As a first-time builder, there are so many lessons I have learned that would have been so helpful to have known and internalized before I started! But there is one major lesson that any builder should know, and it transcends industry or infrastructure or ideology: namely, that building almost never happens linearly. Having more reasonable expectations from the beginning–of myself, of stakeholders, of staff, consultants, and activists, of the constituency and society I aimed to impact–would have set me up for healthier mental and emotional philosophy throughout the building process. I am confident this is the reality for anyone building anything they hope to scale.
But, here’s the catch: It stretches the imagination to imagine that any builders have reasonable expectations of themselves or their product, whatever it is. So by extension, it would be difficult for a builder to have anything less than high expectations from those committed to building with them. And maybe that’s an essential element of the DNA of a builder, believing that what they’re building is unique, innovative, necessary, and scalable–and that there is no time to waste. Most builders probably have extraordinary (maybe impossible) expectations of themselves, and those ambitions, no matter how unachievable, are what drive the building forward. It’s not necessarily that a builder has a grand vision of themselves, but that they can see clearly how the thing they are building can contribute positively to the world around them, and they feel compelled to see it through.
Sometimes in the early stages of building, or maybe throughout the building process itself, certain external events–like an acute threat, for example–might lead to a response or reaction from those potentially impacted by the product. This response could lead a builder to envision an entirely organic, large-scale, and continuous growth trajectory. This happened in my building process, which contributed to an unrealistic assumption about the speed and breadth of future growth.
While there are certain events–like a global pandemic–that can never be anticipated, builders should expect that growth will come in spurts, and those spurts are worth celebrating, even if they are not an indicator of a forthcoming waterfall. It’s important to remember, as well, that growth does not have to be immediate and exponential for the product to have value, both by investors and for society. More than that, a builder’s sense of urgency does not have to be dictated by external events, which may contribute to growth but can also distract from the essential vision, the thing the investors are bought into for the long term. A sustainable product is one that can be dynamic and responsive to the identified need, including during emergency situations, but not reactive or reactionary. These are, of course, more lessons I wish I had confidently understood from the beginning.
When a builder finds themselves in the uncomfortable disconnect between expectation and reality, it’s a good time to slow down and think about the small pieces that make up the big picture. Get back in touch with the original vision and think about what may have changed and what might require a revamped approach. The execution is slow and painstaking and never seems to align with the big vision in a builder’s mind. But it’s always important to take time to remind yourself what you have built–and remind and inspire your stakeholders, too–instead of focusing only on what you haven’t built yet. Or at least that’s what my coach keeps telling me!
A builder should think about how to present differently and strategically to different stakeholders–not by misrepresenting or stretching the truth, but by staying connected and appealing to the thing that most resonates. Assuming your product is not a straightforward widget, different people have different reasons for connecting with different ideas, opportunities, and experiences. Not all “victories” are the same to all stakeholders; having a multifaceted product that has diverse appeal, and being able to communicate about all the ways your product has strategic impact, is crucial. Knowing when to communicate, about what, and to whom is an instinct that grows with time.
Ironically, if something feels reasonably achievable, it probably already exists and therefore does need to be built. None of the lessons I have learned from building would have been accessible to me, even if someone had tried to tell me before I went through the learning and experiences the challenges–and had the breakthroughs–on my own. Perhaps it is actually the disconnect between expectations and realities, no matter how painful, that drives the builder, and relatedly, the building, in a way that it has a chance of ultimately succeeding. And perhaps, learning how to thrive in the disconnect–even when “thriving” feels like failing–is the biggest building lesson of all.
Amanda Berman (she/her) is the Founder and Executive Director of the Zioness Movement, where she works to empower and activate Zionists on the progressive left to stand proudly in social justice spaces as Jews and Zionists. She is also a civil rights attorney who previously worked to fight antisemitism legally, spearheading such groundbreaking initiatives as the international action against Kuwait Airways for its discrimination against Israeli nationals, and the dual cases against San Francisco State University for its constitutional and civil rights violations against Jewish and Israeli students and community members.
Amanda writes on Jewish and civil rights issues and is a media contributor across various mediums and outlets. She has spoken and presented before diverse audiences including Hadassah, JNF, B’nei Brith, Jewish Federation, AIPAC, JCRC, Hillel, and many others. She is a graduate of the Anti-Defamation League’s Glass Leadership Institute, the recipient of Hadassah’s prestigious Myrtle Wreath Award, and was listed by the Algemeiner as one of the top “100 people positively contributing to Jewish life” in 2018. She previously served for 5 years as an Executive Board Member at Friends of the IDF, Young Leadership NY.
Amanda graduated from the University of Pennsylvania with a BA in Diplomatic History and a Master of Governmental Administration and received her Juris Doctor from the Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law, where she was a Public Service Scholar; served in the Bet Tzedek Legal Services Clinic, providing legal services to the underrepresented; served in the Advanced Human Rights Clinic, providing legal services to immigrants and refugees; sat on the Executive Board of the Cardozo Advocates for Battered Women; and was a Fellow in the Holocaust, Genocide and Human Rights Clinic. She practiced securities litigation at Cahill Gordon & Reindel LLP before dedicating her career to the advancement and protection of the Jewish people and the Zionist community.