No sacred cows

“How would you combine the org charts?” I asked.

At my old job, I was interviewing a potential leader for the upcoming merger of 2 companies.

“No sacred cows.” he replied.

No fancy strategy. No secret playbook. Just 3 words.

“What about the 2 separate code bases?” I asked my next question.

Again, “No sacred cows.”  

“Can you elaborate?” I requested.

“Look,” he said, “I’m going to roll up my sleeves, go after the low hanging fruit — and there will be no sacred cows.”

Regardless of the question, no sacred cows was always the answer. After 10 minutes, I stopped running through my list. I already knew the answers.

At first, I was confused. What did cows have to do with org charts, technology, or business strategy?

So I Googled it:

“No sacred cows” refers to ideas, beliefs, or institutions considered above criticism — often treated with undue reverence.

Then I got it.

This guy didn’t have a fully baked plan. But he was committed to asking questions and challenging assumptions. Nothing was off-limits.

That stuck with me.

Just because something has always been done a certain way, doesn’t mean that it should be — especially with today’s pace of change and innovation.

Whether you're a carnivore or a vegan, questioning sacred cows is how progress happens.

At Run The Day, we question things. Not to be difficult — but to improve:

• Why does the equipment work this way?

• Why does that product cost so much?

• How can we offer a better service to 5ks?

• Would removing that step make things smoother?

• Does our tech really need that feature — or is it better without it?

Asking doesn't mean acting. But it does mean nothing is immune from scrutiny — especially not me.

Questioning assumptions is how we get better.

When we get better, we serve races better. We unite communities better.

And we Run The Day better.

-Ian

A fun 5k

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