Lesson #18
Don't Open the Doors until the Start-Up Passes the Smell Test—And Don't Be Afraid to Call Time-Out Just to Be Sure
As a business develops, the original concept must endure a “shake-down” process that's a lot like taking a ship to sea for trials—one that includes fully vetting each aspect of the operation and strategy. Once you've passed this series of hurdles, the real fun and work begin. It takes much more than just pointing people in the right direction and expecting them to get there. Instead you must employ a course of checks and balances, incorporate predetermined benchmarks, and conduct smell tests.
You must be careful not to be lulled into a false sense of security by thinking that everything is fine just because you don't see the storm clouds forming. I've found that many entrepreneurs miss these potential problems because everyone tends to look in the wrong direction. You can avoid this—and continue to encourage enthusiasm—by continuously trusting but verifying. Have faith in your plans and your employees, but make sure that things are going as envisioned or as they claim. It's equally important to realize, as I've emphasized before, that not every piece will pan out as originally scripted. Often what you had thought would be a great solution falls flat or never sees the light of day after more intense scrutiny. For example, we conducted numerous smell tests for different products when we launched Max-Wellness, only to find out that some products did not fit ...
