Plan A or Plan B?

Plan A and Plan B are different.

We are often exhorted to avoid a "Plan B" mentality, as it involves, or even invokes, a failure mindset. At the same time, we are encouraged to think lean, to test MVP - "minimum viable product", and to make "persevere or pivot" decisions based on evidence  and experience.

Plan A can be the stuff of heroes, even if heroic failure. The Light Brigade had no plan B. Neither did Lehman. When it works - like Dyson - it works really well. When it doesn't, it doesn't.

One of our well known retailers may have promoted a legend of "Plan A, because there is no Plan B", devised I suspect via more or less conventional strategic processes. In its current situation, I do wonder though whether the shareholders may have one.

On the other hand, Dyson is a legedary Plan A company, and has done rather well.

Plan B can be inspiration of insight, of a stroke of genius ignited by a willingness to lift our nose from the grindstone. Twitter started out as Odeo, a podcasting platf…