The ICP Drift Tax is real. It is also one of the easiest problems for a services firm to miss while it is happening.
Most firms do not lose focus all at once. It happens slowly.
A deal shows up that makes sense on its own.
A recognizable logo.
A use case that is close enough.
A buyer who hints that more work is coming if this one goes well.
In the moment, those decisions feel reasonable. Often they feel responsible.
Over time, though, the center of gravity shifts.
Teams start context-switching more than they realize.
Leadership attention gets spread thinner.
The work gets harder to staff and harder to repeat, even as revenue moves up.
That gap is the ICP Drift Tax.
It does not show up cleanly on a P&L. You feel it in margin pressure, slower delivery, and a general loss of momentum.
The difference usually comes down to whether a deal is a stretch or a sinkhole. A stretch builds on what you already do well. A sinkhole absorbs time and talent without really teaching you anything new.
The firms that manage this best tend to decide in advance. Not in the room, not in the heat of a deal. They are clear about what kinds of work reinforce their ICP and which ones quietly pull them away from it.
Focus is not about saying no for the sake of discipline.
It is about being clear on what you are actually trying to compound.