Winning’s the great deodorant
John Madden and Ed Catmull get me through a tough week.
Noted football philosopher John Madden said:
“Winning’s the great deodorant, and conversely, when you have a bad record, everything stinks.”
Compare to the lean world’s rusty old saw that...
“No problems is a problem.”
I don’t find this formulation useful. The payoff for parsing its awkward phrasing? One is gently scolded.
Instead, go to Pixar co-founder Ed Catmull’s expression:
“Success hides problems.”
That is to say, you should 100% enjoy success while you have it. But remain aware that even as you’re winning, problems exist. Pick off small opportunities and take care of them now, before the deodorant wears off.
