A visit to Saint Louis, Missouri, is not complete without a trip to the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial, otherwise known as the Arch. This iconic monument, designed by Finnish-American architect Eero Saarinen, stands on the bank of the Mississippi River and symbolizes the region's geographical and historical significance as the "Gateway to the West."

During a return visit to the Arch this week, I was once again taken by the powerful simplicity of this monument, and the lessons it can offer entrepreneurs.

1. Every project has an optimum time.
The original plans for the memorial date back to the early 1930s, and President Franklin Roosevelt signed the legislation designating the site as a national park in 1935. Yet it would be another decade before Saarinen would win the design competition with his proposed stainless steel catenary arch. The final segment of the arch was installed in October 1965, incorporating the latest in engineering technology. In a sense, the delays worked in the favor of the final elegant result. As an entrepreneur, do you have ideas that are "of their time"? Or are they laggards — or too early — for execution?

2. Sometimes the best ideas follow the first ideas.
Eero Saarinen originally envisioned the arch as an architectural form, reminiscent of the shapes of numerous other historic monuments. It was only later that the architect recognized the symbolic power of the arch shape as a gateway, and the deeper meanings this conveyed. Without pursuing the original design path, however, Saarinen likely would not have reached the richer levels of significance that have made the monument so powerful. Do you have ideas you've discarded too early? Are you only a mental step away from a breakthrough that may come with a fresh look at your work?

3. Good design transcends time.
The Gateway Arch, with its sleek tapered profile and stainless steel skin, illustrates the timeless quality of good design. Saarinen's original drawings date back more than 60 years, yet the monument remains strikingly modern. What designs or processes can you simplify so that they might stand the test of time?

If you get to Saint Louis, I hope you enjoy visiting the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial and the Gateway Arch. Local residents likely will tell you to also visit the Missouri Botanical Garden — and to save room for some Ted Drewes' frozen custard, too!

-- Terri Lonier
Founder, WorkingSolo.com