Justin Britten

Not Having a Plan B Makes Plan A More Successful

Today, I attended ProductCamp Austin, an unconference about Marketing and Product Management.  One of the best presentations of the day was Entrepreneurship in a Down Economy by Yuen Yung, Co-founder and CEO of How Do You Roll.  Yuen is responsible for the title of this post, as I found his quote quite meaningful, and humorous.

Yuen’s restaurant concept is basically Subway for sushi — you build your own sushi roll — and his mission is to “make the world a better place, one stomach at a time.”  Yuen had no presentation, it was just him telling the story of how he found himself in the unexpected circumstance of starting a restaurant weeks after the economy started to take a nose dive.  Investing his life savings, to the tune of a half million dollars, he had no other alternative then to keep moving forward towards Plan A.  Banks had no money and he tapped out friends and family.

However, the down economy provided some benefits to Yuen, who believes that there are always two sides to every situation.  He was able to hire over-qualified staff.  Vendors were working to attract his business and accommodate his needs.  His marketing budget was quickly lost to higher than estimated equipment costs.  He rebounded by personally introducing himself to every customer, explaining his mission, and asking that they provide feedback and tell their friends.

It was interesting to hear Yuen talk about how he is applying Lean Startup principles to his restaurant business.  Lean Startup has attracted a lot of interest from hi-tech and web startups, but the concepts of minimum viable product, customer driven development, and learning and reacting fast can easily be applied to any business.

After hearing Yuen talk, it’s clear he is going to be successful.  He has charisma, is determined and dedicated to his mission, has integrity, and cares about people and building relationships.  It also doesn’t hurt that his restaurant’s sushi rolls are delicious, inexpensive, and made to my exact specifications.

There is so much truth in Yuen’s words.  To reach your end-goal as an entrepreneur, especially when bootstrapping your company, you have to commit yourself to your plan.  Sure, you can make adjustments to Plan A along the way.  The path is never a straight one.  However, Plan B just might be a pessimistic distraction and a parachute that you open too early.