The structure creates the outcome

Last year felt like shedding.

Old identities, patterns, certain relationships that no longer felt aligned.

I realized I can’t carry everything forward.

So when arriving at a new year I thought: now what?

There’s a lot of noise around goals this time of year.

Outcomes. Targets. Revenue numbers.

Become more calm. 

Free up 10 hours a week. 

Improve member satisfaction to 8/10.

I’ve been thinking a lot about how often we chase the outcome… without redesigning the structure that produces it.

I was recently introduced to the work of Robert Fritz, author of The Path of Least Resistance.

One of his core ideas is simple but sharp:

Trying harder is all well and good, but you really create the life you want by building structures that make the result inevitable.

That distinction has been hitting home.

For years, I set outcome-based goals.

Be more present. Have more time. Improve leadership. Grow the business.

These are all valid. But they’re also all abstract.

None of them answer the question: what needs to change in the structure of my life for these things to happen?

A small example.

I used to say, “I’m going to go to the gym at 6am.”

But it was difficult.

I couldn’t do it consistently, because it was an outcome framed as a commitment.

Now I leave my phone outside the bedroom.

If I want my phone, I have to physically get out of bed. Once I’m up, I might as well go to the gym.

That single structural change has created consistency without friction.

Another was that I wanted to be a calmer, more present leader.

Instead of just holding that intention, I carved out 15 minutes every morning for meditation. 

And my ability to do this came from the previous structural change: the earlier wake time, phone outside the room, gym first.

That created space, giving me time to make the practice possible.

Calm isn’t the goal anymore.

Structure is.

In business, it’s the same.

As you probably know, we run Startup Cafe events with guest speakers through the KINN. 

Previously, the event manager reported directly to me. It meant constant context switching. Small decisions absorbing disproportionate energy.

The “goal” might have been: free up five hours a week.

The structural shift was: redesign the reporting line. The event manager now reports to someone else.

Instantly, time and headspace opened up.

I’ve also started using Granola to organize member experience meetings into folders and review them systematically with AI.

The outcome goal could be “improve satisfaction.”

The structural shift is capturing and analyzing feedback in a consistent way so patterns emerge. 

When the feedback loop strengthens, the experience improves as a byproduct.

This is the shift I’m leaning into this year.

Less obsession with the result.

More attention on the container.

Interestingly, this year in the lunar calendar is the Year of the Horse. Movement. Independence. Vitality. Finding your rhythm.

And rhythm comes from removing resistance, not pushing harder.

If something in your life feels heavy, ask yourself:

Is it a motivation problem?

Or is it a structure problem?

If you want to change your body, your leadership, your business, your energy, or a relationship…

What needs to be redesigned so the new behavior is the natural outcome?

Sometimes that means letting go of things that don’t fit anymore. Sometimes it means creating space before you know exactly what will fill it.

I’m working through this in real time with a new executive coach. It’s uncomfortable, but it’s clarifying.

It’s forcing me to think more systemically about how I operate, not just what I want.

And that feels like the real work.

Focusing on the structure that makes the outcome inevitable.

Talk soon,

Oliver

PS: If you’re a founder in LA and want to accelerate your path to finding product-market fit…

We just opened applications for our upcoming Go-To-Market Sprint Studio. 

It’s a 7-week training for you to run more rapid experiments than you have in the last year, and get crystal clear on how to take your product to market.

→ You can apply here

It’s limited to 10 founders, and we kick off March 30th.