Ten times better

When we’re focused on improving something, we often aim high. We say things like, “We’re going to make this ten times better.”

But how do you measure ten times better? How much better is the best cake you’ve ever eaten ... compared to a really good cake? Surely not ten times better. Is it even twice as good? Maybe it’s the best because it’s just enough better than all the others.

The point is not to lower our ambition, but to change our approach to the problem of making things better.

One thought: improve a specific number of things. “Compared to what already exists, we’re going to improve upon these three elements.”

Another approach: become laser-focused. “We will take this one part and make it better than anything on the market.”

“Ten times better” is lofty, but it’s not a practical way to make measurable progress; it just sounds really good.