Building for Today, Planning for Tomorrow

As a kid, my daydreams were filled with different versions of my life. In middle school, being a competitive gymnast with Olympic ambitions mattered more to me than the social politics of sleepovers or whether boys noticed me.

In my 20s, I found a way to turn my obsession with the future into a career—helping companies think ahead as an innovation consultant in New York. Ever since, I’ve been known as a purveyor of ideas, helping clients navigate uncertainty and turn possibilities into growth.

But today, the future feels different. Economic uncertainty has made many businesses more cautious. Nonprofits are navigating day by day, and startups are under intense pressure to prove value before anyone bets on them. The instinct is to narrow the focus, double down on today, and push the future aside.

I get it. But I also think that’s a mistake. Because while staying focused on what’s directly in front of you is essential, true growth comes from looking one step ahead.

That’s why I advocate for the 3 Horizons Approach—a method that balances immediate execution with longer-term exploration. It ensures you’re not just iterating on what works now but actively building relevance for what comes next.

At any stage, the breakdown should remain consistent:

*70% on the now → delivering, refining, executing.

*20% on the near-term → testing new ideas, exploring adjacencies.

*10% on the future → experimenting with what could be next.

Startups, in particular, thrive on this mindset. Yes, ship the MVP. Yes, learn fast. But don’t get stuck building for today’s market at the expense of tomorrow’s growth.

On a personal level, I’m trying (as all the mindfulness gurus suggest) to “enjoy the present.” But let’s be honest: future me is always more rested, richer, more fulfilled, and, ironically, even more present.