Mike explains the tourniquet rule from The Pumpkin Plan: cut off opportunities and projects that don't serve your core business, because they steal resources from what matters most. Like removing small pumpkins so the big one grows, you protect your primary focus by being ruthless about what you say no to.
In Pumpkinland, you talk about the tourniquet rule. What's that?
Oh, so the tourniquet rule. I think that's a throwback, so I had to think for a second. Jeremy started choking. Yeah, you're okay, Jeremy? Yeah. So— Jerabomb. Jerabomb. Jerabomb, that's legit.
Yeah, it is. Okay.
So, the tourniquet rule is basically the discipline to cut off things that are not serving you. The biggest challenge entrepreneurs have when it comes to sustainably growing their business is actually taking on too many opportunities. So, in the Pumpkin Plan, I talk about the big plumpkin, your pumpkin, or plumpkin, pumpkin that you're growing and the discipline of cutting off the little pumpkins. The funny thing is in traditional pumpkin farming, You want as many pumpkins to grow, you're in a quantity game because you want to sell them. In colossal pumpkin farming, the longer a little pumpkin is allowed to grow, it's diluting the energy and nutrients from the massive pumpkin, so they remove it very quickly. They use a tourniquet effectively, they just cut it off. In the business that you're running, you need to stop taking all those opportunities on because it's diluting your ability to do the one thing. Be maniacal about protecting it using tourniquets and you're core competency will grow faster than ever before.
Perfect. Thanks, Mike.
You're welcome, Callie. Sandy—
