The World’s Best Baker vs. The World’s Best Bakery: Why Being Great at Something Isn’t Enough to Succeed in Business

Why businesses really fail

Being a World-Class Producer vs. Being a Business Owner

We’ve all heard the stats:  Countless businesses fail within their first few years, and the reasons why can feel overwhelming and impossible to overcome. 

But one of the most common and generally overlooked reasons is this: being highly skilled or passionate about something doesn’t automatically translate into being good at running a business.

The skill-sets are often a world-apart.

If you’re worried that your business isn’t thriving, or you’re scared it won’t succeed, there is a decisive indicator that you can look to maximize your potential for success.

Understanding this one distinction could be the insight you need to course-correct or set yourself up for success even before you even launch.

Demystifying Business: Success Isn't About Your Skills At Your Craft

Imagine this: you’re the best baker in your city, a true artisan. People rave about your pastries, and you’ve earned your place at the top of your craft.

Or maybe you’re a rockstar software developer whose skills are in demand across industries.

You’re tired of the bureaucracy, fed up with your boss calling the shots, and ready to strike out on your own. With your level of skill, surely your business will be a guaranteed success, right?

Wrong.

Here’s the cold, hard truth: being great at what you do is not the same as being great at business. Not even close.

Running a business is an entirely different skill set. Your talent as a baker or developer—no matter how exceptional—falls under production skills.

But the moment you decide to own a business, you need a completely new arsenal of skills, like:

• Marketing & Branding: Attracting and retaining customers isn’t just luck—it’s strategy.
• Advertising & P.R.: How do people hear about you?
• Lead Generation: Can you keep a steady pipeline of clients coming in?
• Negotiation: Getting the best deals from suppliers, partners, or even landlords.
• Hiring & Staffing: The right team can make or break you.
• Customer Service & Retention: Because repeat customers are your lifeline.
• Accounting & Cash Flow Management: Do you know where your money is going?
• Legal & Regulatory Compliance: Because one mistake here can sink you.

And that’s just the tip of the iceberg.

Why Most New Business Owners Struggle

Here’s what usually happens:

You dive in, full of passion, ready to conquer the world. Then reality hits. You realize that running the business side is a full-time job on its own. 

But your production duties—the thing you’re best at and love most—are also full-time.

So you end up working 16-hour days, trying to juggle it all. Or worse, you lose momentum because you can’t keep up with the business side.

Before you know it, you’re burned out—or out of business.

If this sounds familiar, you’re not alone. It’s a trap so many fall into because no one teaches us the difference between being the world’s best baker and running the world’s best bakery and we assume they’re at least pretty closely related.

Ask Yourself These Critical Questions Before Starting

If you’re considering striking out on your own—or you’re already running a business and struggling—take a moment to reflect honestly:

1. Do I enjoy the business aspects of running a business? If the idea of dealing with invoices, marketing campaigns, and HR makes your stomach turn, you’ll either need a partner and highly skilled team to take that on or a serious commitment to learning these skills and the time to do them.
2. Am I skilled at attracting and retaining customers? Your talent alone won’t bring in clients—especially in competitive markets. Do you know how to stand out and keep people coming back? This is everything.
3. Do I have enough hours in the day for both production and business management?
4. 
   
5. Be honest with yourself here. Can you realistically wear all the hats without burning out?

What Success Really Takes

To build a thriving business, you have to think beyond your craft or passion. You either need to:

• Partner with someone who can handle the business side as skillfully as you handle production, or
• Learn the essentials of business management so you can keep your ship afloat without sacrificing your craft which leaves you doing all the jobs, all the time and isn’t usually sustainable.

Because here’s the thing: businesses don’t succeed on passion or skill alone. They succeed when you master the art of running the business.

So before you leap into the unknown—or to get back on track—start by asking yourself if you’re ready to step out of the “producer” mindset and embrace the role of a true business owner. It’s not easy, but it’s the difference between having a skill and building something sustainable, and part of that is building the right partnerships because you really can’t do it all on your own. 

And that’s how you go from being the best baker to running the best bakery; learning a lot, and finding the right team to get you to where you can shine in the role that best suits you instead of wearing all the hats all the time, because even if you can at the start, there's always a limit and risks to this one-man-band business model.