So What?

A thousand years ago, I wrote a speech for a VP at Sun Microsystems. To focus my thoughts, I worked with an outline that has served me well ever since. Answer the following questions: (1) Now what? (2) So what? (3) Do what? The second question popped into my head when I found Jason Fried's SXSW presentation on how to do business. His company, 37signals, makes "sweet-and-simple" online collaboration software with a lot of devoted customers. Here's how Fried prefaced his description of the talk:

These are questions we ask each other before, during, and sometimes after we work on something. That something can be as small as a couple-hour project or as big as something that takes a few weeks or more. Either way, it’s important to ask questions like this in order to make sure you’re doing work that matters.

Lately, I've found myself asking the same questions Fried poses. Only I've been asking myself "So what?" And I keep trying to ask it until I'm satisfied that it can't be asked again. Then, I find, I can proceed (I hope) with clarity and conviction.