If you are an entrepreneur or investor in a business, it is so critical to heed the advice and framework that Robert Kiyosaki shares in his appeal that systems, not products, need your focus.
Simply put, “Money always follows management.”
It’s takes a special person to be an effective entrepreneur. There are trade-offs and myriad problems to solve which get more complex the further you grow your business.
Sometimes, we can overemphasize an area because it might be a comfort zone. If you come from a legal background, you might take too much time on legalities and hedging risk. If you have been a salesperson, then it’s easier to pay attention to getting the next deal than aligning the communications and workflow. If you are a marketer by background, you may be tempted to obsess about the look and feel of artwork that is more than good enough.
I agree with Kiyosaki that having a good enough product with a stellar business system is much more important than the opposite. We have a world filled with amazing products. Every day we are presented with something awe inspiring. Yet, it’s hard to move us to buy.
Take a walk through a Brookstone, and you see innovation and creativity to the hilt. But they are considered novelties compared to what is familiar, reliable and fits within our worldview.
Heck, a boring product that people buy regularly like shoes can become remarkable because the business system behind it creates extreme value in reliability and delivery. Zappos did not get into trying to make better shoes. They made a system for delivering the shoes you like in an elegant way.
So, if you are trying to pursue that next great idea, consider where you put your efforts. Maybe increasing your product’s quality actually has a diminishing return.
What if your leverage and impact comes from improving your business systems, and that has a much higher impact on your revenue?
Some systems you can improve:
- How you sell.
- How you position.
- How you communicate and collaborate internally and externally.
- The enabling platforms and technologies for keeping your business going.
These are all important. Consider which of these systems require more of your time and energy and focus on them uniquely.
These business systems are the actual product.
How strong are your business systems compared to your product?
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