So I figured, "Hey! Why not get rich?" and immediately I fell into a deep, peaceful state that lasted the rest of the drive. It occurred to me that if everyone would simply wait 10-15 more seconds in the morning by increasing their following distance to the car in front of them, we'd all save many minutes in the morning. There'd be no more slamming on the brakes for unannounced lane changes, resulting in the "caterpillar" style traffic pattern we've grown to know and love out here in L.A.

It further occurred to me that this principle applies to the marketing world as well. (Most things do, in one way or another.) Many companies are looking for the "get-rich-quick" idea. They want to jump on board (or even predict) the next fad and ride it all the way to the beach, when they should be looking for a trend instead. The trouble with fads is that they're exactly like waves—they rise quickly and get lots of hype, but are ultimately short-lived. It's better to be the tide. Most people never see the tide coming, but it's far more powerful and constant. If marketing is a battle of perceptions, a fight to own a tiny corner of real estate in the minds of your customers, then it's better to invest in the future and build slowly but steady. Great companies and their brands aren't built overnight. You can either have speed or quality, but you usually can't have both.