Which is better? Planning or diving in?

I got asked a great question by a coachee the other day.

Is it better to fully plan your business then start, or should I just get started?

Many business people advise you to sit down and work out your ideal customer avatar, your value proposition and to identify the work you enjoy most, when shaping your business. This is good advice, but these are HUGE questions. Over time, I've learned that these people didn't know the answers when they started out themselves. They found out as their business grew. Not knowing the answer to all of these shouldn't hold you back.

My response to the coachee?

Be honest with yourself. How much of your planning is quality thinking, and how much is procrastination?

Planning is important, but the only way to test your assumptions is to act. Action gives us the information we need to know what decisions to make. Plan just enough to make a good start, then get going!

We all want good judgment.

Good judgment comes from experience.

Experience comes from bad judgment.