Match the piece to the puzzle, not the other way around

I spoke to an entrepreneur who had a plan.
An ambitious, grand plan.

As we spoke about the details I discovered a pattern. I noticed that every detail was depending on something else to happen first. She wanted to do one thing, but not before something else happened. She wanted to do another thing but only with a certain type of customers. She wanted perfection, but up to point where it was unrealistic.

In other words: there was a ‘but’ to every ‘if’.

It was kinda like having a piece of a puzzle and trying to adjust the puzzle to fit with the piece.

That isn’t exactly impossible. But it certainly isn’t a shortcut to success.

Most startups that become successful tend to find a puzzle with a piece missing and build that missing piece. That makes the puzzle complete.

As soon as you find yourself trying to adjust reality to fit your plan you should take a moment and figure out if you are going at it the right way.

What is the shape is your puzzle piece?
Is there a puzzle that’s a perfect match?

Are you just looking for a problem that fits your solution?