The best companies in the world focus on a single goal and wrap all of their products and ideas around that goal. Going back in history, we can see how this kind of focus created some of the best companies that we see today.
Low price
For Henry Ford, price was the key. Unlike many of his competitors, he wanted to sell his car to the everyday man, and lowering the price was the way to do that. In the book “I Invented The Modern Age“, they share Ford’s focus like this:
Ford had just one sales strategy, and that was to keep lowering the price of the car.
That was his sales strategy, and it worked amazingly well.
Lightness
Nike had a similar focus in the early days, with Bill Bowerman focusing solely on making their shoes lighter. In Phil Knight’s book “Shoe Dog“, he explains Bowerman’s focus:
Lightness, Bill Bowerman believed, directly translated into less burden, more energy, and more speed. Lightness was his constant goal. Bowerman didn’t like to lose. (I got it from him.) Thus lightness was his constant goal.
It can be hard to keep a focus that tight, but that focus is what made those companies stand out. If you wanted a car with the best value, Ford was it. If you wanted the lightest shoe, Nike was your choice.
Keep the main goal the main goal, and people will much more easily recognize your value.
