What can we learn from a race car driver about business?

I spent a day among race car drivers at the Formula One event here in Austin.

The heat, the smell of the tires, and the motor sound are unique sensations. But yet, what I found the most fascinating was the way drivers approach their craft.

I met Paige, one of the drivers, we got to talk about how challenging is her job. She has plenty of competition, a big team to collaborate with, and a demanding physical activity. Let’s break it down:

1. Competition: New drivers are coming in every month, willing to take more risks and work for free. They start as early as five years old, and by the time they turn twenty, they already have fifteen years of experience. Imagine starting your career with more than a decade of advantage.

2. Teamwork: You are part of a team, you come and adopt *their* culture, their way of communicating, and their goals. This is not the place to act like a rockstar and try to impose *your* way of doing things, you have to adapt to become part of the team. When it comes to communication this is a big deal.

3. Physical: You have to be at the top of your game, mentally and physically. Nutrition, exercise, resting, reading, and spirituality have to be part of your routine every single day. There’s no way you can be a great driver when you show up tired for a race. There’s more to being a professional driver than driving.

I connected the dots on how this applies to businesses, and here’s what I found:

1. Competition: You are constantly looking at new companies coming for your clients. Willing to take more risks and work for free (or cheaper). You need to know clearly what are your unique advantages that can’t be replicated by a newcomer.

2. Teamwork: You have to pay attention to the way you talk to your clients and employees so that the relationship doesn’t change depending on who’s talking. Being authentic is how you differentiate from the competition.

3. Physical: With the rise of remote work it’s easy to fall into bad habits. A consistent routine is key to your success as a company, starting with your employees. No wonder why many companies are returning to office work! Being a professional is more than doing your job.

I’m looking at how we apply these concepts here at Axiacore. Our reason to exist is to build the best products. The best, and nothing less.