Be a Chess Master, Not a Ping-Pong Ball

There’s a big difference between being nimble and being reactive. One is leadership. The other is panic.

When you're leading a business—or even just your career—being able to think a few moves ahead is one of the most underrated skills you can build. Especially when it comes to launches, campaigns, and investment opportunities.

We see this all the time with founders and marketers who throw everything into one idea, one message, or one market angle.

When it doesn’t hit right away? Full pivot. New funnel. Total rebrand. Sleepless nights. Existential crisis.

But what if the pivot was already part of the plan?

Plan Your Pivots in Advance

A smart campaign doesn’t just ask, “What if this works?” It also asks:

• What if it doesn’t work?

• What if the market shifts mid-launch?

• What’s Plan B… and Plan C?

This isn’t just “risk management.” This is strategy.

When my team built a VSL funnel for a real estate investing client, we led with an inflation-based angle. But we also built out two fully developed alternate themes—recorded, edited, and ready to launch. No guesswork. No scrambling. Just strategic deployment.

And yes—after a few months, inflation fatigue set in. But we were ready.

The switch was seamless, because it wasn’t reactive. It was planned.

Do a Premortem, Not a Postmortem

Before you launch anything big, run a premortem.

Ask: “What are the most likely ways this could underperform?” Then, prepare assets and paths for those scenarios.

This doesn't just reduce anxiety—it sharpens your confidence. You’re not hoping for a win. You’re playing the long game.

And hey, this applies outside of business too. What’s your move if you don’t get that promotion? Or if your side hustle does take off? Success favors the prepared.

Millennial leaders aren’t afraid to pivot. But we make sure our pivots are intentional, not impulsive.

Plan like a chess player. Not a ping-pong ball.