Let’s call it nearness, nearness to your customer, your risks, your execution. The closer you are the better your understanding of the little foxes that destroy the vineyard.
Proximity can create nearsightedness. Looking at your feet without looking up causes you to walk off the cliff. Looking up causes you to stumble over a rock. As entrepreneurs, we tend to be the one or the other. Both have value, both are necessary.
Never be so far from the execution that you lose touch. Never be so close that you lose perspective. If you have a default, get a partner that balances your equation.
Proximity is not glamorous but it is essential. Unfortunately, it’s also very hard to outsource.
That’s why Undercover Boss exists.