In recent years, the term “operation first” has become almost a golden rule in the cultural and tourism industry.

It is widely recognized that a project cannot wait until it’s completed before the operations team “takes over”; rather, the operations team must be deeply involved from the planning and design stages to ensure that the project is “user-friendly and profitable.”

This is undoubtedly a tremendous step forward, one that has spared countless projects from the fate of “inherent defects.” But today, I’d like to go a step further—to peel away the surface veneer of “operation-first” and delve into its true essence and core.

My view is very clear: operational pre-positioning is just... “ technique ” and market pre-positioning is the key. “ Way ” At the heart of all successful operations that are market-driven is, without a doubt, market foresight.

We often misunderstand “operation-first.”

In the practice of many projects, “operational pre-emptiveness” has been simplified into checking off a list of functions.

The operations team will say: “We need to leave a back通道 here,” “That square needs to have sufficient capacity,” “The storefronts on the commercial street should have narrow frontages and shallow depths,” and “There should be plenty of restrooms—and also a nursing room.”

Are these correct? Absolutely! All of these are invaluable experiences that can ensure smooth project management and meet service standards once the project is completed. But if we stop here, it’s tantamount to using a top-tier strategist (Chief Operating Officer) as nothing more than a senior supervisor.

This “operation-first” approach is, at its core, still product-oriented thinking. It asks: How can I refine the internal features, workflows, and user experience of this product (project) to make them even more perfect and efficient?

But it overlooks a more fundamental question: Why are we doing this in the first place? “ Product ” ? This one “ Product ” Who is it for?

Operations without market foresight are “refined blindness.”

Imagine that we’ve built a fully functional, first-class “cyberpunk-themed amusement park” according to the most perfect operational standards. The operations team was involved every step of the way, ensuring that every single detail was impeccable.

As it turned out after the opening, the core customer base within a two-hour drive of the location consisted of families with children and middle-aged and elderly people seeking health and wellness. They simply weren't interested in cyberpunk at all.

At this point, our once-perfect “operation-first” project has become a “sophisticated mistake.” No matter how hard the operations team tries—organizing parent-child activities or promoting wellness packages—it’s like patching up a tight-fitting garment; something just doesn’t feel right.

This is the dilemma brought about by “operational pre-emption” without “market pre-emption”—it simply delivers the most efficient execution in the wrong direction. It’s like a ship: the operations team ensures that the engine performs at its best and the crew is highly skilled in handling it, yet the captain (who sets the market positioning) has steered the ship into the wrong waters from the very beginning. In the end, the only possible outcome is running aground and sinking.

Market-first is the brain behind operations-first.

So, what exactly is “market-first”? It serves as the “general headquarters” and “brain” of the entire project. It comes before all design and all operational planning, infusing the project with its soul and direction.

What market pre-positioning aims to address are strategic issues:

You see, only after the market’s “front-end” has clearly answered all these strategic questions does the “operations’ front-end” finally have a truly actionable “battle map” to rely on.

The correct transmission sequence from "brain" to "nerve"

See that? In this process, operations is no longer just a “supervisor” who proposes a bunch of generic features; instead, it has become a “tactical expert” who builds specific implementation plans around the “market strategy.” Every decision made with operations taking the lead now has a clearly defined “target.”

Don't let diligent operations foot the bill for a lazy market.

The term “operation frontloading” itself isn’t wrong—what’s wrong is our depth of understanding of it. If we simply treat it as a mere process or an isolated action, it will never be able to unleash its true power.

We must soberly recognize that the core of putting operations first is putting the market first.

Operations without market insights are like water without a source; operations without strategic guidance are like an arrow shot into empty space.

So, at the next project kickoff meeting, when everyone is discussing how to “bring operations upstream,” why not start by asking a more fundamental question: “Have we really done our market preparation properly?”

Because only when the brain makes the right decisions first can our diligent hands and efficient execution truly be worthwhile. Don't let the hardest-working operations team end up footing the bill for that initial, lazy, and self-assured market assessment.