Significant Career Lesson From a Founder at GreatBuildz
Jon's most significant career lesson is that while some aspects of business have definitively right answers, many decisions, such as "how should we run this business?", have multiple "right ways," emphasizing the importance of experimentation. The key is to "try it and see if it works," embracing mistakes as opportunities for learning and optimization, rather than fearing failure and analysis paralysis.
Entrepreneurship, Marketing, Business Strategy, Experimentation, Decision-Making
Advizer Information
Name
Job Title
Company
Undergrad
Grad Programs
Majors
Industries
Job Functions
Traits
Jon Grishpul
Founder, Partner
GreatBuildz, Maxable
Cal Poly - SLO
n/a
Business Management & Admin, Marketing
Architecture, Construction & Design
Entrepreneurship and Business Owner
Pell Grant Recipient, Took Out Loans, Worked 20+ Hours in School, Greek Life Member, First Generation College Student
Video Highlights
1. There are multiple "right" ways to approach a problem; experimentation is key.
2. Analysis paralysis can hinder progress; it's better to try something and iterate.
3. Embracing mistakes is crucial for learning and finding what works best for a specific situation or business
Transcript
What is one lesson that you have learned that has proven significant in your career?
One of the biggest lessons I've learned is that while there's definitely such a thing as a wrong answer, there's rarely a single "right" answer in this industry. For example, when looking at marketing data and KPIs, you know what you're aiming for, and you either hit it or you don't.
Calculating email open rates and click-through rates also yields definite answers. However, when you zoom out and consider broader concepts, like how to run the business, structure pricing, set up an email marketing campaign cadence, or design a homepage, opinions vary widely.
Everyone has an idea of what the "right" way is, and often there are many successful approaches. The right way is ultimately the one that works for you.
A really important lesson is understanding the concept of analysis paralysis. This is when someone spends too much time trying to make something perfect, unwilling to share it until it passes every test and gets every approval.
It turns out it's much more effective to just try things and see if they work. I've said before that this flexibility and dynamism is what I love most about this type of role. You can simply try something and observe the results.
Ultimately, it's okay to make mistakes. You're more likely to discover what works well for you by experimenting than by being overly concerned with making the perfect decision from the start.