What to do when uncertainty is certain

The orange wrecking ball has done a marvellous job of making uncertainty more certain.

People hate uncertainty. It stops us in our tracks. Making us ditch the satisfying companions of action and momentum.

We know we should not fret about what we cannot control. That is our rational response. But our emotional side tends to wear the pants. So we fret.

The remedy for paralysis caused by uncertainty is:
Gag your emotional voice and focus on what you can control in your business:
- your people
- your product
- who you choose to sell to

Look at what is not going to change in the next 10 years. Then double down on that. This gives comfort to your certainty-seeking self and makes good sense.

Assuming you have the right people on the bus, then you're looking at a positioning question: What are you selling, and to whom?

Gather some independent-thinking colleagues and lock yourself in a room with a whiteboard. Pretend that you are the new management team that has just taken over your business (so there are no preconceptions or scared cows), then answer these questions:
- Who has money to spend in our target market?
- What are their needs and pain points you help solve that are unlikely to change?
- How do you shape and frame your offer to make sure you're the obvious choice? (your unique value)

At worst, this exercise will validate your current course of action, and at best, it will uncover new opportunities.

Pro tip: Ensure your assumptions about your target market are current and insight-based - otherwise, you risk building a strategy on a foundation of quicksand.