Writing things down has an amazing impact. It commits us more. It serves as a reminder and marks our past. It allows us to get things out of our brains so we can fill them up with more cool ideas. It pushes us into the future. It helps visualize things. It creates structure. It acts as a public statement. It stirs debate. It builds awareness and brand.

Writing is an extremely powerful tool

I’m fascinated by pitch decks and executive summaries because they’re evidence of an entrepreneur’s thought processes translated through writing. The act of producing these materials is important and meaningful. Word choice and the organization of content matters.

Writing forces us to focus. In some cases that means simply scribbling ideas quickly (I’ve found Evernote very useful for this). But focus really comes when we look at our writing and challenge it to be more meaningful, honest and effective.

Startups need focus. Lots of it. Writing things down – hypotheses, problem statements, prospect lists, goals, etc. – encourages and drives that focus. Often when brainstorming new ideas or taking on new challenges I’m acutely reminded of the importance and effectiveness of writing. It provides a stake in the ground and a benchmark.

So write. Write often. Write freely. Even if it’s just for yourself, write.

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