The Messy Middle: Finding Your Way Through the Hardest and Most Crucial Part of Any Bold Venture

by Scott Belsky

When I find myself debating a road map with a product team at Adobe, or making decisions about the technical architecture of a product, there is often an “easy option” that provides most of the desired functionality and a “best option” that is inevitably a step function more difficult and costly to achieve. I always prompt the questions: If we take the easy option, how quickly will our competitors be able to catch up? Is this an opportunity for us to make an investment that others cannot make to truly separate ourselves from the rest? If you want to be the industry leader, sometimes you need to take the difficult path. Be wary of the path of least resistance. It may look compelling in the short term but often proves less differentiating and defensible in the long term. Shortcuts tend to be less gratifying over time. The long game is the most difficult one to play and the most bountiful one to win.