The Art of Planning vs Doing

David Cummings wrote another great blog post, this time talking about the art of Planning vs Doing. In it he says:

As an entrepreneur, I oscillate between planning and doing. Mentally, I know that working on the business is more important than working in the business, but I’m predisposed to getting stuff done — doing is my default. Of course, as the startup grows more time needs to be spent planning, and just as important, aligning the team and getting buy-in.

and

Entrepreneurs need to find a balance between planning and doing. Early days require more doing and later years require more planning. Recognize the need and act accordingly.

As one of the more successful and thoughtful entrepreneurs I know, David usually gets it right. And with this, he nails it.

Working in the business is often what is needed, especially when you’re small. But its also the easiest to do. It’s always easier to work on the things that are coming right at you. Knock out the to-do list. Get to inbox zero. Solve obvious problems.

The harder bit, in my opinion, is to proactively work on the business, as David puts it. And knowing when to do that vs the hard, in-your-face work, is key. And unfortunately there isn’t an easy answer on solving that, everyone has to answer that for themselves.

But maybe this can help get you started.