Comments on: 2. Management quality trumps a quality plan.

By: Dave Berkus

Dave Berkus — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 03:45:12 +0000

OK to quote with attribution. And I’d appreciate any link to the site from other blogs and references.
-Dave

By: Polprav

Polprav — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 01:42:35 +0000

Hello from Russia!
Can I quote a post “No teme” in your blog with the link to you?

By: Kelly Tompkins

Kelly Tompkins — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 00:05:33 +0000

I agree that management does trump the plan and that adaptability is key to success. In my experience as an entrepreneur, it always comes down to how the team confronts and resolves problems and having an experienced team around you not only allows you to avoid problems to begin with; but helps to resolve critical issues quickly so you can stay focused on building the business.

By: Michael O'Daniel

Michael O'Daniel — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 20:20:43 +0000

Oscar Robertson, the greatest basketball player of all time, says, “Coaches can draw up all the Xs and Os they want, but in reality 90% of the plays break down. So then it comes down to who can execute, one-on-one or two-on-two. That’s where the fundamentals come into play.” To me, flexibility and the ability to improvise are among the most important characteristics a manager can have –and smart investors also recognize that plans rarely work out as originally designed.

By: John Huston

John Huston — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 22:31:31 +0000

I would add that one commonality of great management teams is their assumption that their business plan won’t work as planned. They know major course corrections will be needed upon engagement with the marketplace. Too many investors look for teams which can “execute the business plan” but they should seek teams which can design and execute Plan B because Plan A rarely works as presented.