Never lose your focus.

Do you ever get excited about different opportunities and possibilities that you start to lose track of your big vision?

Are you swamped with too many commitments and lose energy and drive for your original aspirations?

My conversation with Greg Smith made me realize the importance of keeping your focus on the things that matter. You should only take on one big project at a time or smaller commitments that align with your overarching goal.

GREG SMITH: CEO & CO-FOUNDER OF THINKIFIC

Greg Smith is the Co-founder of Thinkific and an alumni of Launch Academy. Thinkific helps individuals create, market, and sell online courses. You don’t need to worry about tech difficulties. Instead you can fully focus on your business. Greg’s energy and warmth is so inspiring as he shares with us his startup story and great advice.

Here are three key takeaways from our conversation:

1. Put all your eggs in one basket.

As entrepreneurs, our creative mind is constantly churning new ideas. It is easy to be sidetracked with potential opportunities. We are tempted to chase the new shiny object, especially when you’re hitting challenges in your current project. Don’t spread yourself too thin. Take all your passion, drive, and energy and focus it on one egg at a time.

2. If something isn’t working, make that decision and call it quits.

Don’t waste time and effort on something that isn’t going to fly. You need to be decisive in moving forward. Once again, these are distractions that slow down your progress. Keep a clear focus and vision.

3. First find your customers. Then build your product.

Yes, you can build a product and then find the market for it. But it’s so much easier to pinpoint your target market, then create a product that is geared to their exact needs and desires. When you launch your product, you will have customers who are ready, willing, and eager to buy.

How do you determine your target market and their problems? Customer interviews are an essential tool. They help collect insights on customer pain points, opinions about your product, and their perspectives on your competitors.

The best method is face-to-face conversations where you can ask follow up questions and really dig deep. One of the best little tips is to ask open ended questions. These are easy ways to ask your customer to expand on their thoughts. Use phrases like:

• “Tell me more about that…”
• “Can you clarify…”
• “What do you mean by…”

And remember to listen. Don’t interrupt, don’t put words in their mouth and don’t rush the process.

Hey I’m Celine, Content Creator for Launch Academy and a 3rd year marketing student at the Sauder School of Business of the University of British Columbia. Follow me as I share my conversations with local entrepreneurs.

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