As a nation whose identity is pretty deeply rooted in DIY thinking, we tend to glorify anyone who’s ‘self-taught’.
And there’s nothing wrong with that. Teaching yourself is a great way to get started. That’s the No. 8 wire mindset at its best: have a crack, figure it out, make it work.
The problem is what happens when you hit the ceiling.
At some point, doing more of the same won’t make you better. And without the input or coaching of others, it’s pretty hard to progress beyond amateur level.
The truth is, we need other people to realise our potential.
As much as we like to think we’re objective and all-seeing, we’re not. We all have blind spots. We can only experience the world from inside our own heads, which means we regularly miss things that are obvious to someone looking in from the outside.
That’s why you rarely see an elite athlete without coaches.
You won’t find a world-class orchestra without a conductor.
And professors have peers to challenge and critique their work.
Yet when it comes to business, we seem to think we should figure it all out ourselves.
New Zealand’s business community is largely self-taught. And the numbers suggest we’re not exactly dominating the scoreboard:
50% failure rate in the first four years
98% <$5M turnover
30% <$50k net profit
2.2% median growth rate
Coincidence? Maybe.
But it’s hard to ignore the connection.
Getting a business from ‘good enough’ to genuinely great takes more than hard work.
It takes perspective, challenge, experience — and someone willing to tell you what you can’t see yourself.
It takes a hell of a lot of time and energy to move beyond amateur level at anything. Business is no different.
DIY will get you started.
But if you want to get really good at this, eventually you need someone else in the room.