The Root Cause Doesn't Care
It's Probably Snail Mail
The last time we spoke, my client Brian, a tenured employee, wanted advice on building software systems to connect the financial and administrative departments in his workplace.
On our most recent call, since it had been a while, I opened with:
“What would you like to focus on today?”
He said he’d returned to his passion project, a nonprofit that could allow him to spend his remaining years doing fulfilling work while making more time for his grandkids. There hasn't been a more noble mission.
His current blocker? A three-week delay in processing the final paperwork to get his credentials. Once that was done, he’d be clear about starting fundraising and bringing the project to life. Fundraising in the nonprofit world was, in his words, much simpler than chasing venture capital.
At first, it sounded like a minor administrative delay. But after some deeper questioning, the real issue surfaced. The documents hadn’t stalled in the process. They’d stalled in the mail. USPS had lost the package.
He started discussing launching an investigation and filing a formal complaint to recoup the hundred dollars he’d spent and locate the missing documents.
That prompted two questions:
Me: If this process were finished, how much could that be worth to you?
Brian: Millions of dollars.
Me: Can you reprint the documents and send them overnight?
Brian: Yes, I could FedEx them today.
He looked stunned. He’d let a solvable problem stretch into a 21-day delay.
Me: Would you oppose sending them out today and putting the USPS appeal on the back burner?
Brian: Oppose? I’d be ecstatic. I’ll run over there right after this call.
The tone of the conversation changed completely. What began with hesitation turned into clarity and momentum.
We kept talking, and the call more than paid for itself. We uncovered:
A potential opportunity to be paid by his employer for a year while taking a leave of absence to focus on fundraising.
A straightforward, efficient strategy to raise funds once his credentials were approved, without neglecting his full-time role or family.
A list of top donors in his space with a strong track record of giving.
I didn’t suggest a single line of code. I didn’t need to.
All the better that way.