“Compare Down” with Literati Founder & CEO

In response to an article posted on Entrepreneur.com in relation to ‘Biggest Lesson Helping Survive 2020’, Jessica Ewing, Founder and CEO of Literati, brought a new perspective to light. It is instinct engrained in most to compare their situation to the ideal one they wish to achieve. In doing so, it is easy to fall short or potentially be disappointed instead of focusing on pivoting to make a change with things you can control.

Agile processes that ‘promote sustainable development’ are a staple in making Ewing’s theory work. Comparing down allows the situation at hand to not seem like such the mountain to scale, but also that you are capable and able to do much more than you think. Utilizing tools or resources that are within reach to solve enterprise level problems allows you to continually take the next ‘right’ or available step to solving a problem.

As listed in the Agile Manifesto, uncovering better ways to ‘respond to change over following a plan’ is key. Also noteworthy for this case is ‘at regular intervals, the team reflects on how to become more effective, then tunes and adjusts its behavior accordingly’. ‘Agile processes harness change for the customer’s competitive advantage’. This methodology paired with the mindset to ‘compare down’ pushed a company forward in the middle of a pandemic, but also could easily be two elements to weave into any company culture to be more progressive thinkers. Actual problem solvers.