Are You Building Your Business on a Myth?

By Dino Tartaglia.

In 1964, just before the Tokyo Olympics, a Japanese company launched a pedometer called the Manpo-kei - the "10,000-step meter." The name wasn't backed by research or rigorous science. It was just clever marketing. The Japanese character for "10,000" resembles a person walking, and it sounded like a good, round number, so they gave the idea a go, and it caught the public's imagination and took root.

Brilliant, right?!

Fast forward to today: millions swear by this "10,000-step rule" as if handed down from the mountaintop on stone tablets. It's an admirable goal, but here's the kicker - walking 10,000 steps daily might not be the best solution for everyone.

For example, a 60-year-old typically gets as much, if not more, from walking 7,500 steps as a 20-year-old from doing 10k. And walking 10k steps every day isn't a panacea for all ills (although it's not a bad thing to do if you're a bit of a couch potato 😉)

Blind effort doesn't guarantee results, especially if the method doesn't fit your needs. Sound familiar? It should because business works the same way.

Let's explore why clinging to 'conventional wisdom', myths and 'magic blueprints' is holding you back… and what you can do about it.

Don't Follow Me, I'm Lost!

Imagine this: you're in the wilderness with a group of people. The leader, brimming with confidence, doesn't actually insist they know the way - they just appear to naturally be going the right way as if they've been in this terrain many times before.

So, no one questions, and everyone follows.

Hours later, it becomes painfully clear they were bluffing. No map, no compass, and now you're all lost.

This is what happens in business when you mindlessly follow those who both appear to know what they're doing and those who actively convince you that their way is THE Way.

The trap is that it's not always obvious at first.

The confident "leaders" promise shortcuts and magical "proven systems" that claim to solve all your problems. You trust them because their enthusiasm is contagious, and hey, they've got a great pitch.

They also typically rely on 'Survivorship Bias', something I covered in a much earlier article, where all you see are the success stories, which can seriously skew your understanding of whether what they're offering suits you.

But the truth is, many of these so-called experts are just as lost as you are. Their "magic blueprint" might work for them (if you believe their testimonials), but you're not them. Your circumstances, strengths, and challenges are uniquely yours.

So, where does that leave you?

Wandering in circles, wondering why nothing is working…

Blueprints Don't Work

Let me repeat this for the people at the back: BLUEPRINTS DON'T WORK (unless you're perhaps an architect or an aviation engineer 😉).

The Myth of the Blueprint is everywhere in online business. "Do this, and you'll make six figures in six weeks!" they shout. It's enticing, I know. Who wouldn't want a simple, plug-and-play formula to success?

But here's the cold, hard truth: there's no universal path to success in business. Following someone else's plan without adapting it to your needs is like trying to fit a square peg into a round hole. It doesn't matter how hard you push; it's simply not going to work.

Business isn't about copying someone else's strategy and hoping it fits your unique situation. It's about understanding what works for YOU… and WHY.

Business Is A Theory

Let's get one thing straight: Business isn't an exact science. It's a theory, a series of experiments where you test ideas, analyse results, and refine your approach.

Now, I'm not asking you to pull out a lab coat and start charting data points (unless that's your thing). But you do need to embrace a mindset of curiosity and adaptability. Think of your business as a living, breathing organism. What worked yesterday might not work tomorrow. And what works for one entrepreneur might completely flop for another.

You have THREE things to focus on if you want to succeed:

1. Find out what works, and double down on that
2. Identify what doesn't work and can it
3. Discover what's kind of working, and tweak it until you determine if it falls into 1. or 2., then act accordingly

That's it!

There is no 'right' or 'wrong' in business - just what works and what doesn't.

And the only way you get to figure that out is…

..by figuring it out. No 'Blueprint' or guru will tell you, and there's no magic mirror you can ask (sorry!)

The plain truth is that there's no shortcut here. Building a business requires time, effort, and a willingness to test and tweak. Yes, it's frustrating when things don't work out right away.

But every experiment, even the ones that fail, brings you closer to understanding what does work, and then you are, as we say up North, off to the races: things will only get better from there.

Clarity, Not Conformity

Here's the irony: Finding clarity in business often feels like wandering lost through a fog. You can't see more than a few steps ahead, and it's tempting to just follow someone else's footsteps, the person you perceive to be in front of you.

But Clarity isn't something you stumble upon. It's something you cultivate.

Clarity starts with asking the right questions:

1. What do I actually want from my business?
2. Why? What's most important to me right now and in the long term?
3. What are my strengths, and how can I leverage them?

Principles lead to solid Objectives and a clear Strategy, from which your Tactics, Execution and Feedback loops emerge. That all comes from Clarity, not conforming to 'convention' or what the masses are doing.

When you have clarity about your principles, goals, and values, you stop chasing (and being distracted by) shiny objects and start focusing on what actually matters most. Suddenly, the fog lifts, and you can see the path that's uniquely yours.

THEN, you can begin to build a business around your brilliance rather than trying to shoehorn yourself into someone else's idea of what business should be.

How to Use This

So, how do you apply this in real life? How do you know if you're on the right track or just spinning your wheels?

Look for "green shoots" - small signs of progress that indicate you're heading in the right direction. These might be new leads, improved engagement, or even just feeling more confident in your decisions. Green shoots are early indicators that your efforts are paying off, even if the results aren't massive yet.

But what if you're not seeing green shoots? That's where testing and tweaking come in. Ask yourself:

1. Have I given this enough time?
2. Am I looking in the right place? (waiting to see if you make a sale is too late in the process; the place to start is checking your traffic, engagement & conversion rates way before you get near making a sale)
3. Is there a part of my strategy that's working, even if the whole isn't?
4. What can I change or improve to get better results?

Remember, there's a difference between persistence or tenacity and stubbornness or fear of loss. Stick with what's working, but don't be afraid to pivot or drop the whole thing if something clearly isn't.

Your Next Steps

If you're tired of wandering aimlessly or following advice that doesn't fit, it's time to take a new approach. Join our Success Unlocked Community, where brilliant humans just like you are navigating their unique paths to success. Together, we test, tweak, and refine strategies that work for YOU.

Or, reach out to me directly. Let's chat about how you can gain the clarity you need to build a business that fits you, your aspirations & your brilliance like a glove.

Business isn't about finding a perfect formula. It's about experimenting, learning, and growing.

There is no 'paint by numbers' solution. Anyone who suggests otherwise - like the 'leader' in the wilderness - is leading you astray, intentionally or otherwise.

The sooner you let go of these ever-present myths and blueprints, the sooner you'll find your own unique path to success.

Embrace the journey, green shoots and all, and remember: Clarity, not Conformity, is the key to building the business of your dreams.

To your inevitable success.

Dino Tartaglia is a former Electronics Engineer, now a businessman, mentor, coach and troubleshooter working to help you, if you’re a coach, consultant, creative or service provider, to Build a Joyful, Dependable Business around Being Brilliant at What You Do. 

In his own coaching, and together with world-class coach Simon Hartley, the other half of Success Engineers (their joint business), he helps you to improve your thinking to ask better questions, so that you solve the right problems in your business at the right time, develop your own personal performance as a business owner and get closer to What Matters Most. 

You can find Dino in our FB Group , on his  website or on any of these other locations; Facebook | LinkedIn | Twitter | Instagram |PodCast - Back Bedroom to Big Business