Pick Your Parables

In business, we often hear stories that grow into myths—tales like the return of Steve Jobs to Apple. Back then, Apple had a market cap of $2.4 billion, and today, it stands at an incredible $3.555 trillion. It’s easy to be inspired by this journey and think, "I need to do exactly what Jobs did." His focus on a few core products and relentless drive for simplicity are legendary, but there’s a catch.

The Myth of Comparison

Many entrepreneurs mislead themselves by trying to draw a straight comparison. Are you working with a $2.4 billion market cap? When Microsoft invested $150 million in Apple, it wasn’t just about a brilliant pitch—it was Apple’s size and public status that also made it possible. This doesn’t diminish Steve Jobs' genius, but it’s important to ask: do you have multiple product lines that need to be streamlined? Are you in a position to receive a multi-million-dollar investment from a tech giant?

Find Stories That Fit Your Situation

Instead of trying to match Jobs' playbook, look for stories that closely fit your situation. If your company is at $1 million ARR, find out what leaders you admire did when they were at $1 million—and how they moved to $10 million. The strategies they used are likely to be much more relevant and actionable for you.

Finding the right stories isn’t always easy -it's really much more work. You have to dig to uncover the ones that truly align with your journey. You’ll probably have more luck by talking with a networking group of entrepreneurs or reading about specific tactics in founder interviews. The effort to find the right story is worth it when the lessons are directly applicable to your situation.

Apply Your Parables Wisely

The key is to apply your parables wisely. The right story can spark the right actions, but only if it matches where you are today. Pick the stories that align best with your journey, and use those lessons to guide your growth.