Talent Vs. Production, a tale typically held for Sports. I’m here to tell you why it definitely applies to entrepreneurship as well.
With the upcoming NFL season, I’ve been seeing a lot of talk about talent vs. production, especially when it comes to ranking players. Odell Beckham Jr., for example, is the 6th ranked receiver according to a poll by his peers, other NFL Players.
Odell Beckham Jr. as number 6?
That seems like a stretch. I’d argue he’s clearly the most talented player in the league, hands down. However, what’s his production been? Well… that’s another story.
Could it be because he was playing with an aging QB who could make Mark Sanchez look like the second coming of Joe Montana? Possibly.
Could it be because the offensive line was a whole bag of hot garbage? Yeah, probably. But in a position that demands RESULTS, Odell didn’t deliver and that’s the bottom line.
In my years of being an entrepreneur, I’ve seen a lot of similar situations. I have had the pleasure of working with some of the most talented entrepreneurs around. They knew all the right moves, had all the answers. The only problem… they never delivered. There was always an excuse. “People didn’t understand what I was trying to do.” Hello, Consumer Education is a thing genius.
On the other side of the coin though, I’ve seen a plethora of entrepreneurs who didn’t know everything. They had more questions than answers, but they consistently delivered results. They understood you’re going to have roadblocks, this road isn’t paved. Yet they constantly found ways around the problems. If the consumer didn’t understand what they were doing, they educated them. They provided videos, walkthroughs, etc, etc. It didn’t matter.
Which entrepreneur do you think is more successful? Which one would you rather have on your team? Well, I have to ask. Who would you rather have as a Wide Receiver? Julio Jones or OBJ? There’s your answer.
If you’re an entrepreneur, take a moment. Look yourself and the mirror and ask yourself. Am I just talented, or am I also productive?
Oh, and the perfect mixture does exist. It’s possible to be both. But not every WR is Antonio Brown 😉
