“I think I have it all down,” Tyler reported. “I’ve studied the trends, defined our customer, studied our price points. It took a lot of thinking, but I am satisfied with all the data that supports our plan.”

“Been doing a lot of thinking, have you?” I asked.

“It was a lot of stuff to pull together, took a bit of time, but, yes,” he nodded.

“What you have described is a collection of known elements from your past, that you are betting will stay the same,” I replied. “That’s all well and good, might make you feel better, but the tough thinking is about your imagination. You have researched all the answers, but have you gathered all the questions? It is wonderful to nail things down so your plan feels rock solid, but life rarely happens that way. Your plan may give you guidance, but it may also distract you from seeing something in your periphery that changes the world around you.”