Wether navigating the woods or the unknown terrain of a new business venture, distinctive landmarks help to qualify paths, recognise opportunities and circumference obstacles as you find your way forward.
I recently observed soldiers doing land navigation during a competitive training exercise. The teams that were most successful understood that navigation involved more than compass angles and distances. They used the terrain maps to identify key landmarks (e.g., distinctive topography such as ravines and roads) and then they let the landmarks direct them to the targets. Angles and distances are the primitives for geographers – but they are not the primitives for finding your way in the world.