How To Debrief Your Year Like A High Performing Founder

Most founders think a year-end review means checking revenue targets and setting new goals. They pull up old spreadsheets, tick boxes, and call it done. They miss the insights that could unlock massive growth.

But you’re not most founders. You’re on a mission that’s bigger than most can comprehend. Make your yearly debrief match your colossal ambition when you treat it like a critical operation and take it seriously. Dig deep, ask tough questions, and convert every lesson into fuel for your next chapter.

Don’t clock off for Christmas without a proper debrief. Start a brand new Google Sheet or keep it simple with a plain Word document. Add your notes somewhere they are easy to revisit as you have more realizations and turn your goals into plans for 2025.

Here’s how to do your year-end review properly.

Making sense of your year to unlock your next growth phase

Dig into your money metrics

Revenue tells half the story. Track where each dollar came from and went. Note which products sparked joy and which drained resources. Study your pricing strategy and profit margins. Break down what worked.

Go granular with customer segments and acquisition costs. Calculate lifetime value and retention trends. Your metrics work when they guide your next actions, not just fill reports.

Find your energy peaks

Track when your business flowed and when it stalled. Note the projects that lit up your team and the ones that burned them out. Map the seasons of growth against the flat spots. Look for what triggered each phase.

Check your personal peaks too. Score each month’s drive and focus. Conduct an energy audit and spot the success patterns that are already there.

Track your market moves

List every product launch and pivot point. Note customer reactions and competitor responses. Map where your industry headed and how you adapted. Pay attention to market signals you missed and those you grabbed with both hands.

Study feedback from your best and worst customers. Track complaints and compliments equally. Position yourself to find the opportunities that others ignore.

Rate your key experiments

Write down every test you ran. Score the wins, losses and draws. Note which bets paid off and which taught expensive lessons. Keep track of ideas you never tried. Study the timing of each attempt.

Measure return on every innovation attempt. Count costs and yields carefully. Review your decision making process at each stage. Make your learning compound faster than spending.

Build your power plays

Pick your biggest opportunities for next year. Map the resources needed to seize them. Note which skills need sharpening and which partnerships could help. Get specific about timing and triggers. Plan your first bold step.

List the changes that would transform your game. Set conditions for making big moves. Create backup plans for every scenario. Make every action link to clear outcomes.

Debriefing matters more than goal setting: do it right in 2024

A proper debrief turns your year of hustle into pure rocket fuel. Make time to do this right. Find somewhere quiet, grab your data, and start uncovering the gems. The realizations you have will set up your entire next chapter.