37signals
January 2nd, 2009
I can’t stop thinking after reading a post like this on the 37signals blog that the guys in 37signals just constantly try to find an excuse for themselves. They do the same thing regularly with posts related to their Basecamp and the simple nature of their software.
A business plan. Right. My business plan for Stuffed Guys, for example, predicted the sales almost down to a dollar. Does it make my business planning skills exceptional, standing out of the crowd? I doubt it very much.
Of course you shouldn’t use numbers in your business plan made out of thin air, the numbers should be based on something (in my case — previous experience), but a business plan works, and it sets a clear direction for the company for years.
“My business plan for Stuffed Guys, for example, predicted the sales almost down to a dollar.”
But it didn’t help you to keep Stuffed Guys alive, right?
Well, the business plan was for 2 years and the company managed to reach the goals sales wise by the end of this period (beginning of 2007).
I probably should have made a new plan after that, but I didn’t.
Planning is always good. A presence of a plan will influence your decisions and generally move you in the right direction towards the final (or intermediate) goal.