One of the things I love about rock climbing is that you are constantly working new “problems” – routes you haven’t successfully climbed before. When I am climbing frequently on problems at the upper edge of my ability level, I start working through those problems even in my dreams.

It is always easy in dreams. You have the strength. Your limbs stretch. You find the right movements.

In our minds, everything works and everything makes sense. We all think people will love our ideas and that things will work in the real world they way they do in our heads and on paper.

The success of your business depends on getting out of your head as soon as you can. Talk to other people about your idea. Seek peer review. State your assertion. Test your hypothesis.

You are not your customer.

You are not your customers” is one of the core organizing ideas of The Business Design Studio. It’s what makes the studio different.

Yes, there is instructional content. Yes, there are learning prompts and projects designed to help you design your business. But the key is the work you do with your cohort, the peer review you receive, and your reflections on the feedback and learning.

All of this is designed to help you get out of your head as quickly as possible. So that you can find your customers, understand their needs, and design solutions that meet their needs. Create value for yourself by creating value for the people you serve.

Learn by doing. Solicit and incorporate feedback. Repeat, repeat, repeat.