Keep swimming: what it takes to make it in the never normal

We all have to face it: there’s no steady formula for success these days. The sooner we all get to know our new business reality, the more chances we have to make it. So what does it take to stay afloat? These are the essential elements to growing a business in today’s never normal:

Build something relevant

To start with, you have to know what you’re getting into. Not so much in terms of practicalities, but in terms of the viability of your business idea. It all begins with knowing your market and your potential customers inside out. Startup graveyards are full of bright ideas that never made it because they didn’t actually meet people’s needs.

It’s essential to go out and talk to customers and understand their pain points and what they are really interested in. Then make sure you’re aware of the industry landscape and relevant market trends. Which of course, includes taking a good look at what your competitors are doing.

The viability of your idea is more crucial than ever. Funding isn’t as readily available as it was, especially given today’s inflation. The push to get to profitability is fierce. Yet there are still a lot of bright ideas out there that nobody needs, both for B2C and B2B.

When the time comes to execute your plan, simplicity is key. Don’t delegate product development to a third party, or if you do, make sure you stay in control. At the same time, don’t try to do it all: focus on what you specialize in, and make sure you have the right expertise on board. Finally, don’t get ahead of yourself in terms of financing: make sure you stay within budget and stay lean.

Be part of something bigger

I’m not a big believer in companies that claim to do it all on their own. The rapid growth of Qcify is absolutely thanks to the fact that we work together with partners, organizations and other players. Making it in today’s business landscape definitely means being part of a bigger ecosystem. You can’t go it alone.

All kinds of industries are now realizing the importance of business ecosystems: independent entities working together to deliver solutions. Collaborating while leveraging our individual strengths provides unbelievable value. The paradigm shift is strong on this one: companies that don’t partner up or have an ecosystem strategy aren’t going to cut it in today’s collaborative landscape.

Go lean, agile & DevOps

DevOps is a methodology built on agile development, which focuses on continuous improvement. It also depends on lean management, which creates an environment encouraging continuous improvement. These approaches are all about constant iteration, delivery and adjustment. DevOps brings together all parts of the organization and leverages automation to redefine the way the company operates.

It's essential that DevOps isn’t just applied to software or hardware. The DevOps approach is useful for the entire business. Take human resources for example: it’s impossible to just choose a remote working policy and just stick to it. It’s an ongoing process that needs to be tweaked and adjusted in response to feedback and results. Every company needs to figure out what works for them. In today’s world, the only way to keep from sinking is to keep learning and changing.

Which strategies are you employing to keep swimming in today’s business landscape? I’d love to hear from you: after all, we’re stronger together!