Singleness Of Purpose Is One Of

From Random Reminiscences of Men and Events (1909), Rockefeller's own memoir, which he wrote in his late sixties as a reflection on the principles behind his career. The book is the most authoritative primary source for his business philosophy, and this line appears in the context of his advice on success. Rockefeller built Standard Oil through an exceptional concentration of effort on a single industry at a time when most entrepreneurs diversified widely; he credited that focus — refusing to be distracted by unrelated ventures — as a primary factor in achieving the operational efficiency and scale that made Standard Oil dominant.