Throughout the years I've heard many different opinions about what it takes to have a successful business or career. The obvious things like communication, expertise, and focus fill bookstroes worldwide. What isn't covered enough though, is true capability. Now, I don't mean being good at a given skill. I'm talking about pulling together different strands of information, skillsets, and contexts to create an intended result.

Those with true capability seemingly maneuver in-and-out of difficult situations that most would find impossible and somehow materialize things from the ether through a mix of personality, aptitude, and imagination. For some, it seems like magic, but for them, it's Tuesday. How they accomplish this is by continuing to foster a learning mindset bolstered through curiosity, possibilities, and grit. They've found a simple truth in life: those who can do and those who can't posture.

In 2001, I attended my first video games trade show and heard from "experts" that the industry would never outsource art. At one point, I was so frustrated and disheartened that I found myself at the center developer lounge where I was given sage advice to pay no attention to the haters and keep focused on what we were doing. During our conversation, this spiritual advisor shared with me that his team was starting to license out their engine technology to other developers and he would be happy to let us try it out. We took him up on that offer setting Streamline onto an incredible trajectory as a premier Unreal development studio.

At the time, we only had a hunch that teams would grow in size and that art would become more complicated. Looking at other industries, we saw a pattern emerging of the need to find experts, wherever they could be, and I believed we could lead the way in this exciting space. We understood that it would never happen if we postured and our talented team kept making content non-stop to show anyone who would look at it. With each passing day, we convinced more people, gained more experience, and won more contracts. All because we felt compelled to do more.

The good news is that you can cross over and become a doer. All it takes is brutal self-reflection, honesty about your capabilities, and checking egos at the door. Sure, you're going to fail multiple times. You more than likely will embarrass yourself- but in the process, the learnings gained will get you one step closer to where you want to be in the long-run.

After all, developing capability is a lot like a round of golf, you're playing against your last best self and improve with each swing you take.

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