The Law of Adaptation

What this means

Loyalty to the problem keeps a business alive through pivots. Loyalty to the first solution kills it.

The teaching

Loyalty to the problem keeps a business alive through pivots. Loyalty to the first solution kills it.

Why it matters

Markets change. People change. The mission to solve the problem stays — the method should be free to evolve.

Practical application

Separate your mission from your method on paper. Revisit them quarterly.

Common mistakes

• ·Confusing the current product with the underlying purpose.
• ·Pivoting too often (chasing trends) — or too rarely (defending sunk cost).

Reflection questions

• ◆What part of my work is mission, and what part is method?
• ◆If today's solution stopped working, what would still be true?

Practical exercises

• Separate your mission from your method on paper. Revisit quarterly.
• Identify one thing you're defending out of attachment rather than evidence.