She Was the Fastest Runner. She Still Lost.

At Atlanta’s Peachtree Road Race, Ethiopian runner Senbere Teferi led the elite women’s race with less than 200 meters remaining.

Near the finish, she followed the lead motorcycle off the course.

By the time she corrected the mistake, two runners passed her. 

She finished third instead of first.

Strong execution means little if you chase the wrong metrics, target the wrong audience or position the product incorrectly.

Direction matters as much as speed.