushed aside to be replaced by a professional CEO. Typically, if they don’t leave their company, they often become head of their area of expertise e.g. technical, marketing, etc. This act of going from CEO to department leader is a focus forcing function.
The next time you are considering a new idea for your business, ask if it is increasing or decreasing focus. Activities increasing focus should happen with much great frequency than activities decreasing focus.
What else? What are your thoughts on entrepreneurs finding their focus?
David Cummings on Startups 
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