Eghenosakhare

What does it mean to be “the best” at what you do? And is this a reasonable goal? I used to think so; I often admonished management teams in portfolio companies to “be the best” in their sector. “You have to create the best service and products”. I neither spoke of this rhetorically nor in an aspirational fashion. I legitimately believed creating the best products and services was something to chase; I’ve come to realise that being the best doesn’t actually matter.

There’s a particular business we’re invested in, and they, too, had heard this speech of being the best and creating the best products. I had told them, “When people think of x, they should think of you. You need to create the best version in comparison to everyone else.” It wasn’t until much later that I realised the goal was wrong all along. Being the best doesn’t matter. I never thought I’d be saying this.

It all changed one day as I drove past the biggest player in the space and realised something [shocking to me at the time]; they don’t have the best products. A train of thought then followed: McDonald’s doesn’t have the best burgers. Starbucks doesn’t have the best coffee. Apple doesn’t make the best phones and computers. Subway doesn’t have the best sandwiches, nor does KFC have the best chicken. What these brands do have in common is that whatever they do, they do it well and consistently, at scale. They focus on creating valuable products and services, and creating them consistently.

When we are called by God to embark on a journey of building, we’re often called to build according to a plan. Independent of what others are doing. “Being the best” usually requires accounting for others. Even in areas where being “the best” can be quantified, like in sports, “the best” athletes only come up as “the best” because they’ve focused on building their skills and talent. Not on what others are doing. They’re recognised for their output. That’s the diligence and intention that have been put into their work.

So, my advice: don’t focus on being the best. It’s a moving goalpost. Focus, instead, on doing whatever you do with intention, diligence, and excellence.