The Courage to Operationalize

Why systems, not just sparks, determine what lasts

Stephen Carter
September 08, 2025

Sometimes the difference between thriving and failing isn’t the idea itself — it’s whether you operationalize it.

Think about the classic movie rental company, Blockbuster. They weren’t short on ideas or capital. What they lacked was the courage to operationalize — to standardize and systematize new approaches fast enough to scale them. Netflix, on the other hand, built processes around experimentation. They operationalized agility, and that’s why they lasted while the other disappeared.

(As an aside: this isn’t just a convenient example. Right now, I’m working through the Netflix vs. Blockbuster case study with high school students. We use it as a way to wrestle with the idea of thriving in disruption — asking what separated Netflix from Blockbuster, and how companies can stay adaptable in the face of massive change. It’s a powerful conversation, and it’s not just for business. Schools themselves could benefit from asking those same questions. What do we need to operationalize to not just survive disruption, but thrive in it? Reach out to me if you want to learn more about using this case study.)

This is a lesson not just for businesses, but for schools.

I see it often: a teacher sparks something innovative in the classroom, or a group of students launches a business that captures the imagination of the whole community. But unless that energy is captured in systems, training, and clear expectations, it fades when the original leaders graduate or move on.

Operationalizing is about creating a legacy of excellence. It’s about ensuring success doesn’t rest on one person — it’s baked into the culture.

As we build entrepreneurship programs in schools, we create a pathway for students to learn the process of operationalizing in real-time. And when we help students operationalize their work — whether it’s a coffee shop, a marketplace, or a leadership institute — we’re teaching them to think like real entrepreneurs. They learn that growth mindset isn’t just about big dreams; it’s about the grit to build repeatable systems, the willingness to redefine failure as iteration, and the vision to seek opportunities to scale what works.

That’s the kind of mindset that outlasts a semester, a school year, and even graduation.

So here’s a question for you this week: What’s one practice, tradition, or idea in your school that should be operationalized so it continues after the current leaders move on?

If you want help creating that roadmap, let’s talk. Seed Tree Group exists to help schools engage students around the entrepreneurial mindset — so innovation doesn’t stop when the semester ends, but grows into something lasting.

Students at Gilbert Christian have celebrated a successful launch and are learning in real time the power of operationalizing their business.

Standing out as a Christian school while staying true to your values is more challenging than ever. At Seed Tree Group, we help schools implement a proven entrepreneurship program that empowers students to take ownership of their education, equipping them with life-ready skills and creating a distinguished school with engaged students, inspired parents, and energized donors.

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Imagine your culture infused with growth mindset, grit, redefining failure, and opportunity seeking. Imagine your team acting and thinking like entrepreneurs.

Stephen Carter