Getting to X

As a serial entrepreneur, I have a wild idea.? It’s the concept that every situation in business, politics, or a personal struggle has an equation.? I’ll repeat that;? I believe everything can conceivably be moved to an outcome via an equation. Or rather, the idea of an equation is a powerful tool for anyone in business, politics, or simply doing life.?

I didn’t say the equation would be easy to find or determine.? I just said there is an equation to 'X' with 'X' being your desired outcome.? I believe this to be true from Henry Ford to Elon Musk – innovation has been realized through the ages by the mere belief that such an equation exists.?

Now, I was under the impression that SpaceX and X (the platform formerly known as Twitter) were borne of this concept of an equation, but I was wrong.? Musk has been quoted to say, in essence, that to him 'X' represents uniqueness or individual imperfections.* So, it turns out that this version of ‘X’ is my creation.

?I am unique.? I’m a marketing person who has an accounting degree.? I spent my entire marketing consulting career finding monetary solutions or outcomes for clients.? Everything in my world was a function of revenue over cost in difficult markets.

The equation concept began to be realized when I was doing political consulting.? In elections, there is no second chance; it is on a fixed deadline.? So, we must build our campaign backward from ‘X’.? This is when I began to adopt this concept.? We needed to move (A) (B) and (C) so far as to achieve ‘X’ (more votes than the opponent).

To briefly get into the dynamic of ‘X’ in my world, however, one must realize that my ‘X’ is not algebra – it’s calculus.? There isn’t a finite ‘X’ but a ‘X’ in a range that accomplishes the goal. The derivative and variables for your ‘X’ are so that solving the equation are moved by your level of understanding and accuracy of prediction of those variables.?

I’ll give a simplistic example of variables. ?My ‘X’ is making my sister-in-law show up for dinner even though I know she always cancels at the last minute.? If I don’t change anything in the dinner equation, there is a high chance she will cancel.? Except this time, I’ve done my research.? She has been trying to plan a vacation.? So maybe my best course of action is to casually mention that I have an overload of travel magazines and discount coupons that I need to get rid of, and would she be willing to take them with her when she leaves?? This variable has now been put into the equation.?

I’ve amped up the equation to include an extraneous reason to motivate her.? I've now given her self-interest. There are many other examples I could show related to business, but I will save them for future regurgitations.

I’m seeing thousands of business publications and books that try to sell entrepreneurs an edge or a formula that achieves their goals.? But the problem is that no single concept or business effort is exactly like another.? It might be the same concept, launched in another time frame when economic conditions have changed.? Partners vary as does the ability to obtain financing.? These variables are as wide as the number of stars in the sky and equally uncontrollable.? This is why you must know your ‘X’ and get better at dialing into the conditions around it that are rarely static.

?Do you believe in X?? I’d love to hear your versions and variables.

?*C. Krishnaisai, July 25, 2023, wionews.com, Why is Elon Musk so obsessed with the letter ‘X’? accessed July 2, 2024, https://wionews.com/technology/explained-why-is-elon-musk-so-obsessed-with-the-letter-x-619050