My team and I are facing a challenge.

My team and I are facing a challenge.

We’re evolving our services to meet the changing landscape.

While we’re confident in most areas, there are gaps in our expertise.

As a small business, investing in new talent isn’t always practical.

We’re exploring freelancers and upskilling our current team.

Some on the team feel nervous about stepping into areas where we don’t have deep experience.

But here’s the truth: we don’t need to be experts.

We just need to be one step ahead.

A senior colleague shared a story from the late ’90s.

Digital marketing was new and mysterious.

Their agency didn’t have years of experience in the field (no one did).

However, they took on the challenge when a client asked for digital marketing services.

They immersed themselves and sought to stay a step or two ahead of the client.

The firm pulled it off.

The client’s success eventually led to an acquisition.

The agency’s contribution played a big part.

This story is a powerful reminder.

You don’t need to be a master to make an impact.

A beginner pickleball player doesn’t need a professional coach.

An intermediate l player can help the beginner improve.

An 8th-grade student doesn’t need a mathematician to pass the algebra test.

Someone who understands the material better than their students is sufficient.

The same goes for us in business.

If we wait until we’re experts, we’ll never move forward.

Josh Kaufman’s book, The First 20 Hours: How to Learn Anything Fast, supports this idea.

With just 20 hours of focused practice, you can become more skilled than most casual learners.

Whether it’s AI, data, or another emerging field, don’t get stuck trying to be perfect.

Start by getting proficient.

Define your target.

Break down the skill into small steps.

Commit to learning.

Stay consistent.

You don’t have to be great to start, but you have to start to be great.