Plans fail. Outcomes don’t have to.

My wife and I had a dream spring break trip planned. Our bags were packed, and were headed to the Keys. But the night before takeoff, wildfires forced a full stop. Trip canceled. Plan wrecked.

We could’ve scrapped it completely. Instead, we pivoted, found a new spot, got into nature and ended up with exactly what we needed.

It reminded me of product launches. You do the research. Build the roadmap. Line up the dependencies. And then...something breaks. A blocker hits.

You have a choice to walk away or pivot with purpose. Some of the best results I’ve seen on teams, in launches and even with investments have come from fast, thoughtful pivots driven by people who were committed to the WHY, not just the HOW.

My why for the trip was time with my wife away from screens and talk of work. I didn't need the Keys to do that, so the how didn't matter.

Plans fail. Outcomes don’t have to.