Suppose you are in a boat heading down a river, and there are rocks straight ahead. You might not be sure whether it is best to veer left or right, but you must pick one and put all your effort into it. Averaging the two choices is certain disaster.
(Source, as I recall, is Geoffrey Moore’s book Crossing the Chasm.)
A related metaphor that I like:
Suppose you are in a boat heading down a river, and there are rocks straight ahead. You might not be sure whether it is best to veer left or right, but you must pick one and put all your effort into it. Averaging the two choices is certain disaster.
(Source, as I recall, is Geoffrey Moore’s book Crossing the Chasm.)