Clay,

First of all, thank you for a very well written and well thought out response. Responses critical of my piece and well-thought-out are my favorite kind of responses.

I agree with most of the points you make. I think where we part ways is that I’m unsure about the relationship between constraints and creativity.

Like you, I have often preached about how constraints can make us more creative and innovative. To an extent, I still believe that. However, I think that it depends upon the type of constraint.

Part of my journey in coming up with this piece was that I have experienced goals as constraints on many occasions. I had a goal, it became apparent that I wouldn’t achieve it, and I became disheartened. But on a few occasions, I changed what my goal was to something more general and inclusive. It allowed me to keep going and make moves I wouldn’t have made had I kept on thinking within the constraints of that goal.

So when profit is the goal, and when many other classical entrepreneurial goals are the goal, thinking is constrained — especially as one is learning early on. That’s where constraints can be dangerous.

I hope that makes some sense. And thanks for reading and engaging!