The 15th Mile: Making it to the Finish Line

What do the Boston Marathon and the Marketing Guru, Seth Godin have in Common?

By Ethan Lyon, Senior Writer

The finish line of a 26-mile marathon is a sight to behold. All of the weeks, months, years of training, sacrifice, pain and dedication that goes into getting to that moment takes a special and dedicated person.

Business is very much like a marathon–you have to be in the right frame of mind. With the economy in the I.C.U., if you are concerned that you’re knees will buckle, it’s time to revisit your game plan,  and bring the finish line in focus.

Seth Godin’s book, The Dip was the spark that ignited the thinking on this article. Considering the Boston Marathon is coming up on April 20, we used The Dip concept in Godin’s book to explain the different stages and challenges we must overcome in business to get to the finish line.

The Training

You’ve done your weeks, months and possibly years of training–researching the market, figuring out how to create something new, fresh, interesting–with complete and utter dedication. You’ve toyed with the idea for quite a while and  you’re ready to take the next step.

Signing Up

Now, you have to figure out if you’re going to sign up for the 26-mile race–the ink-to-paper reality of the future you. Are you going to dedicate a serious slice of your life to this business idea? This is where you need to look into the future and imagine the “what ifs:”

What about that 15th mile -mark when your legs feel like they’re going to give out, your chest is on the brink of a fiery explosion, and the finish line is 11 miles away? Are you going to have the courage, stamina and wherewithal to persevere? What if you don’t meet your goals in the first year or two? Are you going to keep the same bearing, change it, or abandon ship? What about plan B or C?

This is the critical point, where you have to know that you’re going to cross that finish line. He discusses knowing what life is going to be like after you’ve started and things start to get really tough. Those that know they are going to get through “the dip,” are the ones that will succeed. Envision the most difficult challenges and figure out it you have the moxie to overcome them. If you cannot envision your perserverence through “the dip,” don’t waste your time. If you’re going to fail in “the dip,” what is the point if you’re never going to finish? If you wanted to race in a 2-mile, then sign-up for the two-mile–not the marathon. Know your limits. That’s what signing-up is all about.

The Shot

As you take a deep breath at the starting line, the gun fires.  It signals the beginning of a new intensity in your life. You have funding and you’re idea is greenlighted. You’re poised to win. You take the first ten miles in stride–no big deal, you’re well prepared. But now approaching is the middle-marker.

The 15th Mile

The “what ifs” you contemplated in “Signing Up” phase have happened. Your knees feel like they’re giving way.  Maybe market reception for your product is slower than expected, or you aren’t hitting your profit targets, or you’ve unexpectedly found yourself in a recession.  See into the future and figure out if you’re going to cross that finish line. At this point you have three options:

Quit

If you cannot envision those feet crossing that finish line, don’t kid yourself and make it to 20 miles and quit. You’re wasting your time and energy. If the market is not going to turn in the foreseeable future, if you cannot adapt, or if there are no hopes of profit…stop, turn around and call it a day. Worthless spending (time and money) on a project that’s a dead end is a complete waste of resources. Quitting is fine and can even be a great learning experience.

Change your Game Plan

Find a different strategy. How are you going to change to meet the markets needs? Are you going to change your infrastructure, kill the weak sister? Sometimes crisis can lead you to a bigger opportunity.

Win

If you’re headed on the right track and your market is just experiencing a hiccup, push forward with the plan. The runners around you are experiencing the same dilemma–finish it or quit it? Some will quit it, and some will blindly push forward and make it to the 20-mile mark. But if you have confidence and a game plan to see that finish line, you will succeed in the market. Do it…finish it.

The Finish Line

If you notice, that once you’re here, not everyone made it, you’re right. Some dropped out after the first couple of miles, while others made it to the 20th. They didn’t think about the 15th mile. You, my friend, have finished. If you have finished with the goal of just finishing, then you championed. If, however, your goal was to be #1, well… you have fallen short. Success isn’t #3 or 4 or 6 or 10. Success is #1.

As you start a business, or sign up for a race, think beyond the first mile and envision that 15th mile.  Ask yourself: will I make it to the finish line?

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