when your pattern recognition becomes a liability
why the thing that made you successful in one market fails in the next
i've built exchanges. i've invested in startups. i've sat on boards. each of those taught me a pattern for how to win.
in exchanges, you win on custody and compliance.
in startups, you win on product velocity and growth.
on boards, you win on capital allocation and network.
last week i almost made a decision in one context using the pattern from another context. almost hired for execution when i should have hired for learning. almost optimized for speed when i should have optimized for moat.
the pattern recognition that made you successful at company a is the thing that will make you fail at company b.
this is brutal to see in yourself. it's why founders hit a ceiling. they're trying to scale company b using company a's playbook.
the good ones notice it. they hire someone who thinks differently. or they take a break and retrain their pattern recognition.
if you've been successful at one thing, your biggest risk is being too good at one thing.
what pattern are you going to have to unlearn?