When it comes to executing ideas, many people talk about choosing between a shotgun or a rifle. Using a shotgun means taking a broad approach. Taking a couple of things, throwing them against the wall, and seeing what sticks. But this often leads to half-assed execution. Because of time constraints, no one idea can be completely developed. No one idea progresses far enough to address the little things, those minute details that really make the difference.

On the other hand, using a rifle often means that you've put all your eggs in one basket. You have one shot, and if you miss, it takes a long time to reload and re-evaluate, crippling your ability to quickly adjust your approach in order to hit a different target.

This isn't an easy problem to solve, but I feel the best solution is to focus on the gunpowder, not the gun. Your gunpowder is your true asset, its your catalyst, your fuel. Without it, the tools are useless.

Here at Seen Creative, we try to remember this as we grow our business. We focus on cultivating a fuel, a platform from which we can launch a variety of ideas. See, we feel we have a unique approach to solving problems and we have a certain philosophy for running our business. I'm not going to provide a laundry list of exactly what that unique approach is (hopefully you can get a good idea from our products and the ideas presented in this blog), but that company DNA is the fuel. We can then use that fuel to pursue whatever opportunities present themselves. We have our gunpowder so if we need to use a rifle or a shotgun for a specific problem, we are prepared for either.

Of course, this doesn't mean you won't have to make a tough decision at some point. But if you already have your fuel, the decision will become less about the tool and more about how each opportunity matches with your company philosophy. Because either way, you'll be using the same gunpowder.

So, the question shouldn't be, "Shotgun or rifle?" It should be, "What is our gunpowder?" The answer could be as simple as "We always put usability first" or "We strive to make things as simple as possible" or "We want to make products as elegant as possible." Once you have this, you have your gunpowder. And this makes choosing what business opportunities to pursue -- and what tools to use -- much easier and more effective.