Overcommitted

Hard working entrepreneurs and their companies often feel over-committed. There are always too many things to get done and not enough resources.

One of our companies that is growing at 200%+ this year was feeling that way and we had a serious discussion about various options. One was to do a better job of account management so that expectations of customers and partners do not get ahead of our ability to deliver. Another option was to raise more funding and hire more people. A third option was to make tough decisions about what to cut (this is not an exhaustive list but will give you a flavor for the discussion).

The third option is a hard one to swallow, especially when things are going well. We have customers lining up and a window of opportunity that may close if we don't go for it - NOW! An easy answer would be to raise more money and ride the momentum.

After much discussion/debate, we made a decision to cut. We did not cut people. In fact, we will continue to hire. But we cut some very promising initiatives and we will have to turn away customers that are ready to pay (or have already paid).

Cutting can be scary, but it can also be liberating. It is not 100% clear that we made the right decision but here are two interesting quotes to think about, if you ever find yourself in a similar discussion with your board/investors:

"The essence of commitment is making a decision. The Latin root for decision is to 'cut away from,' as in an incision. When you commit to something, you are cutting away all your other possibilities, all your other options."
    -The Lombardi Rules, Rule #6 - Be Totally Committed 

"A great company is more likely to die of indigestion (from too much opportunity) than starvation (from too little)."
    -David Packard ("Packard's Law")