4Law 4 of 48
The Eyes
The Eyes
Own the Doorway, Not the Work.
The work can be done by anyone. The doorway can only be walked through by you.
Work is everywhere. There are a thousand people who can fix the pipe, paint the wall, write the code, drive the van. Work is cheap precisely because it is abundant. What is rare is the doorway - the single point that demand has to pass through to reach all that abundant work.
Own the doorway and you stop competing with the thousand workers. You become the thing they compete to get through. You don't need to be the best at the work. You need to be the only way in.
The takeaway
Don't own the labour. Own the gate the labour has to pass through to get paid.
This is one of 48 laws from MIDDLEMAN - The 48 Laws of the Money in the Middle. Read it in full to climb the whole building, floor by floor.