Have you ever tried hiking up a mountain with a backpack that’s way too heavy? I have. Twenty kilos of paragliding gear on my back, snow up to my waist, and a will of steel — it had to work. The problem was I moved too fast. Long strides, high tempo, powering uphill. And then? Pause to catch my breath. Another sprint. Another break. Before I knew it, I was spending more time standing still and recovering than actually moving forward.
Until I learned what seasoned hikers already know: steady, short steps all the way up get you there faster. And more importantly, you avoid burning out along the way.
That lesson doesn’t just apply to the mountains — it applies to business, too
Just like on hikes, we often see companies sprinting ahead — launching big projects, massive changes, revolutionary new products all at once. But what happens after?
Pause. Chaos. Mistakes to fix. Technical debt. Burned-out employees.
And just like on a hike, you end up spending more time recovering than progressing.
I clearly remember one particular year — I think it was 2012 — when I launched a roadmap that contained… nothing. No new features. No major releases. Just an entire year dedicated to improving what we already had. Some employees were surprised, maybe even a little worried. But what actually happened was that we got more done than ever before: we fixed bugs, simplified processes, improved the user experience, and finally addressed all the things we never had time for. The year was so successful that my boss kept referring to it for years afterward.
Sometimes, zero new launches is the most productive thing you can do.
Read more here about what a roadmap is and how to create one.
Small steps win in the long run
In the development world, this principle already has a name: agile development, lean thinking, continuous improvement. Instead of working in big sprints followed by long pauses to clean up the mess, you build step by step — so you’re always moving forward without major setbacks.
This principle applies in many areas:
- Product development: Release small improvements continuously instead of one big launch.
- Organizational change: Don’t tear down and rebuild from scratch — adjust and optimize as you go.
- Strategy: Don’t wait for the perfect plan — test, learn, and adapt continuously.
Creative work is also a hike – one step at a time
This philosophy isn’t just for business development and technical processes — it works just as well for content creation.
I used to feel like I needed the full strategy and message of a blog post worked out before I could write. If the whole story wasn’t ready, nothing got written. As a result, a lot of good ideas were lost.
Then I started writing when I had something to say. A little here, a little there. A paragraph about a topic I’d been thinking about. A sentence I thought of during a conversation. Eventually, I developed a system: Articles that were allowed to mature. Drafts that grew over time. These days, I almost always have over 50 articles ready to publish and just as many in progress.
- When an idea shows up, I write it down — without waiting for the full picture to come together.
- Over time, small notes grow into full articles, instead of disappearing into the void.
- When the article is ready, I let it sit for a while before revising and polishing.
The downside? My articles often end up long. But the same principle still applies: When I have a solid base of content, I can more easily create shorter posts that link to earlier articles — instead of rewriting the same points every time.
Just like documentation and business development — small, steady steps lead to better flow and fewer exhausting bursts.
Here’s how documentation can save you time.
What happens when you go too fast?
When you hike too fast, lactic acid builds up. You lose motivation, need to pause, and progress stalls.
It’s the same in business. Customers don’t understand sudden, major changes. Employees lose their overview when systems are flipped upside down. The market doesn’t respond as expected because you didn’t test along the way. And the worst part? You spend even more time fixing mistakes than you would have if you had just gone a bit slower but steady from the start.
Small steps, big results – Agile and PRINCE2 without the jargon
You don’t have to be a developer to work agile, and you don’t need to be a project manager to apply PRINCE2. Both are really about the same thing: common sense, structured.
- Walk steadily — don’t sprint until you’re drained
- Improve a little all the time
- Test and adjust along the way
- Avoid building up debt — technical or organizational
- Use pauses to prepare for the next stage
In tech, it’s called agile development. In project management, it’s called controlled progress with a clear focus on benefits. In hiking? Sound trekking technique. In business? A smarter path to your goal.
Small steps. Good habits. Learning along the way. That’s how you conquer both mountains and business goals — and that’s the essence of both agile and PRINCE2.
How do you avoid technical debt and burnout?
Just like mountain climbers must learn to manage their energy, companies must learn to balance pace with sustainability. A few simple principles:
- Think in small iterations – Improve a little at a time instead of waiting for the big fix.
- Listen to the market – Make small tweaks based on ongoing feedback.
- Avoid technical debt – Don’t rush through solutions you know will need fixing later.
- Build a learning culture – Encourage trial and error in small steps, instead of taking big, risky leaps.
Read the article on technical debt if you want to dive deeper.
Use pauses wisely: Documentation and procedures as prevention
On a mountain, you might use breaks to adjust your pack, have a snack, or plan your next leg. In business development, we should do the same: use quiet periods to work on procedures and documentation.
- When you already have solid routines documented, you don’t waste valuable time figuring out what to do when a crisis hits.
- Small improvements over time lead to big results — a bit better documentation today means fewer fires to put out tomorrow.
- Maintaining documentation can be the perfect task during slow periods — just like hikers checking their gear before the next climb.
Conclusion: Those who move steadily go furthest
When you’re hiking up a mountain with a heavy pack, it’s not about being fastest in the first hundred meters — it’s about reaching the top without being completely drained. And that’s exactly how you should think about business development, too.
Next time you face a big strategic decision or a new project, ask yourself: Are we going to sprint ourselves to exhaustion — or move steadily and actually reach the goal? Whether you’re building a company, developing a strategy, or writing a blog — remember the mountain rule: Small, steady steps take you further than bursts and stops.
