Editor’s note: This is an excerpt from Manufacturing Money (Amazon Digital Services, 2015) by Jason Furness and Michael McLean. See the article on the Manufacturship blog.

I n martial arts, the level of skill of the practitioner is recognized by the use of different colored belts to be worn with the uniform. The belt colors don’t recognize the time spent in the study and practice of the art; rather, they represent the skill of the practitioner. In Judo, the darker colors of green, blue, brown and then black are meant show how “dirty” you must get—i.e., how much work you must put into the art—to build and lock in perfect habits.

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