Embrace Bottom Up Thinking: Building Your Business
Like many entrepreneurs, part of the reason I started my business was to finally get to do things my way. Not just because being in control of your work and your time feels good, but because my brain doesn’t work like most people’s.
You see, I’m what’s called a “Bottom-Up Thinker”. Bottom-up thinking describes the process my brain goes through when working on a project or solving a problem.
Typically, people will think through these sorts of things from their top-level goals and then break down those goals into smaller projects, and then into tasks. That’s what “Top-Down Thinking “ is.
For “Bottom-Up Thinkers”, like me, we do the opposite! We look at all of the details first, then start to see the steps take shape and finally, we’ll see the final goal come into focus once the details are all figured out.
And since this is a less typical way of approaching projects, I thought it would be interesting for you to see a glimpse into how I’ve shaped my business to work for my brain and my “Bottom-Up Thinking”!
Bottom Up vs Top Down Thinking
Bottom-up thinking is a cognitive process where one starts with specific details and gradually builds up to a larger concept or idea. In contrast, top-down thinking begins with overarching goals or concepts and breaks them down into smaller, manageable parts.
Bottom-up thinkers thrive on understanding the fine details first before seeing the bigger picture take shape, while top-down thinkers prefer starting from the general vision and then elaborating on the specifics. Both approaches have their merits depending on the individual's cognitive style, the nature of the task at hand, and possibly their neurodivergence. However, in today's constantly changing business landscape, adaptability is becoming increasingly important, especially in industries such as software engineering and product design. This is where the bottom-up approach, embraced by software developers, shines, as it allows for flexibility and adjustment as needed. Embracing bottom-up thinking and utilizing modules can help businesses stay agile and thrive in the face of uncertainty, making it the best choice for success.
Neurodivergent business owners and bottom up vs top down processing
In the realm of business strategy, the dichotomy between bottom-up and top-down thinking serves as a fascinating lens through which to explore cognitive processes. While top-down thinking sets the stage with overarching objectives, bottom-up thinking meticulously pieces together details to form a coherent whole. For neurodivergent business owners, understanding how their unique cognitive styles influence decision-making can be pivotal in shaping the success of their ventures and recognizing the major differences between top-down and bottom-up management processes.
While I don't want to generalize that any specific "flavor" of neurodivergence is more or less likely to be a bottom down vs top down thinker, it does seem as if there are more detail focused bottom-up thinkers amongst us neurodivergent folk as a whole.
While neurotypical business owners tend to love goal setting and big-picture planning, those of us who excel in detailed analysis and creative thinking should feel empowered to leverage our strengths by leaning into our bottom-up approach to prioritize thorough comprehension before moving on to strategic planning if that works better for our brains and processes.
In a world that increasingly values diversity and inclusion, recognizing and embracing different thinking styles such as bottom-up processing can lead to richer insights, more robust strategies, and ultimately, greater success in the competitive landscape of entrepreneurship.
What does the Bottom Up approach look like in action?
As I mentioned earlier, “Bottom-Up Thinking” is where your brain naturally wants to focus on all of the details first before forming a clear picture of what those details add up to. Often we “Bottom-Up Thinkers” are neurodivergent and can be very creative problem solvers because we see the world through a different lens than most, utilizing visual information to form our unique perspectives.
In my business, my “Bottom-Up Thinking” is most obvious in how I approach creating new content or products. Once I have an idea for a new offer, I’ll start being flooded with lots of thoughts around the details of how I’ll run this offer, what would be included, how I’ll sell it, what price it could be ect… Basically all of the details about what the offer “is” bubble up at once. And I’ll jot all of these ideas down into a massive, disorganized to-do list, using tools like Google Docs to keep track of my thoughts and ideas.
Then I’ll start digging into some research about those elements of the new offer. If it might need me to use a new tool, I’ll start researching what options are out there, how they work, their pricing ect… This can be a very fun, but time-consuming part of the process and is something I try to put some limitations on for myself so I don’t spend too long in the research phase.
At this point, I’ll start to see the larger shape of the new offer coming into focus, but I won’t have a big-picture overview of how it fits into my business or any specific goals associated with it.
Then with that larger picture view a little clearer, I’ll start to gut-check this new offer against my values, energy levels, capacity and overall excitement. This is really where I decide if I’ll actually pursue this idea or not. So if after seeing all of the details laid out I realize it’s going to be far too demanding on my time, or won’t fit with my values as a business owner, or I’m just not as enthusiastic about it after seeing what sort of work I’d be getting myself in to, I’ll let it go. But if it does still spark my imagination, fits with how I want to run this business and I have the energy and time to do it, I’ll go for it and start working on organizing and executing on the to-do list I’ve created earlier in the process.
How I’ve shaped my business to accommodate my bottom-up thinking style
As you might be able to see after that glimpse into my thought process, it’s not exactly the way most of the gurus and educators on these online business streets teach about creating offers, managing your projects or setting up your systems.
So I had to invent my own systems and processes to accommodate my unique brain!
Some of the accommodations I make in my business:
No goal setting
I don’t do goal-setting at all for my business 😱 I know most business coaches really encourage setting financial goals for launches, audience growth goals for lead generation efforts and a whole bevy of other numbers & dream scenarios to reach for. But personally, I never found those goals helpful. Because I don’t think about the end goal when working on a new project.
I’m far more interested in the process: in creating the thing, how it feels to deliver the thing, how I can be creative in specific areas of my business. And goals just never fit in with that, so I just don’t set them… and it seems to be working out just fine!
Reduced deadlines
Since my brain focuses on details before examining if an idea is going to be a good fit for me and my business, I don’t set myself deadlines for projects I’m working on. This means I don’t pre-sell products before I make them. I prefer to create an M.V.P. (Minimal Viable Product) version of my offer and launch that at an attractive beta or early bird price once it’s ready. This takes the pressure off me having to create on a specific timeline which works very well with my fluctuating energy & schedule. It also means I don’t rush myself into offering things I haven’t fully evaluated if I actually want to sell yet.
White space
I need a lot of blank space in my calendar to let my brain process all of these details that flood in when I have a new idea. So I try to keep my calendar as clear as possible and use my Elastic Planning method to adapt my schedule as needed when new ideas pop up or projects pass the green light and I want to get started on the creation process. This approach is also great for accommodating my own needs and the needs of my family, without me feeling like I’m constantly falling behind. This white space in my schedule allows for clarity and focus, leading to increased productivity and creativity.
Lots of reminders
Since I can get a bit lost in the details and adore a research deep-dive, I do find that if left unchecked I can spend far more time on those stages than I’d like. So I like to set myself non-stress-inducing reminders to keep tabs on my time. My favorites are having a written task list right next to my computer with the various things I need to get done to move my projects forward. This gentle visual reminder is great for pulling my focus back to some of the other priorities at hand.
I also like snoozing emails regarding a certain project, particularly collaborative projects that require me to work with someone else. This feels like a little nudge to get back to that person or work on whatever they might need when it pops into my inbox in the morning but isn’t so pushy that I feel stressed if I can’t do it that day.
Regular gut-checks
Perhaps the most important accommodation I’ve made for myself in my business is implementing regular check-ins with myself about how I’m feeling about running my business. This can look like a chat with my business bestie Olivia, reflecting to my wonderful husband or simply thinking to myself. I like to check in on a few specific parts of my business that I know are common culprits for stress for me: my schedule, my task load, my energy levels, and my excitement. If any one of those four things is out of wack, I’ll take some serious time to dive into what it’s been going on and start brainstorming ideas for how I could improve moving forward.
And then, like a true “Bottom-Up Thinker” I’ll start listing out all of the steps and details of what I could do differently, research them a bunch and form them into some sort of semi-solid plan before evaluating again if that is indeed the right move to help alleviate my overwhelm.
Ideas to help you shape your business to better suit your thinking style
Perhaps you’ve already gleaned some ideas you want to try out from reading about my own accommodations, but I’d like to share some prompts to help you explore further how you can adapt your own business to suit your brain a little better:
Look at your own natural processes
Putting aside any workflows, frameworks or systems you’ve learned, take a look at how you intuitively approach problem-solving. It might be easiest to look at something outside of your business if you’ve taken part in a lot of outside learning.
When faced with a problem, no matter how small, what is your natural first step? Do you start with the big picture goals or do you examine the details?
What makes you feel stressed
Stress is a very helpful human response that tells us what we find difficult or scary. And we certainly can’t avoid stress as business owners. But I think it can be very helpful to look at what, in particular, causes YOU stress in your business.
Do deadlines make you panic so much that you’re no longer productive? Perhaps it’s time to look at some less rigid accountability solutions to help you get things done!
Or do you find client feedback really challenging to take on board? It might be time to look at your project workflow and build up some better boundaries about how you ask for and receive feedback.
Where do you light up?
Just as important as looking at what makes you feel stressed is looking at the types of work that really fuels you. Narrowing in on not just the type of work but HOW you work best can be a huge help as you consider the types of projects you take on and how you approach that work. I have a bonus lesson in my Elastic Planning course that talks about how I’ve gamified my own approach to productivity using my “Dessert First” methodology and Asana's workflow management software.
Final thoughts
Learning how your brain works and how you naturally approach problem-solving can be the key to building a business that truly works for you. Instead of trying to squeeze yourself into someone else’s framework, I’d like to encourage you to think differently about how you put together your processes by leaning into the way your brain is fundamentally wired.
If you’d like to learn more about my flexible approach to project planning, do check out my Elastic Planning course which walks through my highly adaptable system that helps you remain productive while accommodating your real-life circumstances.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between top-down and bottom-up thinkers?
Top-down thinkers are individuals who prefer to start with the big picture or overall concept and then work their way down to the details. They focus on the broader strategy or objective before delving into specific tasks or actions.
On the other hand, bottom-up thinkers are individuals who like to begin with the details, facts, or specific elements and then gradually build up to a larger conclusion or understanding. They tend to analyze information piece by piece and use these details to form a bigger perspective.
In essence, top-down thinkers emphasize starting with the end goal or main idea and then breaking it down into smaller components, while bottom-up thinkers prioritize examining individual parts first before synthesizing them into a comprehensive whole. Both thinking styles have their strengths and can be valuable in different contexts.
What's an example of bottom-up processing?
Imagine walking into a room you have never been in before. As you enter, your eyes take in all the visual information around you - the colors, shapes, and patterns of the furniture and decor. This sensory information is then transmitted to your brain where it is processed by the visual cortex. The brain then uses this information to form a perception of the room - its size, layout, and contents.
In this example, bottom-up processing starts with sensory input from the environment and works its way up to perception. It does not rely on prior knowledge or expectations about what should be in the room. Instead, it takes in all of the available sensory information and uses that to create a perception.
Advantages of Bottom-Up Processing
One advantage of bottom-up processing is that it allows for a more objective and detailed analysis of information. By starting with raw sensory data and building up to perception, this approach can lead to a more accurate understanding of the environment or problem at hand. Additionally, bottom-up processing can help uncover unexpected patterns or insights that might be overlooked with a top-down approach that relies more heavily on preconceived notions or expectations. However, it is important to also consider the disadvantages of bottom-up processing, such as potential biases or limitations in the data.
Balancing Top-Down and Bottom-Up Approaches for Optimal Results
Finding the perfect equilibrium between top-down and bottom-up thinking can revolutionize your business strategy. By blending top-level directives with grassroots innovation, you can harness the power of both approaches to drive creativity and efficiency. This hybrid approach, also known as a combination of top-down and bottom-up thinking, allows for strategic guidance from upper management while leveraging the insights and expertise of individual team members. Embracing the best approach for your team or business, which balances top-down and bottom-up thinking, can lead to greater clarity and fewer misunderstandings, resulting in a more adaptable and successful business model that aligns with company goals.
While it may not be possible to master both approaches, it's important to recognize your own processing style and not only optimize for your own efficiency but also learn where to outsource or optimize for those areas you're less comfortable with. Personally, as a bottom-up thinker, details and execution are my strong suit while large-scale planning is often something I do best in collaboration with a coach.
Effective Communication in Bottom-Up Processes
Effective communication is crucial for bottom-up thinkers, especially when collaborating with a team since we tend to get very comfortable with the details of a project but may not automatically align those details with big-picture plans without clear communication.
What is a bottom-up marketing strategy?
A bottom-up marketing strategy focuses on building brand awareness and attracting customers through individual interactions and grassroots efforts, rather than relying solely on traditional top-down marketing methods. This approach involves engaging directly with consumers, creating personalized experiences, and leveraging word-of-mouth promotion to drive interest and sales for a product or service. By starting at the "bottom" with individual customers and gradually building a loyal customer base, businesses can create a strong foundation for sustainable growth and success in the market, making it a key difference from top-down marketing strategies. This approach is also commonly used in public health campaigns, where local health workers work directly with the community members to address specific health challenges and promote healthcare initiatives, highlighting the importance of bottom-up thinking in both business and public health. Additionally, this approach can also be applied to investment management, where individual portfolio managers make decisions based on their research and analysis, contributing to the overall performance of the fund. Embracing bottom-up thinking and involving the entire team in decision-making processes in both marketing and investment management can lead to success and growth in various industries.
