Daymond John didn’t become a $350 million Shark Tank mogul by playing it safe—or by cutting corners. The FUBU founder went from flipping used cars and waiting tables at Red Lobster to backing hits like Bombas, one of the show’s most successful bets ever—and he says one Ice‑T mantra about shortcuts has quietly guided every step.
“Here’s the truth: If you keep cutting corners…all you end up doing is going in circles,” John wrote on X last week. “Every corner you cut creates a problem you’ll eventually have to come back and fix. The time you think you saved today becomes the wall you face tomorrow. Real progress comes from doing the full lap.”
“Since Ice-T shared it with me, I’m sharing it with you: ‘Cutting corners doesn’t move you forward. It just keeps you going in circles.’”
Leaning in on his own team is one way John said he’s put that lesson into practice.
You can only operate a business in one of two ways: reduce costs or increase sales,” he said in 2024. “Cutting corners on team training isn’t the place to do it and investing in your team is one of the greatest ROIs you can make.”
