"Read the directions

and directly you will be directed

in the right direction.”

• Lewis Carroll

  

  Survival in Business (and on the Mountain) Comes Down to This

  Ben Nevis. The highest mountain in the UK. A steady, unrelenting climb from the valley floor of Glen Nevis, where the air is crisp, and the view stretches for miles. Down there, everything feels manageable. The path is clear, the temperature comfortable. But as you ascend, things change.

  The wind picks up. The air cools. With every step, the landscape shifts. Patches of snow begin to appear, remnants from winter that never quite leave. Higher still, the cloud descends, wrapping itself around the mountain like a thick, grey curtain. You walk into it, and just like that—visibility starts to go. The world shrinks to a few metres in front of you. The horizon disappears.

  By the time you reach the summit, it's eerily quiet. A rocky plateau with just a trig point and an emergency shelter to mark your place. And if you didn’t know any better, you might assume that heading west—downhill—was the quickest way back to safety.

  That assumption could kill you.

  The Summit: A Moment of Uncertainty

  I’ve been at the top of Ben Nevis and looked around thinking, Which way did I come to get here?

  For me, that’s an unnerving experience. I pride myself on knowing where I am and which direction to go. But in low visibility, when everything is greyed out, it’s easy to second-guess yourself.

  That’s why before I even start the climb, I prepare for this moment.

  • I write down the exact compass bearing I’ll need to follow.

  • I note the precise number of paces before I can safely turn west.

  • And while I carry a GPS, I prefer my map and compass—because mist and rain can weaken signals, and batteries don’t last forever.

  Because when you’re in the thick of it, having a plan you can trust is everything.

  And the plan is simple: Go south before going west.

  The Business Parallel: Why You Shouldn’t Just ‘Go West’

  In business, just like on the mountain, the obvious route isn’t always the safest.

  It’s easy to assume that:
  🚀 The fastest way to grow is to scale quickly.
  📈 The best marketing strategy is to copy what’s already working for others.
  💰 The smartest investment is the one that seems to promise the biggest returns.

  But sometimes, those paths lead straight into trouble.

  • Expanding too fast? That’s like walking west into the gully without checking conditions. What works for one business might be catastrophic for yours.

  • Blindly following a "proven" marketing strategy? That’s like trusting the map without understanding the terrain—it might not apply to your situation.

  • Investing in something because it looks like a shortcut? That’s stepping onto a snow cornice. You might not see the drop until it’s too late.

  The businesses that survive—and thrive—aren’t the ones that just follow the path. They’re the ones that:

  ✅ Check their bearings before charging ahead.
  ✅ Stay aware of hidden risks and adjust accordingly.
  ✅ Seek expert advice when the conditions are uncertain.

  Because knowing when to go south first—before heading west—can make all the difference.

  Final Thought: Where in Your Business Are You Heading ‘West’?

  Next time you’re making a decision—whether it’s marketing, hiring, or scaling—ask yourself:

  👉 Am I blindly following the map, or am I reading the terrain?
  👉 What risks might be hidden in the mist?
  👉 Is there a safer, smarter adjustment I should make first?

  The right route isn’t always the obvious one. And sometimes, just a small adjustment can save you from a whole world of trouble.

  So… where in your business might you need to rethink your route?

  Let me know in the comments—I’d love to hear your thoughts.

  🚀 Stay safe (and keep moving forward),
  Patrick Tarpey
  Magnitude

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