Starting a business is exciting and ambiguous – and that’s the fun. It’s a time of possibility, experimentation, imagination, and showing the world what you can do. But, it can also feel slow, frustrating, and full of traps and distractions, leaving potential entrepreneurs to question their self-worth and to wonder why they started in the first place. As a small business coach, I’ll help you cultivate an entrepreneur’s mindset, so you can start and grow your businesses with confidence and step boldly into the role of business owner. Subscribe to get access to weekly tips, small business interviews, and more.
🧭 What Do You Know in Your Gut?
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All around the planet, there are enormous telescopes watching the night sky. Some are in space, some sit at the highest elevations on Earth, away from the invading pollution of light. These are precious and expensive pieces of equipment – and there are only so many nights each year. As a result, there’s a rigorous process to get observation time: Candidates have to submit a lengthy research proposal to justify the scientific merit of the investment. Ultimately, it’s reviewed and evaluated by a committee before a decision is made. Data, logic, and reason dominate these choices. It’s highly intentional and cautious. But, the director of each telescope system has what’s called “Director’s Discretionary Time,” in which a portion of available observation time is set aside for – as the name implies – the director’s discretion. It’s for things they deem urgent or unexpected. It’s also for bets – high risk, high reward opportunities. These choices are about instinct, wisdom, curiosity, and wonder. Instead of: Which option is logical given the arguments? What data indicates this will be valuable? It’s: What do you know in your gut? Now, below is a picture taken by the Hubble Space Telescope in 1995: It’s called the Hubble Deep Field and it was taken by pointing the telescope at a patch of seemingly empty sky. Do you know which process led to the photo? It wasn’t the data – it was gut. It was on Director’s Discretionary Time. And, it was a bet that paid off. The long-exposure photo shows over 3,000 previously undiscovered galaxies – fundamentally changing our understanding of the ancient cosmos as it appeared billions of years ago. I take this story as a lesson about how, sometimes, you’ve got to go with your gut. Don’t abandon logic – gather the data, analyze the options, form a hypothesis. But, recognize that leading – especially in ambiguity, no matter the domain (work or life), often requires decisions to be made before you have a complete picture. Your experience is its own form of data – it’s a synthesis of patterns you’ve observed over time, the signals you’ve learned to watch for, the mistakes you’ve made, the lessons you’ve learned. Sometimes you have to go for it and see what happens – because occasionally magic does. Trust yourself. ⭐ ICYMI: I’m developing a coaching framework and self-assessment designed to help people navigate ambiguity so they can create clarity, discipline, and momentum toward their goals. But, I need your help to test these ideas... Until next time, Michael
Michael Schefman | 321 Liftoff Copyright © 2026 by 321 Liftoff LLC |
Michel Schefman, 321 Liftoff
Starting a business is exciting and ambiguous – and that’s the fun. It’s a time of possibility, experimentation, imagination, and showing the world what you can do. But, it can also feel slow, frustrating, and full of traps and distractions, leaving potential entrepreneurs to question their self-worth and to wonder why they started in the first place. As a small business coach, I’ll help you cultivate an entrepreneur’s mindset, so you can start and grow your businesses with confidence and step boldly into the role of business owner. Subscribe to get access to weekly tips, small business interviews, and more.
Happy St. Patrick’s Day – a day that celebrates (in part) luck. 🍀 Luck – good fortune – certainly plays a role in success. Maybe: Someone introduces you to a new contact at the right time. An opportunity pops up that you couldn’t have predicted. A project you’ve been working on suddenly has everyone’s attention. But, luck only works if you’re ready for it. Above the desk in my office, framed on the wall, I have a quote attributed to the philosopher, Seneca: “Luck is what happens when...
We’re teaching our kids to ride their bikes. So far it’s… not going great (or it is going as expected?). There’s a lot of wobbling. A few dramatic and grumpy hops off the bike. Some long pauses where they just sit there with their feet planted on the ground, unwilling to push off again. Sometimes they get overly confident after a few successful pedals. They haven’t made consistent progress yet because the process is uncomfortable. They want to ride. They like the idea of riding. They just...
This week's newsletter comes with an ask for your help – but first... Tell me if this sounds familiar: An idea sparks, but you don’t know how to put it into action. A machine breaks or a customer gets angry – you freak out. A new opportunity pops up – you overthink and hesitate. A surprise shift (inflation, AI, you name it) changes the landscape overnight… again. Now what do I do? This isn’t what I planned. Am I missing something? This is Ambiguity – having no clear path forward; noise &...