Deep business questions, now with extra cheese
... and when being good enough isn't enough.
The Clothesline is a weekly newsletter from Vanessa Chiasson offering cozy content for writers.
Last night, we ordered pizza.
This isn’t exactly a groundbreaking event in my house. We live near an excellent little pizza place (shout out to River Pizza!) Our order is pretty much the same week-to-week. But last night, Ryan decided to go off script and ordered extra cheese. What can I say? We like to live dangerously. But while he was in the process of ordering, he casually mentioned that it was a shame you couldn’t do half and half - - the basic online ordering system doesn’t allow you to put mushrooms on one side and pineapple on the other. (Yes, pineapple does belong on pizza. This newsletter will broker no debate on this topic).
I had forgotten about this limitation. We’re folks who like a two-in-one pizza, but River Pizza was so good and convenient that it didn’t matter that their online ordering system was limited. Now their basic system has me pondering business models - theirs and mine.
They cannot give everyone what they might want. They can’t even give us what we want! But it doesn’t seem to matter. We like them. It’s easy. Of course, we could trade convenience and shun the online system for a phone call if we wanted to, but their good enough is good enough for us. Also, they do a great job with onion rings (my favourite treat!) Who wouldn’t be happy with that? Well, presumably, a lot of people - - there’s no denying that ultra-convenient business models drive serious money in many sectors. Plenty of people wouldn’t pick up the phone if the online system didn’t meet their needs, but the fancier online ordering program may very well not pay for itself in the long run. Tricky.
As we all move into the planning and reflecting time of the year, it’s good to ponder the kind of paradoxes that all businesses face, whether you’re serving up pizza or pitches. You don’t need a bespoke, expensive, customized program, website, or system to get clients and customers AND not having a bespoke, expensive, customized program, website, or system can possibly mean you lose clients and customers. You do not have to offer every possible option to every possible client AND you might turn some folks off because you can’t be all things to all people. And sometimes, you can do everything right and have the sauciest sauce in the business, but being good enough isn’t enough.
Sometimes there is no clear answer.
So, what can we take from this as writers?
First, it’s easier to write if you have a belly full of pizza.
Second, every business model contains challenges and rewards, but this is no excuse not to plan. You don’t have permission to throw up your hands and say, “well I’m damned if I do and I’m damned if I don’t”.
Third, every choice involves a trade-off, but the good thing is that the choice is yours. You can make the best choice now and try something new, pivot, or adjust as needed down the road. You do your best and when you know better, you do better.
As you look ahead to 2025, know that you can have a sense of agency even when it feels like there are no easy choices or clear answers. I have never regretted the time and effort I spent planning my business and writing. And when things haven’t worked out, I know that pizza always has my back ;-)
Happy planning, friends.
Vanessa
PS: If you read this email before Friday morning, you can still grab a ticket for my 2025 planning day, which takes place tomorrow, December 6, from 10:00AM to 2:00PM EST (with lots of breaks!). The cost is $99, and all writers at all stages of their careers are welcome. Read more details and buy tickets here.