I never worked on the school newspaper.
There are multiple ways to be externally focused that are very successful. You can be customer-focused or competitor-focused. Some people are internally focused, and if they reach critical mass, they can tip the whole company.
If you don't understand the details of your business you are going to fail.
Advertising is the price you pay for unremakable thinking.
Not the outcome any of us wanted.
It is very difficult to get people to focus on the most important things when you're in boom times.