Business Execution

The idea that business ideas are worthless unless executed and execution is worth millions has always been at the heart of my business philosophy, but it’s only recently that I gripped the full meaning of the verb to execute.

For years I’ve believed that to execute is like to build. I focused too much on the details and lost sight of the essential, that good execution is about having good judgment — making the right decisions.

To build something requires mainly technical skills. The better our skills are, the better our creations will be. However in the business world, if our creations aren’t something people are willing to pay for, they’re worthless.

While technical skills can be acquired rather easily and in a relatively short period of time, the skill of great judgment takes time and experience to acquire, which makes it much more valuable. It is, by and large, the difference between an employee and his manager.

Doing the right things is more important than doing things right.

This quote (attributed to various sources) says it all: it’s not enough to do it right, you have to do what’s right.