The Unicorn Delusion
The Problem
Believing you need rare "unicorn" team members who are experts at everything—business + technology + communication + design—and never investing in building people up. Leaders look at those Venn diagrams and say "that's just unrealistic!" then never develop their team. You stay stuck hunting for mythical creatures that don't exist, posting job descriptions nobody can fill, complaining you "can't find good people." Meanwhile, you're ignoring the goldmine sitting right in front of you: people who could become unicorns with six months of coaching.
The Principle
BUILD UNICORNS, DON'T HUNT THEM: Unicorns aren't born. They're built. In six months you can turn a business analyst into someone who builds solutions, or a technical developer into someone who can do requirements. Two proven paths: PATH 1 - BA → Builder: Business analysts already understand the business. Give them modern tools (Tableau, PowerBI) and minor coaching. They have less muscle memory to overcome and will run laps around decade-long veterans stuck in old ways. PATH 2 - Developer → Business Partner: Get technical folks using design-first approaches and mockups for requirements. When they start doing templated designs early, magic happens. They build REALLY fast because nothing gets lost in translation. The compound effect: What if 20% of your team becomes unicorns? Or 50%? Even getting ONE person is worth it. Identify willing learners, provide modern tools, coach don't gatekeep, and celebrate their "personal average" improving month over month. Stop posting unicorn job descriptions. Start building unicorns from the people you already have. It's faster, cheaper, and actually works.
3 Steps to Take Action
Identify 3 Willing Learners: Who on your team wants to grow? BAs who want to build? Developers who want to understand business? Start there.
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