Which Popular Business Advice Do You Think Is Overrated?

By The WAi Forward Team

We’ve all heard the classic business advice quotes. The kind that sound great on a podcast… but feel completely different when you’re actually in the trenches.

So here’s the SME roundtable question. What’s one popular business “rule” or piece of advice that you think is overrated or just plain wrong? 🤔

Maybe “follow your passion” didn’t pay the bills. Maybe “growth at all costs” nearly broke the business. Maybe “never say no to a client” turned into scope creep, burnout, and chaos.

I’ll Start

For me, one of the most overrated ones is “Never say no to a client.”

Early on, it feels like the safest move is saying yes to everything. Every project. Every request. Every “quick change”. Because you don’t want to lose the opportunity.

But in a small business, too many yeses can create a chain reaction. Scope creep, longer hours, blurred boundaries, rushed delivery, and eventually unhappy clients and an unhappy team.

Sometimes the smartest thing you can say is “Not right now.”

Or “That’s out of scope.”

Or “We can do it, but it changes the timeline and cost.”

It’s Not That the Advice Is Always Wrong

The funny part is, some advice clichés aren’t completely wrong. They’re just incomplete.

• “Follow your passion” can work… if there’s demand and you can deliver consistently.
• “Work harder than everyone else” can work… until you burn out.
• “Just delegate it” can work… if you actually have a system behind it.

Most of the time, founders don’t need “better motivation”. They need better clarity.

Over to You

Your turn. What business advice do you think is overrated?

Drop the phrase, then give a one-liner on why it didn’t work for you. I’m genuinely curious what comes up here.

One founder’s trash advice might be another founder’s favourite rule. Let’s compare notes. 👇

What’s your take? Let’s hear it in the comments.