What’s the one piece of consulting-style advice you wish you had when you started to build your first business?

When I look back at some of my first business attempts, I realize I jumped straight into “doing” without much structure. No real positioning, no clarity on who the customer was, barely a financial plan, just building and hoping it would work out.

Consultants usually bring structure: frameworks for decision-making, assumptions to challenge, a way to see the bigger picture before diving into details.

So I’m curious if you could go back and give yourself one piece of consulting-style advice (whether about strategy, positioning, pricing, planning, etc.), what would it be?