Striving towards Excellence

-Karthik Gurumurthy

You know what's funny? I've stopped being surprised when customers do a complete 180. Working with business teams, I've seen how yesterday's "absolutely must have" features can end up in the trash when a new wave of changes hits.

Yeah, it's rough on the teams who've been working their tails off, only to suddenly switch gears to the next "urgent" thing. But here's the deal - customers are like that. Their needs are always changing, and it feels like they're moving at light speed, throwing a million requests your way.

Sometimes it feels weird to keep grinding away at what seems like a great solution. Or even crazier - scrapping everything you've worked on and starting fresh because there might be something better out there. Sounds wild, right?

Look, those check-ins with customers aren't going anywhere. So here's how to stay sane and actually get stuff done:

First off - yeah, the customer's usually right. But (and this is a big but) - if something feels off, speak up! Maybe you're seeing wasted opportunities, or they're stuck overthinking, or moving way too fast. Lots of mixed signals there, but hey - keep your brain switched on.

Show them you're making progress, even if it's baby steps. Keep those demos coming - it's like leaving breadcrumbs to show you're headed in the right direction. Think ahead too - like a chess player. How's your customer gonna react? Always have a backup plan in your pocket.

As Warren Buffett put it (in a pretty intense way): "Focus on your customer and lead your people as though their lives depend on your success."

My big lightbulb moment? It came after falling flat on my face a few times. Every major change project hits some speed bumps - it's part of the deal. That's when it clicked: it's all about your customers. Trying to plan some big transformation without them at the table? That's like cooking dinner for someone without asking what they like to eat!

Sure, it seems obvious - show them what you're building, get their thoughts. But you'd be amazed how often people skip this and get caught up in massive upfront planning without thinking about taking it step by step. So here's your superpower: stick close to your customers and what they need. That's really all there is to it.