Does this loop feel familiar?
The killer word is “reasonable.” It’s always a reasonable exception, isn’t it?
The trap is the “good intentions”. Of course it “makes sense”. Of course there are good reasons. Many, in fact.
But focus means saying no to the 1000 good reasons in favor of the 1 real reason. That’s how progress happens.
The problem is that the trap isn’t easy to spot because it sounds so reasonable. I’ve collected a few examples I’ve heard last year:
“We’re moving to product-led growth”
⤷ Except for enterprise sales
The CEO announces a pivot to self-service, freemium, product-led growth. Then adds: “Obviously, this doesn’t apply to enterprise deals over €100K.”
Within three months, the enterprise team consumes 80% of product development building custom features, the self-service experience remains broken, and the company is neither product-led nor sales-led.
“We’re focused on 3 strategic priorities”
⤷ Plus the CEO’s new idea
Leadership emerges from an offsite with clarity: DACH expansion, mobile launch, Q3 profitability.
Week 2: The CEO returns from a conference, excited about AI. She requests “just a small tiger team.”
By month 2, the AI project has pulled the CTO, two senior engineers, and half the roadmap conversation. The three priorities are now starved of attention.
“No more custom development”
⤷ Except when sales needs to close
The CTO declares custom development is killing scalability; prospects buy the platform as-is or they’re not the right fit.
Two weeks later, a €2 million deal requires a custom reporting module. Sales argues “this is strategic revenue.” The CTO caves.
Within six months, the product has 11 “strategic exceptions” and the standardized platform never materializes.
“We’re sunsetting legacy products”
⤷ Except for existing customers
The VP announces the company will no longer support three legacy products. Everything goes through the unified platform.
But Customer Success raises concerns about top accounts not being ready to migrate, so leadership grants “limited exceptions.”
Within a year, 60% of customers remain on legacy with extended support, and engineering maintains two completely separate codebases.
I told you. It’s always “reasonable”.
And it always reinforces organizational inertia.
It always costs time, money, and motivation.
And it always distracts from the new path.
True or not?
What’s your experience with “reasonable exceptions”?
How do you deal with them? Hit reply!
Keep lighting the path,
Michael
PS: The newest essay on “What the Best Leaders Say” looks at ways to escape the inertia trap.
