The Right Way Doesn’t Always Make Sense on Paper

Playing to Win

November 06, 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

  • Legacy isn’t about being remembered, it’s about doing the right thing now.
  • Big exits only matter if your people win with you.
  • The ROI on trust, time, and integrity doesn’t show up in Q1, but it compounds forever.

The Right Way Doesn’t Always Make Sense on Paper

There’s a moment coming, maybe it’s an IPO, maybe it’s a strategic sale, maybe it’s something else entirely. But a shift is inevitable.

And when it happens, here’s what matters most to me: the people who helped us get there had a shot to win, too.

Not just a pat on the back or a thank-you card. A real upside. Equity. Profit. A stake in the outcome they helped create.

Because this whole thing? It’s not just about me. It never has been.

I don’t care if I’m remembered for it. Honestly, I expect I won’t be. Most people don’t remember who built the machine, only that it works. And that’s okay. It doesn’t have to have my name on it. It just has to be done right.

I’ve been told that’s naive. That it’s idealistic. That no one’s going to notice or care. That’s fine. But I’m not building for applause. I’m building because it’s the right thing to do.

And doing the right thing comes with a cost. Time. Capital. Energy. You don’t see the payoff on a spreadsheet, at least not right away. You see it in how people show up. You see it in retention. In loyalty. In the way your culture scales with you instead of crumbling under pressure.

It’s a trust investment. And it rarely makes sense “on paper.”

But if you’re only building for what looks good on paper, don’t be surprised when no one sticks around long enough to help you scale it.

So yeah, some of what we’re doing doesn’t make financial sense right now. That’s by design. Because we’re not building for the next quarter. We’re building for the next era.

And when the shift comes, whatever it looks like, we’ll be ready.

Together.

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