#34: Cheat Codes: The Hidden Cost of DIY Solutions

Chip Royce, Flywheel Advisors

In the age of GPT, Google, and infinite information, today’s tech execs and founders are running an experiment. They’re testing the limits of how much success they can squeeze out of attempting the ultimate “cheat code”—reverse-engineering problems, “hacking” expertise, and figuring it out themselves.

And it’s understandable.

We’ve never had more information at our fingertips. Type a question into a search engine or prompt an AI, and you get back an avalanche of data in seconds. Why hire expertise or experience when the answers (supposedly) live in the cloud?

But here’s where things fall apart.

Access to information doesn’t equal clarity. Knowledge doesn’t guarantee execution. And shortcuts—those so-called cheat codes—often waste more time, capital, and opportunity than you’ll ever realize.

They also disguise the real problem: Not knowing when to seek help from someone who’s already seen the roadblock you’re about to crash into.

Knowledge vs. Wisdom: Don’t Put Tomato in the Fruit Salad

Brian O’Driscoll, the Irish rugby legend, famously said, “Knowledge is knowing a tomato is a fruit. Wisdom is knowing not to put it in a fruit salad.”

Just because you’ve read about the mechanics of customer acquisition, pricing, or product launches doesn’t mean you know how to apply them successfully.

Tech founders especially are prone to this—they hear about a concept, research it for an hour, and assume they now have what they need to execute better than someone who’s been in the trenches for a decade.

But there are gaps they can’t see: hidden complexities, market nuances, and factors that only rise to the surface after hard-won experience. Trying to reverse-engineer expertise is like learning brain surgery by watching YouTube. Sure, you can pick up a scalpel. But people (and businesses) suffer when you miss a detail from which only wisdom could have saved you.

Are B2B Cheat Codes a Symptom of Isolation?

What’s especially concerning is that many execs default to cheat codes not just for speed or cost savings—but because they don’t have the right relationships in place.

Often, these are people missing a network of subject matter experts who could augment and guide their teams. They may see involving an expert as admitting weakness, or believing “We hire smart people; we can figure this out ourselves.” And yes, intelligence and aptitude matter. But even the smartest people can waste months or years climbing the wrong mountain because they are too stubborn to ask, “What’s the easier peak, and where’s the fastest route?”

Real-Experience Isn’t Foolproof Either

Of course, experience alone isn’t a cheat code either. You don’t need to look far in the business world to find seasoned veterans leading projects straight into failure because they relied too heavily on what worked last time.

It’s that balance—combining experience with adaptability—that separates the winners from the also-rans. The best outcomes don’t come from single-threaded approaches or rigid reliance on what someone thinks they know. They come from assembling the right mix of internal and external resources—a team that blends aptitude, knowledge, and wisdom, and evolves as challenges arise.

The Real B2B Cheat Code? Experts Aren’t Optional

Here’s the point—there are no cheat codes. Not the kind that matters, anyway.

Sure, today’s tools and tech can make your team faster and smarter. AI can automate, winnow down your options, and provide lightning-fast insights. But it can’t replace the nuanced understanding of someone who’s been where you’re trying to go, especially in high-stakes moments where a single mistake can spiral into a cascade of lost capital and credibility.

The best leaders understand this. They don’t see expertise as a cost; they see it as a competitive advantage. They know when to use tools like GPT to lighten the load, and when to call someone who’s already written the playbook.

And they don’t confuse knowledge with wisdom—or imagine that either one alone is enough to cross the finish line.

If you’re serious about success, it’s time to stop looking for cheat codes. Be the leader who builds a team equipped with all three: aptitude, intelligence, and wisdom. That’s how you push past the noise of infinite data and transform it into strategies that actually win.

The bottom line? You can’t Google your way to greatness. But you can build the path, with the right people by your side.