Fred Wilson wrote a post this morning about the "certainty of close." He was talking about fundraising for startups, but similar parallels can be drawn to other aspects of life and business. The point Fred makes is that if you can live with the "bird in the hand" economics and if you have a comfort level with the humans/partners you're getting involved with, it's hard to go wrong and it's often the right approach for early stage companies where fundraising speed is critical.

The tension that usually gets weighed against this line of thinking is one of maximizing economics, which often sits part and parcel with a fear of "leaving money on the table." Should I take the deal in front of me or should I push and/or wait to extract every last dollar? This can lead to indecision. Oftentimes, as Fred mentions, these decisions aren't particularly black and white. Few things are.

While every deal and situation is unique, there is nothing inherently wrong with a fair and reasonable price if the the economics make sense for you, and your investment and return criteria are being met (or whatever criteria you have set for yourself). It is "satisficing" vs. "optimizing." The latter may appear most favorable, but there are countless benefits in moving as quickly as possible and in getting things done. I am a fan of doing.

Photo by Jacek Dylag on Unsplash