I’ve been fortunate to have mentors who fundamentally changed how I think about building and scaling. This is part of an ongoing series where I share the insights that have stayed with me — because the best lessons shouldn’t sit with one person.
This one came from a mentor I’ll refer to as A.B. Five words that completely reframed how I approach any new project:
“No need to reinvent the wheel.”
The temptation to start from scratch
There’s something seductive about building from zero. It feels creative. Original. But in practice, starting from scratch is one of the most expensive decisions a business can make.
It consumes time, budget, and attention that could be directed at the parts of the problem that actually require something new. I’ve seen this in high-performance engineering environments at Ferrari and Rimac-Bugatti — and I see it constantly in the businesses I work with across Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia.
The instinct to rebuild what already exists, rather than build on top of it, is one of the most consistent business efficiency killers I encounter.
What business efficiency actually looks like
Real business efficiency isn’t about working harder or moving faster. It’s about directing energy at the right problems.
Before starting any innovation project — whether it’s a product, a process, or an operational system — the highest-leverage move is a thorough assessment of what already exists. What has already been solved? What can be adapted rather than rebuilt? Where does the real gap actually sit?
This is how the fastest-moving teams operate. They don’t waste cycles solving problems that have already been solved. They identify where genuine innovation is required and focus everything there. The result is faster execution, lower costs, and better operational efficiency — because the team’s energy is concentrated where it actually needs to be.
Who gets to market first wins
In competitive markets, speed is a business efficiency multiplier. Every week spent rebuilding something that already exists is a week your competitors are moving forward.
The businesses I’ve seen scale most effectively are not the ones that built the most original systems. They’re the ones that built the right systems — adapting proven approaches where possible, and innovating only where it created genuine competitive advantage.
That distinction is the difference between a team that ships and a team that is perpetually building.
The practical takeaway
Before your next project kickoff, ask one question: what already exists that we can build on?
Map the current state of the relevant technology, process, or market. Identify what has already been solved. Then define — precisely — where your real contribution needs to be.
That’s not a constraint on innovation. It’s the foundation of business efficiency. And it’s one of the most underused levers available to any growing business.
Want to find where your business is spending energy on the wrong problems? Take the free RISE Assessment — 10 minutes, instant results.