Definition of Insanity Or Business As Usual?

A recent story in GoLocalProv just confirmed what most of us in the business community already know.

Rhode Island was just ranked the worst state in the country to start a business.

Not second to last.

Not “room for improvement.”

Dead last.

That ranking came from WalletHub, using 25 different data points including things like business costs, access to capital, workforce availability, and overall economic environment.

This wasn’t a political opinion, and it wasn’t a hit piece.

It was a data-driven snapshot of how hard it is to launch a new business here.

And here’s the part that should really concern us:

This isn’t new.

Rhode Island has struggled with the same business climate issues for years.

High costs. Too much friction. Not enough growth.

Yet we keep acting surprised when another study confirms what entrepreneurs already know.

Which brings me to a quote most of us have heard before: “The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result.”

At some point, we have to stop blaming the data and start owning the outcome.

We have to admit that these results don’t happen by accident.

They’re shaped by policy, and they’re shaped by the people we keep electing.

We need to elect people whose priorities align with reality not platitudes.

If we continue to send the same people back to office, with the same ideas, the same playbook, and the same excuses then why would we expect anything to change?

Fresh rankings don’t come from stale thinking.

I’ve spent my career building businesses.

I know firsthand that when something isn’t working, you don’t double down on the same approach.

You step back, reassess, and adjust the playbook.

Rhode Island needs that same mindset.

We need leaders who understand what it takes to start something from scratch.

Leaders who understand costs, risk, payroll, growth, and competition.

Leaders who look at our challenges honestly and aren’t afraid to do things differently.

This isn’t about pointing fingers. It’s about taking responsibility.

To get better outcomes, we need to do better about choosing who represents us because going down the same path and hoping for a different result just isn’t working.