• The most dangerous words in business may be: "That will never happen.”

• Success has a way of making assumptions feel like facts.

• The exact disruption is rarely predictable. The vulnerability often is.
• Preparedness beats prediction.

Every founder eventually encounters a moment they were convinced would never happen.

 Not because they're careless.

 Not because they're inexperienced.

But because assumptions are necessary to operate a business. And by definition, assumptions aren’t always accurate and are subject to change.

We assume suppliers will continue to supply - and at a cost that fits our business model.

 We assume customers will continue to buy - and in the quantities we’re depending on.

 We assume key team members will stay.

 We assume capital will remain available - and that we can get more when needed.

 We assume borders will stay open.

 We assume technology will continue to work and improve at a reasonable pace.

Most of the time, those assumpti...

Every founder eventually encounters a moment when the path forward appears blocked.

The bank says no.

The investor passes.

That candidate you really wanted declines.

The market shifts.

The numbers don't work.

The opportunity you've been working toward suddenly feels out of reach.

In moments like these, it's tempting to treat the obstacle as a conclusion.

To assume the answer is no - permanently.

To scale back the vision.

To make the situation mean something about you personally as the founder.

Then to abandon the idea and move on.

But one question has shaped more growth decisions, acquisitions, financing discussions, and strategic opportunities in my career than almost any other:

What would need to be true for this to work?

A number of years ago, I was involved in an acquisition that looked dead before it even started.

The company had come off a difficult year. But an excellent opportunity to expand ahead of schedule (through the acquisition of a competitor) came o...