The Thing Nobody Asks Before Dropping Six Figures on a Sound System

You know what's wild? We talk to production leaders all over the country. Sharp people. Dedicated people. The kind who could wire a sanctuary blindfolded and still have time to fix the youth room's mysteriously blown subwoofer.

And when we start asking about vision? Crickets.

Not because they don't care. But because nobody's asked them the question.

The Problem With Starting at the Price Tag

Here's how most projects go down: Leadership decides it's time for an upgrade. Maybe the PAs been around since the Clinton administration. Maybe the video walls are starting to look like abstract art. Whatever the catalyst, the next move is usually: Let's get some quotes.

And just like that, we're shopping before we know what we're cooking.

Our co-CEO Nick Kofahl puts it plainly: "We would talk to so many different production leaders, so many different folks that occupy that space and we would start asking questions about vision. What's gnarly is, most of them couldn't answer that question."

That's not a dig. That's a diagnosis.

Because if you don't know where you're going, any road will get you there — and any PA will do the job. Until it doesn't.

Why Vision Actually Matters (And No, It's Not Just Corporate Speak)

Let's be honest. ‘Vision’ can sound like one of those buzzwords that gets thrown around in leadership retreats right before someone suggests a trust fall. But strip away the fluff, and vision is just this: knowing why you're doing what you're doing, and who it's for.

That's it.

Not sexy. Not complicated. But shockingly rare.

Nick's seen it firsthand. He came to Summit not as a tech guy, but as a pastor's kid, a Bible college grad, someone who planted a church and stood behind a mic hoping the sound guy knew what he was doing. His take? "I had always benefited from technology... I've gotten to see good technology and bad technology."

Good tech? Invisible. It serves. It gets out of the way so the message can land.

Bad tech? Distracting. Frustrating. The kind that makes you wonder if feedback is a spiritual gift.

And here's the kicker: the difference between good and bad tech isn't always the price tag. It's the clarity.

The Coffee Meeting That Changes Everything

So where do you start?

Deron’s recommendation is disarmingly simple: "Go take your senior leader to coffee. Buy them coffee that you don't expense. And then start asking these questions... I wanna understand and unpack the vision that God's given you." No agenda. No sales pitch. Just questions.

Start with why. Why are we doing this? What are we trying to accomplish? What problem are we solving?

Then move to who. Who's being impacted most by this decision? If the answer is the person that's being most impacted by this, is the dude standing behind the console, it's usually the wrong who.

Ouch. But fair.

Because if the only person who benefits from your new rig is the guy mixing it, you're not serving the church. You're collecting toys.

Finally, ask: What does success look like? Can you define it? Can everyone in the room agree on it?

If you can nail those three things — the why, the who, and what success looks like — you're 80% of the way there.

The Best Gear Decision We've Ever Seen

Years ago, Flatirons Church in Colorado built a massive 3,500-seat auditorium. Beautiful space. But some of the gear choices? They caught flak. People questioned why they didn't go bigger, flashier, more expensive.

Then Chris Coleman, the production director at the time, walked a skeptical guest over to a wall in the lobby. It was covered with plaques — missions organizations, ministry partners, global outreach.

Coleman said: "Every dollar I didn't spend here goes here."

Drop the mic. Walk away.

They had the budget. They could've gone bigger. But they chose alignment over arms race. Vision over vanity. And that room? Still cranking, still serving, years later.

Nick's take: "That's keeping the main thing the main thing."

The Uncomfortable Truth

Look, we get it. Gear is fun. New consoles are exciting. That Dante network you've been eyeing? Chef's kiss.

But if the gear isn't serving something bigger — if it's not anchored to a clear, articulated, agreed-upon vision—it's just noise. Expensive, complicated noise.

We've built our entire company around a simple conviction: gear follows vision. Not the other way around.

So before you call us (or anyone else), do yourself a favor. Have the coffee meeting. Ask the hard questions. Get clear on the why, the who, and what winning looks like.

Then, and only then, let's talk about speakers.

Because when the vision's right, the gear becomes obvious. And when Sunday morning rolls around? Everything just works.

The way it should.

Need help getting started? We've got a Vision Blueprint with the exact questions Nick uses to help churches get aligned. No fluff, no filler — just the clarity you need before you spend a dime. Reach out, and we'll send it your way.

Because the best projects don't start with a quote. They start with a question. Our team has helped hundreds of churches find the sweet spot between their vision and their budget. We’d love to help.

If this sparked ideas, check out the full Gear Follows Vision episode here.