Last week, Chad was interviewed for an article about leading Pulse Group. One question that he was asked was, “Who is your ideal client and what should they know before hiring you.” Part of his answer was “They are very excited and satisfied with the outcome and that includes getting the final 10% perfected.” The final 10% is a big part of this industry but it’s often overlooked. Even though it may be exciting to see the finish line, you have to cross it in order to actually be finished. Anything can happen in that final sprint.

This is an important concept to understand because its not only vital to the client, but also for the manager, the programmer, the business owner, and the leader. Whether you’re in AV, software development, or even any other industry, projects typically don’t just come and go easily. They are marathons made up of a bunch of mini sprints. By the time you’re close to launching, you’re tired. And if you’re tired, you can bet your client is tired. This exhaustion can lead to a sloppy disregard for the final 10% of your project.

I have the privilege of not only understanding Chad’s business philosophy, but also understanding his personal beliefs. Chad always makes the final 10% count and maybe that’s why we align so well on projects. I am wired similarly. It’s not worth doing unless it’s done 100%. So how do you dig deep when you don’t want to? How do you not cut corners? How do you not lose excitement?

• Think about it like an actual race:
  • Digging in at the end and crossing the finish line is so important - you want to finish strong.
  • When doing projects, keep a steady pace throughout so you don’t get worn out when you get to the finish line.
• Have clear check-ins with the other people on the team to regularly encourage excitement.
  • Encourage creative brainstorm sessions and get excited as the final product starts to take form.
• Acknowledge development fatigue. It’s better to point out what people are thinking and work together to find the passion in a project.
• Remember your bumpers - don’t get sloppy at the end. Stay in your lane and remember where the project starts and stops. Don’t add things to make finishing easier or take things away.
  • We utilize something called a “continuation” plan to keep ideas relevant but help us stay on course. If another idea comes up we add it on the list as a part of an ongoing development maintenance. This keeps us on track when new ideas come up instead of killing momentum.

Keep a lookout for the full interview to see Chad’s full answer to this question and more!