Musings from a Co-CEO ///
Risks don’t generally scare me. I’m up for a roller coaster. A black diamond run. Staying up well past midnight.
So it makes sense that I became an entrepreneur and joined Nate in opening Full Circle. From Day One, we’ve been facing risks daily. Forget the simple act of launching: There’s a risk with every new hire. Every new product. Every new tech. Every new client.
Which makes the risk-reward a constant juggle. Sometimes we lose. More often we win. And I wonder: Which strategies shape our most risky decision-making? What barometers do we use when choosing to take a leap?
There’s gut involved, sure. That instinct that says, “This feels like the right move.” Though in our case, it’s fair to say that the voice is more experience than anything else. Years in the trenches help us define the lines we’re willing—and not willing—to cross.
There’s also research. Nate and I are not shy. We ask questions of clients, colleagues and experts. We do our due diligence whether we’re bringing on a new partner or exploring a new process. And we know how to spot red flags, no matter how late they pop up. It’s never too late to cut your losses.
Timing, too, plays a part. How much disposable time do we have to devote to getting our risk off the ground? Can our budget withstand an error right now, should the risk prove unsuccessful?
But perhaps the number one factor in making that move is simply making it. Not talking the talk, but walking the walk. And if the risk ends up being a mistake? We’ll just take that chair lift back up the mountain and choose a different trail to follow back down again.
