The Art of Waiting: Patience, Policy, and the Market in 2025
In the current business and financial landscape, characterized by the rapid pace of information, transactions, and decisions, there is a certain discomfort and even annoyance associated with waiting. Where delay often signals indecision, risk, or a missed opportunity, waiting feels unnatural. Yet, in 2025, the financial markets and those participating in them are collectively doing just that: waiting.
- Waiting on the U.S. Congress to finalize the “Big Beautiful Bill.”
- Waiting on the resolution of proposed tariffs that could reshape global trade.
- Waiting to make gifts, close deals, invest in equipment, or sell businesses.
Some believe in the art of waiting as a strategy. John Maeda, the acclaimed artist, designer, technologist, and current Head of Computational Design for Microsoft’s AI platform, has argued for years that in a world obsessed with frictionless experiences and instant feedback, the most profound decisions and designs often emerge from the quiet power of waiting.[1]
Waiting by Design
In his book The Laws of Simplicity, Maeda wrote that “waiting is an essential part of the creative process. It forces a pause, a breath that allows for judgment, restraint, and meaning.”[2] In his world, good decisions aren’t just about speed or ease; they’re about intent and the need to pause and consider before acting. Investors, business owners, and advisors are currently either paralyzed or intentionally delaying significant decisions. Why? Because the markets in which they compete and live face a future in flux. While there is transparency in their access to information, there remains little to no clarity.
Maeda might advise that action without clarity is not bold, but rather reckless, and that a good strategy includes knowing when to slow down. In markets and Maeda’s world of design, intentional waiting is a form of respect for complexity. It’s a space to prepare, observe, and clarify before acting. It’s knowing that rushing into a decision without understanding the rules that will govern it may not be brave; it may simply be unproductive.
The current economy isn’t necessarily broken: it’s simply iterating. Advisors and clients alike would do well to recognize that the current “rules that will govern” are more in a design than a deployment phase. The most impactful moves of 2025 may not be the ones made in June, but the ones made after Congress finishes sketching the tax and trade contours of the next decade. For now, the market is waiting. And that, as Maeda would tell us, might be the smartest move we make all year.
The Stakes are Clear
The inputs (pending legislation, political dynamics, macroeconomics) are complex. The outputs (estate planning, M&A, capital investment) are being held back, not because of fear, but because the user experience is still loading.
- If the estate and gift exemption drops as scheduled in 2026, families may need to act urgently by year-end 2025.
- If the current tax bill passes, raising that exemption to $15 million and locking in favorable tax rates, the pressure to act disappears, and planning horizons extend.
- If bonus depreciation and business interest deductions are expanded, corporations may revive shelved investment plans.
- If tariffs expand, manufacturing, agriculture, and tech may need to reconfigure supply chains, delaying M&A or capex even longer.
Final Thought: Designing for the Unknown
The professionals who thrive in this environment are those who, like good designers, embrace the silence between the inputs and the outputs. As they wait, they draft deal structures and create estate strategies that can pivot. They monitor the legislative progress, not with panic, but with the discipline of someone who understands when there is clarity and the time to act.
Exit Strategies has certified appraisers serving businesses across all industries with deep expertise in the valuation of enterprise and fractional ownership interests for tax, financial reporting, and strategic purposes. If you’re interested in discussing these topics and require these valuations, please contact Joe Orlando at 503-925-5510 or jorlando@exitstrategiesgroup.com. We’re here to help.
References:
[1] https://yingyingzux.medium.com/the-laws-of-simplicity-john-maeda-fff929abda59
