Building and running businesses takes plenty of endeavour and the ability to overcome challenges.

Not everybody has the right stuff or the pain threshold. The profiles and press stories tell of tales of success, making it look glamorous—that’s far from the case. It is a test of endurance and fortitude.

Rory White, the Founder and CEO of 7Krave, together with his wife Shanalee, has built a food service delivery business that continues to gain momentum, filling a vacuum. Some describe 7Krave as the DoorDash of Jamaica.

At the Caribbean RevUp mixer held at Waterfalls in Kingston last week, Rory White sat down with Dmitri Dawkins for a fireside chat where he spoke about 7Krave’s journey and his efforts to build the business.

Rory White called for businesses to focus on producing a product or service that customers want rather than placing importance on the personality who heads the company. What endures is the product, not the boss. The merits of the product have to stand on their own.

“Focus on making the product the best as possible. That’s why the founders of Google are my role models—Sergey Brin and Larry Page. Why? Because nobody really knows these guys, but everybody knows Google. Nobody knows who is behind Google. What they do know, however, is the product speaks for itself.

“Everybody knows who is behind Tesla. Everybody knows who is behind Meta. At the end of the day, Elon Musk is the face of Tesla, and Mark Zuckerberg is the man behind Meta. But what you need to do is make the product speak for itself,” said White.

When Elon Musk appeared on Joe Rogan’s podcast in 2018, where he smoked weed and drank whiskey, he faced controversy and Tesla’s share price dropped. It also led to a federal investigation of SPACEX due to its government contracts.

“If something should happen to Mark Zuckerberg, the share price would drop. The same with Elon Musk and Tesla. But with Google, it would go on and not skip a beat,” said Rory White.

To his point, when Elon Musk led the task force of President Trump’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), he faced accusations that he had taken his focus off Tesla, and his political involvement sparked global protests and boycotts against Tesla.

Sales fell to their lowest levels in years, and investors expressed concerns that his ties to DOGE and Trump would impact demand for the vehicles.

Many business leaders position themselves as the face of the company and so lead with their singular strengths rather than the collective strengths of the company. Being the face of the business can impact the owner’s ability to grow the business and make it sustainable for the long term.

At the Caribbean RevUp interview segment, Rory White was of the view that transferring knowledge builds credibility in your company, stressing that it is good to have depth of experience.

Being that charismatic, maverick type leader can have its drawbacks. All actions by such a leader are linked to the company and define it. Reputational risk can hurt the company. That leader’s name is inextricably tied to the success or future of the company. Now, if that figurehead should leave, there is uncertainty and doubt around the company.