Always give value first

Our buddy J.P. Rangaswami has a great maxim: “Never ask for anything until you’ve offered value first.” Exactly.

And yes, “value” is a subjective call, but it’s also like pornography: people know it when they see it.

Though you are allowed to decide what your “Values” are, you don’t get to decide what “Value” is. That job is for your customer.

The sweet spot is where company “values” and customer “value” intersect. Living there takes practice. Nobody gets there right away.

Any fool CEO can warble on endlessly about “creating value”, especially “creating shareholder value”. Obviously, actual execution is far harder. Still, there are worse north stars to have.