Principle 02

Aspire Big, Think Global

“Don't settle for mediocrity.”

There’s a story about an astronaut who spent a month on the moon. When he came back, someone asked him what changed. He said: “I can never again look at a small problem the same way.” When you’ve seen Earth from space, the boundaries we draw for ourselves start to look a little silly.

Most of us don’t aim low on purpose. We aim low because the people around us aim low, and we didn’t realise we had a choice. The day you decide that “good enough” isn’t good enough, everything changes. The work gets harder. It also gets better. And eventually, so do you.

Measure yourself against the best in the world, not the desk next to you.

Thinking global doesn’t mean chasing every trend. It means asking: “If the best team in the world was doing this, what would it look like?” Then closing the gap, one honest effort at a time. Ambition isn’t arrogance. It’s the quiet refusal to do less than you’re capable of.

In practice
  • Before you ship something, ask: "Would I be proud to show this to the best engineer, salesperson, or designer I've ever met?"
  • When someone says "that's how it's always been done," treat it as an invitation to question, not accept
  • Study world-class work in your craft. Steal the standards, not the shortcuts
  • Don't confuse busy with ambitious. Aspire to outcomes, not activity