PushPress Operating Tenant #2: Big Picture Thinkers
Strategic vision beats tactical firefighting all day, every day.
Estimated Read Time: 3 minutes
TLDR: Without a commitment to long term thinking, you are doomed to daily firefighting. At PushPress, we prioritize big picture thinking to create solutions that solve tomorrow's problems, not just today's. Businesses that create long term value for their customers must think about the future more than they think about today.
Recap: We Dropped Core Values for Operating Tenets
At PushPress, we recently ditched our Core Values in favor of Operating Tenants because we needed principles that would guide real actions, not just feel-good statements.
Today we focus on Tenant #2 - Big Picture Thinkers
What "Big Picture Thinkers" Really Means
Here's our definition:
"We think about the future, set bold long-term goals and work backward to achieve them. We challenge limitations and position PushPress and our clients for lasting success."
As a company, we seek create the future we envision - not just follow an industry haplessly into it.
I envision a world where PushPress clients have a clear and unfair market advantage over non-PushPress clients.
To do this requires bold thinking. We have to aim to do things that have not been done before. We must not be afraid to take calculated risks to deliver outsides outcomes to our clients.
Why This Matters to Our Business
In the gym software world, it's easy to get caught in a cycle of feature requests and quick fixes. But that approach leads to bloated products that solve yesterday's problems.
Instead, PushPress will:
Map the future of the gym industry 3-5 years out
Identify the core challenges gym owners will face
Build solutions that address root causes, not symptoms
Make investments that might not pay off immediately
Solve big problems in logical steps
We believe in setting the bar, not playing catch up. We want to shape the world in the lens that we see it.
Thus we require our team to think about where we want the world to go rather than where the world is today.
This is how we will ensure our clients will always have the most impactful software to run their businesses - and how we’ll avoid the endless trap of copying everything someone else does.
Short Term Thinking Traps
Since pain is immediate, it’s common for companies to solve for the short term and band aid pain as fast as possible.
Ultimately over time this creates a ball of band-aids that start to serve no one well.
I believe short term thinking turns into long term headwinds - which beget more short term thinking to overcome.
Instead we must think in the long term and execute towards that by taking short term steps. Every 14er or marathon is accomplished on step and one waypoint at a time.
What This Means for Your Gym
The gyms we see thriving long-term are thinking beyond next month's membership revenue. They're building businesses with staying power.
Here's what big picture thinking looks like in successful gyms:
1. They have a clear 3-5 year vision Not just "more members," but specifics: What size? What demographics? What reputation in the community? What additional revenue streams?
2. They build systems, not just workouts They document processes, create playbooks, and build infrastructure that allows the gym to run without the owner being present for every decision.
3. They make tough short-term trade-offs Sometimes this means saying no to quick revenue opportunities that don't align with their long-term direction.
4. They invest before it's urgent The best gyms hire their next coach before they're desperate, upgrade equipment on a schedule, and anticipate market changes rather than reacting to them.
The Hard Truth
Most gym owners are trapped in a cycle of tactical firefighting.
If you're:
Making decisions based primarily on this month's cash flow
Unable to take a week off without everything falling apart
Constantly reacting to competitors rather than charting your own path
Delaying investments you know you need to make
...then you're not thinking big picture.
Simple Ways to Build Big Picture Thinking in Your Gym
Ready to elevate your vision? Start here:
1. Schedule “Forest Time” If you spend a lot of your time in “the trees”, you need to create a space and time to spend in “the forest”. For me, it’s a local coffee shop from 4am - 8am. For you, maybe it’s a round of golf or a hike. The point is to make it a point to get 10,000 feet above your problems and think more deeply.
2. Consume content The fastest way to think better is to learn from people who have spent time where you want to be. Different viewpoints and experiences are the fastest way to change how you look at the same problems with different lenses. (start with our podcast, maybe?)
3. Create a long term strategic plan Where do you want your gym to be in 3-5 years? What are some key milestones to get there? What are potential obstacles?
4. Make decisions through a long-term lens For every major decision, ask: "How does this serve our long term vision?" not just "How does this affect next month?"
5. Build relationships before you need them The best gym owners are constantly networking with potential future coaches, business partners, and community allies – long before they need to call in those relationships. (One key thing I tell myself all the time: ‘always be recruiting’. Your ability to serve clients is built on great people buying into your vision, so never stop growing and sharing your vision)
The Bottom Line
At PushPress, we know the best way to serve gym owners isn't just to solve today's problems – it's to anticipate tomorrow's challenges and build solutions before they're needed.
The most successful gyms operate the same way. They don't just run great classes – they build systems, cultivate long-term relationships, and make decisions with the big picture in mind.
That's what we mean by big picture thinking. It's the difference between a gym that lasts for 18 months and one that thrives for decades.
Tomorrow’s Tenant: "Rationally Optimistic”