The best way to know the best restaurant in town is to become a local. Locals know the shortcuts.

They know the language. And they know the most efficient way to get things done in their town.

Move them to another city and they’re suddenly clueless. They need a map, a travel guide to show them the way. Guides make the non-local, local.

Sort of.

The problem with a guide is that you need to trust them. You need to trust not only are they factually accurate, but trust that they know what you’re looking to accomplish. This is difficult, of course, because 1) the trust hasn’t yet been established and 2) you don’t know how to speak the local language.

Becoming a local is difficult to do unless you spend a considerable amount of time in a specific town. The task becomes even more difficult as the town becomes larger. It’s not uncommon for someone to know the best restaurant in a specific part of town, but be clueless about another part of town.

The Internet has created a global village where anyone is allowed to dabble in anything anytime they desire. If you want to know the best kebab place in Omaha, search it out and you can find it.

The issue here of course if that you find what someone else determines is the best kebab place in Omaha. You haven’t actually tried it yet.

We were once all locals; now we are clueless travelers at the mercy of our guides.

The ability to reach people on a worldwide scale has greatly exaggerated the spray and pray strategy. Send one more tweet, search one more restaurant, send one more spam email and everything will work out.

But this lacks focus. And focus makes things grow. You need to draw your own map.

The best way to draw your own map is to become a local. And the best way to become a local is to pack up and move.

Don’t dabble. Don’t research. Dive in head first.

Focus.

Become an expert.

But don’t take my word for it.

Try it yourself.