Oops, My Business Plan Keeps Changing

So I stopped chasing the perfect plan and started testing my way to one.

7 months ago, I lost my job and started building a business without a clear idea of what I was even building.

And if I’m being honest? I still don’t have a clear idea.

It’s a bit clearer now. But mostly, I’ve just figured out what I don’t want to build. And as someone who loves following a plan and gets impatient when things move slowly… that’s been frustrating. (Shocked I’m type A? Didn't think so 😅)

Over the past few months, I’ve gone through several “This is it!” moments—only to backtrack once I realized:

• I don’t actually enjoy it

• There’s no real market need

• It doesn’t play to my strengths

• Or I don’t have a unique angle

It’s been confusing. And humbling. But I’ve realized the bigger issue isn’t that things haven’t worked; that’s a normal part of starting a business. The real issue is how I’ve been approaching it.

I’ve been treating this like a GPS: pick a destination, press “go,” and follow the path full-speed. But that only works if you’re sure the destination is right. I wasn’t. I kept mapping things out in my head and making plans based on what I think should work, without testing if it actually does. And when it didn’t, I’d get stuck, scrap the plan, and start all over again.

But in classic “universe sending signs” fashion, the idea for a new approach has been coming at me from all directions lately:

• A friend telling me about the new book Tiny Experiments

• My accountability partner nudging me to think in small bets & use design thinking

• A mentor reminding me to just ask my audience for help when I’m stuck

• Watching Jay Clouse start building his course in public (and loving the openness)

• And finally, seeing the perfect business course land in my inbox—one I just can’t afford right now.

So I thought: Why not make my own version, just for me? And share the journey to keep myself honest about the choices I’m making and why.

So, here’s what I’m trying instead:

Instead of rigid planning → disappointment → starting over…

I’m switching to small, public experiments.

The idea is to quickly test different ideas in the real world instead of trying to design the perfect business plan in my head. By sharing the journey “in public” on this newsletter, I hope to reflect more, stay accountable, and resist the urge to constantly change direction without seeing things through.

I’m calling it my DIY Business Accelerator. (can’t start a project without a fancy name, am I right?)

For the next 12 weeks, I’ll be running a series of experiments with the goal of designing, validating, and launching my signature offering and signing my first ideal client. Each week, I’ll share a quick update of what I’m testing, what’s working, what’s not—and see where that takes me.

Are things not going your way, too?

Here are a few questions I’ve been sitting with that might help:

• What small experiments could you run to test your ideas before committing?

• How can you make failure a feature, not a bug?

• How might building in public help you stay accountable? (Even if it's just emailing 5 friends.)

• How can you practice macro patience, but micro speed?¹

As I keep reminding myself: Not all problems can be solved intellectually (a.k.a. by overthinking). Some can only be solved by getting out there and trying stuff.

xx
Anna

P.S. You’ll find my weekly updates below in a new section called “DIY Business Accelerator.” The kick-off video is already live, so feel free to check it out! :)

DIY Business Accelerator: Kick-off (Week 0)

In the first video update, I walk you through my 12-week plan and curriculum, how I’m tracking my progress in Notion, and what I’ll be focusing on in the initial stages.

1. Hat tip to Tintin Smith for introducing me to the idea of macro patience, micro speed. Micro speed is all about moving fast in the day-to-day: testing ideas, making decisions, learning and adjusting as you go. Macro patience, on the other hand, is the long game. It’s staying committed and trusting that the bigger vision will come together over time even if the early steps feel messy or slow.