hortly after stepping into the role of managing editor, I was struggling with what to write in a “Letter from the Editor,” and I was playing around with something football related. My immediate family members are not football people, but my husband is, and I had just been informed that I’m a Seahawks fan. I was trying (unsuccessfully, as it turns out) to use the experience as a metaphor; not football itself, but the idea of stepping into an unfamiliar culture and how opening myself to that experience was—in the end—rewarding and delightful.

As others on the Alaska Business team reviewed the letter, they kept getting caught up thinking that the game itself should be the metaphor, which didn’t gel with me. Others, who are far better versed in the sport than I, have written whole books on how football is a metaphor for life, business, marriage, dog grooming (probably), and a slew of other things. My voice would not be a valuable contribution to that space, so I scrapped it and moved on.

I don’t remember what I wrote, but I remember it being well-received. And that’s what I’ve been reflecting on recently: the process stuck with me far longer than the final product, even though the final product was successful.

I assume many of our Top 49ers can relate. As their companies have grown, they have hit multiple impressive milestones related to revenue, acquisitions, expansions, employee numbers, safety records, et cetera. However, I suspect that if you were to ask them about, say, record revenue figures, more than remembering the pride of hitting a particular million-dollar figure, they would reflect on what it took to get there: the collaboration and compromising, problem solving and panicking, waiting to hurry and hurrying up to wait. The milestone is significant, but the process is what’s meaningful.

So we arrive at our Top 49ers theme for this year, which is about elevating, refining, and perfecting. The “ings” are important, as we want to convey the idea of processes leading to an optimal result even when there really isn’t an “end goal,” just goals that serve as touchpoints in an endless process of improvement.

What’s rewarding about this issue every year is learning from the Top 49ers where they choose to operate; when they choose to enter certain markets and the challenges they overcome to be competitive in them; who they value as employees and partners; what projects they choose, and the steps they take to deliver on their obligations; and how they define success and pursue their goals. While their results speak for themselves, it’s their efforts that are inspirational.

If you’ll indulge me—just hearing the final score is never as satisfying as watching the game.