The dog days of the quarter

I would like to get to a point where we don’t have to worry much about quarterly goals anymore. But for now, it makes sense that we keep quarterly and more short-term goals to ensure the company is headed in the right direction.

In almost every quarter, there’s always a period that feels like a bit of a lull. I call them the dog days of the quarter and it usually happens in the middle of the quarter.

The beginning of the quarter is usually about resting a bit and then cleaning up after the last quarter. We do a lot more strategic planning after the quarter ends and I try to take my vacations then, if possible.

The end of the quarter is almost always a sprint. Most of it is because of the nature of the business as companies tend to change 409As or enter into blackout periods at the end of quarters. For one reason or another, deals tend to get announced during this time too so perhaps the VC world moves at the same time frame.

As we sit right now in the middle of the quarter, we almost always fall in a bit of a quiet period that can be stressful. Things are moving but much slower than we’d like. There’s not a ton of urgency. For this reason, it can be a bit of a dangerous time. Especially given the middle of the winter, it can be really easy to be lazy and just relax a bit.

However, quarterly goals are made or broken during this period. It’s arguably the most important time for us to stay focused and lock in. This is the period when the groundwork is really set to close out the quarter strong. Whether that is taking care of lingering tasks so they aren’t distractions during the busy times, or working on strategic initiatives, the “dog days of the quarter” present a great opportunity for those who can seize it.