Double Sisyphus
Twice in our 14 year history building Interact we’ve had Sisyphus periods. By Sisyphus periods I mean you push the boulder up the hill and it falls back down over and over again until you reach exhaustion and it keeps happening. The first time was our initial growth phase and it took 7 years to finally break through. That was 2019, and the foundation we’d built then subsequently crumbled in 2021 when post-pandemic demand shifts wiped out nearly our entire customer base.
The Sisyphus effect started again late 2021 and it’s now been 5+ years. Most likely it will last a similar amount of time to the previous one, because history generally rhymes. This second version is both easier and harder. It’s easier because I’ve been through this and can see through the noise better. It’s harder because it feels unfair to have “won the game” only for the enjoyment of it to be prematurely cut short by a global shift in the economy which was not in line with historical patterns.
However, I’m sure everyone feels the Sisyphus effect in one way or another, it’s just how things go. The best way to get through it is to take on the Victor Frankl approach and keep in mind what it will be like to get through it. However, never give yourself a timeline for when it will be over. That’s a huge mistake, and you’ll give up if that date comes and goes without things getting better.
Also just block out the noise. When stuff is slow everyone has an opinion and they’re all bad. You’ll see insane stuff happen and brands go “$0 to $X in 5 minutes” because they’re promising overnight success. Focus on what works, focus on who is happy with your product, even if it’s less people than before, stay true to that, it will serve you on the other side.
And understand a lot of the slowness is outside of your control. You will get through if you keep going, but don’t expect to see the results of your work right away the way it is when things are fast.
That’s it, keep it simple, focus on your small wins, talk to customers, build for them.
