Hope For the Best, Plan for the Worst

Hope is not a plan. But we all need some hope to hang onto in various domains of our lives - for health, we had hope for a vaccine - and here we are; the U.S. is vaccinating millions a week, nearly half of Israel has gotten both shots - there is progress all over the world. We need to stay grounded in reality though, and the economic recovery has left many behind thus far...wages and income are back, jobs...not so much.

But hope is not enough when making decisions, especially in business. If you're on the road somewhere, you don't take a random right or left turn...you make decisions based on numerous factors. Road conditions, GPS/Waze, traffic, gut-feelings (mostly waze though), need for rest stops...

Same in business - and sometimes a call that makes all the sense in the world, in this case taking your talents to Texas, can still go wrong. As Drew points out, every place has its challenges, risks, and limitations, some natural, some man-made - there are always tradeoffs and 'the grass is always greener on the other side' is a trope for a reason.

Well, Mrs. Schitt, this:

The stars at night are big and bright, a massive energy black swan constellation of busted pipes and shattered lives, deep in the heart of Texas...

Bottom line: Hope for the best, plan for the worst

So where can we look to for some hope, at least on the economic front? There are a couple places - one is retail sales which blew away estimates.

The unknown quantity with that number is any sustainability - a lot of that spending was from the stimmy - so we'll see how far it all goes, even with savings rate being high overall.

And, of course, there are some sectors that are pulling ahead and some falling behind...

The real, sustainable (again, hopefully) road to recovery will be the entrepreneurial spirit and drive of the American people. And that's why this week's Katrina x Sandy like debacle is doubly tragic - Texas represents a lot of that spirit and this type of thing can just be soul-crushing and sapping. But the business application numbers so far in 2021 are through the roof.

It's National Entrepreneurship Week and the resources out there for new businesses need to be emphasized and strengthened at all levels - there is already so much and I get the feeling that, especially after last year, individuals and existing businesses will be looking to support them.

Think of ways to support a new business! This type of action is the only way to make hope a reality, for millions.

Clearly, they are out there -

It's good to know where programs and accelerators like Techstars, which work with companies at the front line of tech innovation are getting their applicants - what are you seeing out there?

Some of what they are seeing now will be the household names you and your business are using and, potentially, investing in in the public markets in the years to come...and it will be on all of us, the business owners, vendors and consultants, investors, individuals, and users to drive positive change...if not now, when -

Thank you for coming to my Ted talk...