Today’s thought: Don’t drink your own Kool-Aid
It’s great to want to be the best at whatever you do.
It’s terrible to think you are the best. Once a person or company believes they have reached the apex of their life or career, they’ll stop innovating. They’ll stop trying to be the best.
There is nowhere further to go, but the best companies and the hardest working individuals never rest on their laurels. Why? Because they never get blinded by their own hubris.
It’s almost impossible to quantify the best in many situations. That, however, doesn’t stop people and companies from drinking their own Kool-Aid.
Don’t drink the Kool-Aid. Always strive to be better. Never think you are the only show in town.
Many newspapers and journalists drank their own Kool-Aid. For a long time they were the only show in town. Want local news? Read the newspaper.
They thought they owned they news. They were the news. That kind of outdated thinking will kill you on the Internet.
And what do you know? A lot of careers and newspapers have been killed. Why?
Because newspapers and journalists stop innovating a long time ago.
February 25th, 2008 at 2:24 pm
Drinking your own Kool-Aid might be bad, but eating your own dog food is good. Newspapers should do more of that.
February 25th, 2008 at 2:45 pm
Patrick,
I love that idea (a software developer mindset). Newspapers really do need to eat their own dog food, especially on the Web. I think they would find much of their dog food not fit for any animal.
February 25th, 2008 at 9:12 pm
Love your site. As a recently bought out, and now retired reporter, I think you are very perceptive in your view of many of today’s journalists. While my blog concentrates mostly on the stumbling in the dark by old editors trying to fit in the new journalism, I often veer into something else.
I congratulate you on your blog and will continue to drop by. OK, if I link your blog to mine…..?
Keep up the good work.
Jim