A surefire way to drive any business or creative endeavor into the ground is by trying to be everything to everybody. We see this all the time in big corporations, as they gobble up and acquire wide varieties of smaller companies and start-ups in an effort to bolster their product offering to the world. "Hey look at us! We not only sell shampoo, but we also sell dog food, greeting cards, and microwave pizzas."
One time I asked a client who their target audience was. They replied, "Everyone." Ugh.
Lack of market focus and deviation from core competency are a death knell for a company. Better to be exceptional at one or two things to a select group, than to be mediocre at a dozen things to the world at large.
As I grow older I find my time increasingly fragmented. Between spouse, children, home, job, church, side projects, and free time, lots of things are vying for my time. Instead of expanding, I feel drawn towards simplifying and focusing. I feel the pull of consolidating my life.
I'd rather excel at a few things than be so-so at everything.
To your good fortune!
