If you’re building a business, play long. Don’t worry about how you’re doing just in this quarter. Think about how you’ll be remembered 50 years from now. What will your company stand for? When you’re building relationships with your customers, don’t be shortsighted, build a relationship. It’s really, really important. “The business of business is relationships,” said Herb Kelleher, the founder of Southwest Airlines. Take care of the relationship and the money will take care of itself. Play a very long game. I’ve been in business for 26 years, I’ve seen a lot of people come and go. The people who play a very long game, they follow honorable values, they build a great company, they only push masterwork into the world versus superficial quick-fix products. Those are the ones who last.
