Let’s jump right in:

  1. Income – How much do you need, and why?
  2. Intellectual Stimulation – How important is this and why?
  3. Purpose – What is your purpose, and will this help achieve it?
  4. Autonomy – To what extent do you wish to be in control?

At first, this framework seems more applicable to individuals choosing a career path. Or soloists choosing a niche.

And indeed, fellow pathless path wanderer, Claire Taitte, who made it, had exactly that in mind.

She calls it her new mental model of work.

It’s a Tactical Tuesday dream come true.

BUT, and, it works equally well for evaluating a new market or offering you’re exploring for your business.

To wit:

  1. Income – Will it give you the revenue/profit/margin you need to make it worth the effort?
  2. Intellectual Stimulation – Will this energize you/your team? Is it in your wheelhouse?
  3. Purpose – Does this align with your mission and vision? Does it work with your other lines of business?
  4. Autonomy – Can the new line work on its own, or will it tie up resources from your existing offerings/markets? Is it a custom offer requiring much wheel-reinventing, or is it a fixed offer at a fixed price? (i.e., How much autonomy will clients/customers have?)

Frameworking it,
James

P.S. I highly recommend subscribing to Claire’s excellent weekly newsletter, Stumbling Towards Clarity, where she explores her relationship with work over the course of a 20-year aviation career, a sabbatical, and now self-employment.