So What?

This week’s Rivr Notes is about challenging the status quo with one simple question that can lighten your load and sharpen your focus.

Breckenridge, Colorado

We all live with the status quo.

• Sometimes we build it.

• Sometimes we inherit it.

• Sometimes we avoid questioning it—because, well, it seems to work well enough.

But over time, the status quo becomes something else: a quiet pile-up of habits, processes, reports, routines, traditions, meetings, and expectations. And without meaning to, we end up maintaining things that may no longer matter—simply because they’re already there.

But what if the best way to rethink all of it—the reports, the routines, the runarounds—came down to one simple question?

So what?

• So what if we didn’t track that information?

• So what if we stopped sending that report we've always prepared?

• So what if we let go of that task, routine, or tradition that’s just… always been there?

• So what if we stopped having that weekly meeting that no longer brings value?

Over the years, I’ve worked with leaders navigating change, growth, and complexity, and in every environment, I’ve seen the same thing: people often keep doing things simply because that’s the way they’ve always been done.

That’s where the “So What” Factor comes in.

It’s called the “So What” Factor because it’s not a tool—it’s a way of thinking. A prompt. A filter that influences better, clearer decisions.

What is the “So What” Factor?

It’s not a framework. It’s not a productivity hack. It’s a gut-check.

“So what?”

• So what if we stopped doing this thing we’ve always done?

• So what if we didn’t keep that extra step, that recurring obligation, that familiar routine?

• So what’s this really accomplishing?

It’s a simple way to challenge assumptions. It helps you hover above the work—or life—and ask: What are we actually trying to accomplish? And if we didn’t do this, would it make a meaningful difference?

Sometimes the answer is yes. But often, it’s no. And that’s where things get interesting.

One CFO and a 16-Page Legacy

I once worked with a CFO who had just stepped into the role at a large company. One of the first things we reviewed was a monthly financial report for his leadership team—16 pages long, compiled by six people over the course of a week.

I asked, “So what if we didn’t produce this report in its current form?”

He paused. Then said, “Actually, my team and I only use about two of these pages.”

Two pages. Out of sixteen. The rest had simply been passed down from one CFO to the next, unquestioned.

We redesigned the report. Two people. Two days. Same insights. And the other four analysts? Freed up to do higher-value work.

All because of a simple question: So what if we stopped doing this?

The Age of Information—and Too Much of It

This shows up in our personal lives, too. For me, it happened on a trail run.

With wearable devices today, you can track just about everything—pace, elevation, heart rate, cadence, recovery. And for a while, I tracked it all. My watch had the data, and I felt like I should use it.

But over time, I noticed something. The more I analyzed the numbers, the less I actually enjoyed running.

Eventually, I asked myself: So what if I didn’t look at all this data?

The truth was, I wasn’t training for anything. I wasn’t chasing a personal record. I just wanted to enjoy the run. And the analysis wasn’t helping—it was getting in the way.

So I stopped overthinking it. I let go of the habit of analyzing every detail. And running became enjoyable again—because I returned to the why.

The Real Power of “So What?”

The “So What” Factor is a filter. A pause. A way to challenge the status quo, clear the clutter, and refocus on what actually matters.

It’s useful in every corner of life—at work, at home, in the way we manage our time, our decisions, our data.

So the next time you find yourself continuing something out of habit—or starting something new without a clear reason—try asking:

• So what if we stopped doing this?

• So what if we didn’t carry this forward just because we always have?

• So what’s this really accomplishing?

You might uncover a better way. A simpler path. A solution that costs less, takes less time, and causes less stress.

You might even get a few hours back.
Maybe even your weekend.

See you next week,

Brent, your Rivr Guide

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