Better Than Ever, But Still Not There Yet

Playing to Win

September 04, 2025

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Welcome to the Latest Newsletter
of Playing to Win!

My newsletter is designed specifically to help business owners like you grow your companies with tried & applied bits of business knowledge, all communicated in actionable, bite-sized chunks. I will share insights and advice aimed at enhancing your business operations, boosting your success, and allowing you to focus more on what truly matters. Let's work together to achieve your goals and make your endeavors a reality.

Key Points of the Newsletter

  • Talent matters, but only when aligned with process and vision.
  • Celebrating growth doesn’t mean you stop chasing the target.
  • Leadership means living in the tension between “better than ever” and “not even close.”

Better Than Ever, But Still Not There Yet

 
Let’s talk about perspective.

We’ve got talent. Incredible talent. I’ll even call it “best in class” based on the revenue numbers we’re producing and the people we’ve brought in. We’ve got individuals operating at the top of their game. So in a vacuum, you’d say, “That’s a win.”

But here’s the truth most people don’t say out loud: even when you’re better than you’ve ever been, you can still be far from where you need to go.

And that’s the space I live in every day. Celebrating the team for outperforming last quarter, knowing damn well we’re still not hitting the mark I’ve set. That’s not a contradiction, it’s a reality of leadership. Growth is good, but targets exist for a reason.

We’re not here to pat ourselves on the back for incremental wins. We’re here to dominate.

I’ve always said I want to be surrounded by the best of the best. Not just talent on paper, but the people who live excellence. The kind who challenge you, raise standards, and show up when it matters. And yes, the kind of talent that costs real money, because that’s what it takes to scale at the level we’re playing.

But hiring talent isn’t the full solution. It’s just one leg of the stool.

This is where the old “PPT” model comes in: People, Process, Technology. Right now, we’ve got good people. The processes are maturing. The tech is catching up. But let’s be honest, when something breaks, more often than not, it’s the people. Not because they’re bad. Because systems are only as strong as the humans running them.

So yes, we’re better than we’ve ever been. And no, we’re not there yet.

If you can’t live in that tension as a leader, you’re going to cap your growth.

Your job isn’t to pick a side. It’s to hold both truths, and keep pushing forward.

Stay tuned for more insights in our next newsletter. Remember, it's the small adjustments that often make the biggest impact on your business's profitability. Here's to your continued success!

Stay driven to push your business forward,
Ryan Niddel