Why Side Quest?

First — I have a deep love for strategic board games. Catan, Eclipse, Gloomhaven, Pandemic Legacy (or any Legacy game). In many strategic board games (or RPGs) there is a main story line and many side quests. These side quests may have added value or they may be a shiny object that ultimately has no value. It's enticing to explore these side quests. It can also be a distraction from the main story arc.

I have found this same concept is true with start-ups. I have heard so many founders say "I have been exploring this side quest for a while, but…". My goal is to help founders and executives explore the right side quests, quickly determine which ones hold value to bring in to the main story, and which ones might be mirages worth leaving behind. I am an outside perspective with direct operating experience who is not emotionally tied into your story.

I have explored many side quests myself. I have a personal philosophy that no journey is a straight path and sometimes you'll find the biggest value where you least expect it. But that doesn't mean having a tour guide along the way isn't helpful. I am going to leave some notes here about some of those side quests and how they turned out for me.

Hope you enjoy!

— Danny