Sunday, July 12, 2026

Behind on your 2026 goals? Try this.

Before we get started…

This week's newsletter is all about what to do when you're behind on your 2026 goals, and specifically, how to diagnose WHY you're behind so you know whether to double down on your plan or scrap it and start over.

But if you want to see the operating system that keeps our portfolio companies from falling behind in the first place, you need to check out this video I just posted…

…because that's the part that's NOT covered in today's issue.

And if you like this newsletter and you want my help implementing any of these systems in your business (so your second half beats your first), you can get the details and apply to work with me here .

Ok, back to this week's issue…

Welcome To Your 2026 Mid-Year Reset

Well, 2026 is half-over, and you know what that means…

It's time to hold your big, ambitious January goals up against 6 months of actual results and decide how you’re going to invest the second half of the year.

If things are going great, the answer is easy: stick with the current plan and double-down on what’s working.

But what if the plan isn’t working?
What if you’re behind?
What if you’re WAY behind?

Do you?

Stick with the current plan (and risk burning cash, morale, and six more months in the process.) Or…
Throw out the plan entirely (and risk abandoning a perfectly good strategy when the fix was something simple.)

The answer is rarely obvious. For example…

Most of our companies are on track. That one's easy: stay with the plan.

A few are ahead of plan, which is even more fun…figure out what's working better than expected and double down on it.

But many are behind. In some cases, WAY behind.

Which is why the #1 question I've been asked by clients and portfolio company CEOs over these past few weeks is:

"Do we double down on the plan…or throw it out and start over?"

Since I couldn't reply to everyone individually, I'm responding to everyone all at once in this week’s issue (which means you’re getting the exact same advice my executive leaders are getting).

Three Reasons “Good” Plans Fail

All plans fail for exactly three (3) reasons:

Failure of Effort
Failure of Execution
Failure of Assumption

…and it’s critical that you diagnose your plan in that order: Effort first, then Execution, then (and only then) Assumption.

That's because your team will point the finger at the plan ("Failure of Assumption"), because that pushes the blame upstream.

You, on the other hand, will be tempted to point the finger at your team’s effort, because that means your plan survives.

For this to work, we have to eliminate this bias… which is why sequence matters.

To demonstrate, we're going to bake a cake. (Stick with me.)

Failure #1: Failure of Effort

You have the right plan and all the pieces are in place…you're just not pushing hard enough. You’re not applying enough “heat.”

In cake terms: the recipe is good and you have all the ingredients you need, but you set the oven to 200 instead of 375.

The question you need to ask is: "Did we actually work the plan?"

Not "did we try hard." Did the specific activity the plan called for actually happen? A few follow-up questions to pressure-test your answer:

Could the current team, with current resources, hit this goal if it were their only priority? (Because if the answer is yes, this is an Effort problem. Full stop.)
How many other initiatives is this same team carrying? (Because heat spread across six pans bakes nothing.)
When did leadership last review the scoreboard? (Because if nobody's looked at the number since January, the plan didn't fail…it was abandoned.)

But here's the wrinkle: effort has two dials…intensity and duration. Sometimes the oven is plenty hot, you just need to let the cake bake a little longer.

For example, one of our portfolio companies had a sales team that was supposed to be making 50 outbound calls a day to qualified prospects. When we finally pulled the CRM report, the average was 32.

The team wasn’t slacking on purpose. The problem is that no one was watching or reporting on the inputs, so there was no accountability.

The fix was simple: have the sales manager post everyone’s call counts where the whole team could see them.

No new plan. No new hires. Just more heat… more intensity.

For another one of our clients, the problem was duration. This client launched a content and SEO play back in January, but after 6 months, sales were still flat and he was ready to abandon the plan.

Fortunately, when we looked more closely into his Company Scorecard, we could see that organic traffic and leads were up 15% month over month and rankings were climbing.

The recipe wasn’t the problem (and the oven was set to the right temp)… the cake just needed to bake a little longer.

If your leading indicators are improving month over month at a believable slope, don't reset the plan…reset the deadline.

⚠️ One warning before you diagnose duration: "It just needs more time" is also the #1 rationalization of founders doubling down on doomed plans. If you gave it 60 more days and the toothpick would come out looking exactly the same, that's not a duration problem… that's denial. (And probably a Failure of Assumption you don't want to admit. More on that in a minute.)

The verdict: Double down. Crank up the intensity with more accountability, visibility, resources, and/or time. DO NOT change the plan itself.

Failure #2: Failure of Execution

You have the right plan…you're just missing one or more critical ingredients such as a person, tool, technology, or budget.

In cake terms: the recipe is good, but you forgot to add an egg so your batter is a sticky, sloppy mess.

The question you need to ask is: "Would this plan be working if we had _____."

If the blank is specific and procurable (a new team member, a software integration, $30K a month in ad budget), you've got an Execution problem because a missing ingredient can be acquired.
If the blank is vague ("momentum," "better luck," "a stronger bench"), that's not an ingredient…that's a feeling. Keep digging until you find the missing “egg.”

For example, a founder I know had a plan to launch a new service line in Q1. Unfortunately, a critical hire fell through, which meant he had to handle all the fulfillment himself while working nights and weekends.

This caused sales to stall (because he could no longer focus on lead generation activities), so he asked me if he should pivot his plan and bring on a new marketing agency to solve his "demand problem."

“No, dummy,” I told him. “Your original plan was correct. You just need to re-hire for the role that fell through so you can get out of fulfillment and focus back on sales.”

The missing “egg” wasn’t marketing… the missing “egg” was fulfillment.

At one of my own companies, we nearly abandoned a plan to increase our average customer value all because our engineering team never shipped a critical upsell feature in our shopping cart.

We all assumed we had an offer problem, when in reality we had a technology problem.

The lesson? Identify the real missing egg (or eggs), and don’t stop digging until everyone agrees what it is

The verdict: Keep the plan. Make procuring the missing ingredient the new priority, and reset the timeline as needed. Pause the clock…don't tear up the recipe.

Failure #3: Failure of Assumption

You have the wrong plan. You believed something that turned out not to be true, or you failed to factor in something you didn't know would be an issue.

In cake terms: you baked a flawless cake…but everyone at the party is gluten-free.

The question you need to ask is: "Knowing everything we know today, is this the plan we would have chosen?"

If the honest answer is no, you're not defending a strategy…you're defending a sunk cost.

Here are a few follow-up questions to help you confirm:

What did we believe back in January that we now know isn't true?
What did we not consider back in January that we now know is true?
Would more resources and effort make this work, or would it just make us fail more expensively?

Failures of Assumption come in two flavors (and it's worth telling them apart because the lessons are different):

Flavor #1: It was never going to work…you just didn't have the data yet.

One of our past portfolio companies manufactured industrial liquid filters, and the plan was to start selling to municipalities. Big market, real demand, solid product.

One problem: selling to municipalities required an additional certification we didn't have…and didn't know we needed. We found that out AFTER months of work and nearly $100K in media and outreach.

Could we have gotten certified? Sure…eventually. But that's a different plan with different math. The original plan was never going to work. We just couldn't see it in January.

Same with a founder I know who launched a $99/month self-serve tier assuming customers would onboard themselves. They signed up just fine…then churned at 20% a month because the product needed hand-holding.

Flawless execution of a flawed belief.

The lesson here isn't "try harder next time." It's to pressure-test your critical assumptions BEFORE you spend $100K and 6 months on them.

Flavor #2: It would have worked…but the world shifted.

An ecommerce brand I know built their 2025 plan on the previous year’s average landed costs. Then tariffs jumped, COGS rose 30%, and the unit economics that made the plan work no longer existed.

Another agency owner had a brilliant plan to roll out a productized software solution this year. Unfortunately, they lost their biggest client unexpectedly, and the cash earmarked for the rollout had to go to backfilling revenue instead.

Neither plan was wrong when it was written.

Mike Tyson had it right when he said…

“Everyone has a plan until they get punched in the face.”

-Mike Tyson

And here's the interesting part: these plans might work again if conditions revert. But for now, you have to operate in the reality that exists…not the one you planned for.

The verdict: Reset. New goal, new plan…and explain to your team exactly where your assumptions were off. Don't burn yourself or your people out on an impossible mission, and don't pretend the old target still counts.

Missing a goal is never fun, but if you learn from your failure, you can live to fight another day…smarter than you were before.

But if you fail and don't learn, you fail twice.

The first step to learning from failure is understanding why it happened in the first place: Effort, Execution, or Assumption.

So…which one is it for you?

⚡️ Action Step: Pick the ONE 2026 goal you're furthest behind on, block 30 minutes this week, and run the three gates in order:

Did we actually work the plan? If not, that's Effort…post the scoreboard and clear the calendar. If yes, can we name the specific missing ingredient? That's Execution…make getting the "egg" your new #1 priority and reset the timeline. If nothing's missing and the results still didn't come, that's Assumption…reset the goal, rewrite the plan, and tell your team exactly what you got wrong.

Whatever you do, don't spend the second half of the year running a failing plan you haven’t diagnosed.

Give it a shot and let me know how it works…

-Ryan

Ryan Deiss
Co-Founder and CEO, The Scalable Company

P.S. One way to avoid the “Oh crap, we’re way behind on our annual plan…” issue is to switch from annual planning to a quarterly sprint planning cadence. Here’s how we do that...

P.P.S. I'm looking for 5 business owners who want to work 1-on-1 with my team and me to install a custom "operating system" (so you can hit your goals without getting stuck in the day-to-day). Click here for the details.

Quick Hits

Here’s some other content from the Scalable network, plus some other cool stuff I liked and thought you might like, too:

Tool of the Week: This free 12Q Planning Canvas helps you set a clear 3-year revenue and profit target, then work backward to the exact growth rate you need each quarter. (Download the Template)
Free Training: How To Manage Your Time Like a Top 1% Entrepreneur (YouTube)
How to break free from “Founder Identity Debt.” (Business Lunch Podcast)
Here are 8 “silly little tools” that help me scale. (LinkedIn)
60 seconds on why business owners are some of the loneliest people on Earth…and what you can do about it. (Instagram)

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Joshua Baer Crash Report Released, Wemby Staying Put, and a DoorDash Driver's Commitment

Sunday, July 12, 2026

Good Morning! On this day in 1870, Kiowa Chief Kicking Bird outfought a U.S. cavalry force at the Battle of the Little Wichita River in present-day Archer County. He never fought again.

In case you missed it, this week on The Flyover Podcast, Amy broke down the five retirement mistakes that quietly derail people after the paycheck stops. A new Nationwide study found more than half of recent retirees regret how they planned, and the culprits usually aren't the ones you'd expect. From the luck of when the market turns to the quiet discomfort of spending your own savings, Amy walked through what trips people up and how to sidestep it before it costs you. Tune in here!

It’s easy to overlook what happens behind prison walls, but for thousands across Texas, it’s where they’re searching for a fresh start. Access to hope, guidance, and purpose can change everything. That’s what today’s partner, Prison Fellowship, is helping make possible.

NTSB Details Deadly Laredo Jet Crash

Both engines on a business jet flamed out on final approach to Laredo, forcing the crew to crash-land on a highway, a preliminary National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) report released Friday found.

The NetJets-operated jet was flying from Los Cabos, Mexico, to Austin on June 16 when the crew noticed an "unusual vibration." Warnings of low fuel pressure and cascading failures followed as it neared the border.

Cleared to divert to Laredo International, the jet lost its right engine on approach and then its left. A controller said their only option was "the main highway," and they set down on Loop 20, shearing light poles and hitting a pickup.

The crash killed Joshua Baer, the Austin entrepreneur who founded Capital Factory. Five others survived, though the pilot was seriously hurt.

Cabbage Shipment Hid $10.8M in Narcotics

Customs officers at the Pharr border crossing found nearly 1,200 pounds of narcotics, worth about $10.8 million, hidden inside a tractor-trailer supposedly hauling cabbage.

The seizure happened July 6 at the Pharr International Bridge after a drug-sniffing dog and an X-ray scan flagged the trailer, U.S. Customs and Border Protection said. Officers pulled 477 packages from the load.

Agents seized the drugs, the truck, and the cabbage. Pharr, in the Rio Grande Valley, is one of the busiest produce gateways on the border, and smugglers routinely hide narcotics in shipments of fruit and vegetables.

Pharr's port director said the interception showed his officers' round-the-clock vigilance against drug smuggling.

DoorDash Driver Hit, Finishes Delivery

A Houston DoorDash driver was struck by a car fleeing police, dusted herself off, and carried the food to the customer's door anyway.

Doorbell cameras captured the grey sedan clipping the driver in Houston's Greenspoint area as officers gave chase. The suspect, 34-year-old Torrance Whitaker, kept running, hopping backyard fences before a police K-9 dragged him out of the bushes.

Whitaker was wanted for burglary and had fled a traffic stop, court documents show. He now faces an aggravated assault charge for hitting the driver.

The driver, who asked not to be named, said she is sore but has no broken bones. Lily Portillo, whose camera caught the crash, had one wish for her: "She needs a big tip."

Flying together with our sponsor

Thousands of incarcerated men and women are searching for a second chance, a sense of purpose, and a way forward. With 150 facilities in Texas — including state prisons and county jails that utilize Angel Tree, Academy, Grow, and/or Lead programs.

Through Prison Fellowship, you can help meet that need in a simple but powerful way: by placing a Bible into their hands. These aren’t just books. They’re often the first step toward transformation, offering guidance, forgiveness, and a new perspective on life.

Your gift helps deliver God’s Word directly to prisoners who may have never had access to it before. It’s a tangible way to bring hope into one of the hardest places to find it.

Send a Bible

➤ Dallas: The city closed City Hall, public libraries, and other municipal offices Friday for the first of three mandatory furlough days, part of its response to a budget shortfall. Residents were confused to find locked doors at city buildings, and employees are bracing for more unpaid days ahead. (More)

➤ Houston: On Friday, Mayor John Whitmire and the Harris County district attorney demanded an independent investigation into the deadly ICE shooting of Lorenzo Salgado Araujo in the East End. Surviving passengers dispute the agents' account of the July 7 shooting. (More)

➤ Austin: City leaders proposed a $6.6 billion budget that would raise taxes and trim social service contracts, parks, and public health programs. The cuts follow voters' defeat of Proposition Q and open weeks of difficult council decisions. (See Details)

➤ Conroe: A Conroe man was billed for catheters and wound supplies he never ordered, part of what the FBI calls one of the biggest Medicare frauds in history, a $3.7 billion scheme. Ibrahim Hilmi, 58, was arrested in Turkey as prosecutors say his shell companies funneled payments overseas. (See Details)

➤ Houston: Widespread rain and a first street-flooding threat arrive today across the metro's eastern cities, with the heaviest storms and rain totals of 2 to 3 inches expected Monday and Tuesday. (See Details)

➤ Bexar County: University Health will open two hospitals in fast-growing parts of Bexar County that officials call "healthcare deserts," with both slated for the first half of 2027. (See Details)

Enjoy reading The Texas Flyover? Click here to share with your friends and family.

➤ San Antonio Spurs star Victor Wembanyama agreed to a five-year, $252 million maximum rookie-scale extension that includes a player option for the final season. "Spurs family, I'm here to stay," he posted on social media. (More)

➤ The Dallas Wings defeated the expansion Toronto Tempo 108-95 on Friday night at Montreal’s Bell Centre, where 20,996 fans set a WNBA regular-season attendance record. (More)

➤ Dallas police released body-camera footage showing a tense credentials dispute between an officer and members of Egypt’s national team at a downtown hotel ahead of the country’s World Cup match in Arlington. (More)

➤ Fort Worth Christian shortstop Grady Emerson was selected No. 2 overall by the Tampa Bay Rays in Saturday’s MLB Draft, while the Washington Nationals took Texas A&M second baseman Chris Hacopian with the No. 11 pick. (See Picks)

➤ Yesterday’s Results: World Cup | MLB | Wimbledon | Golf | WNBA

Flying together with our sponsor

➤ Still Brushing the Old-Fashioned Way? Sonic Glow cleans your entire mouth in just 30 seconds with thousands of sonic bristle movements, making it a great option for anyone who wants an easier, more effective routine, especially if dexterity is a challenge. See why so many people are making the switch today.(More)

Flying together with our sponsor

For many inmates, receiving a Bible is a turning point. It opens the door to reflection, faith, and a renewed sense of direction during a difficult chapter of life.

If you’ve ever wanted to make a direct, personal impact, this is one of the clearest ways to do it.

Help place a Bible into the hands of someone in Texas today.

Send a Bible

➤ Lubbock band Blackwater Draw released a tribute song, Dear Eloise, honoring the 27 girls lost in the Camp Mystic flood. Member Cami Caldwell wrote it after being struck by a photo of 8-year-old victim Eloise Peck. (More)

➤ 979 Nutrition marked three years in downtown Bryan on Saturday with a free community wellness event featuring fitness classes, local vendors, and refreshments at its storefront. (More)

➤ A dog that slipped away during a stop at the Bastrop Buc-ee's is home again after an animal control officer scanned its microchip and reached the owner. The city is rolling out new scanners and a public microchip station to reunite lost pets faster. (More)

Flying together with our sponsor

➤ Statins May Be Helping… and Hurting. Statins are meant to protect your heart — but they can also block something your body desperately needs. CoQ10 fuels every cell, from your brain to your muscles. As you age, or if you take statins, your CoQ10 levels can plummet up to 40% — leaving you tired, foggy, and drained. Click here to discover the right form of CoQ10 you need to support your today. Learn more

The following stories are featured exclusively on The Flyover Podcast—a daily show that gives you the most important headlines in under 15 minutes, straight from the heart of the country. Clicking the link will take you directly to these stories:

➤ This tiny implant may change weight-loss treatment for months at a time. (Hear More)

➤ Humanoid robots successfully performed surgery and stunned medical researchers. (Listen Now)

➤ One child's kindness sparked an incredible neighborhood tradition. (Podcast Available)

The Elissa was the oldest ship included in the Sail4th parade in New York City on July 4. Before she became a Galveston historical landmark, the tall ship had a fascinating history.