Everyone is concentrating on now. Real time streaming, real time attention, and things being discussed in real time. Entire services are based on collecting and parsing things in real time. Even 24 hours can be a lifetime when it comes to statistics and analytics and making decisions based on old data.

To take a contrarian view I want to point out the importance of thinking things through. One tip I used when doing strategy sessions is to think about the sustainability of a decision moving forward. Creating real time value is great, but the long term sustainability of that decision can come back to haunt you.

I believe it make sense to slow things down at the planning stage and map out exactly how and why something will work once it is out in the real world. There is a powerful metaphor for developing something that is available to everyone right this second, but there is a strategy that must go along with it.

You cannot simply launch something and hope for the best, but rather have a strategy around it and way to support it. Too many times I have seen the mistake made with certain types of social media. My goto example is Facebook pages – everyone things they need one, but nobody stops to ask why.

Facebook now has 200+ million members and you have a global reach. But when it comes to targeting your audience and getting people to participate, you may be better off on a smaller niche network that has members that understand your brand or needs.

Having a strategy of soon enables you to create a roadmap of ideas that compete with the need for realtime information – but makes sure you do not pursue things that are unsustainable in the long run.