My top 10 highlights from the episode: (watch on Spotify)

1.  I either buy my first choice or I buy nothing. If ten are for sale, only one can be the best. I buy that one.

2. You must immerse yourself in your work. You have to fall in love with your work. Never complain about your job. You must dedicate your life to mastering your skill.

3. The techniques we use are no big secret. It's just about making an effort and repeating the same thing every day.

4. I can't think of a single restaurant that puts this much pressure on the rice. But that's fine with us because we can keep using the best rice and our rivals won't be able to imitate us.

5.  It's more work, but it's worth it.

6. While I'm making sushi I feel victorious. Until the end, I only want to work with the best fish. (Lesson there)

7.  When I left home at the age of nine I was told, "You have no home to come back to." That's why I have to work hard. I knew that I was on my own and I didn't want to have to sleep under a bridge. So I had to work just to survive. That has never left me. 

8. I've never once hated this job. I fell in love with my work and gave my life to it. Even though I'm eighty five years old, I don't feel like retiring. 

9. Always look ahead and above yourself. Always try to improve on yourself. Always strive to elevate your craft.

10. [He visits his parents grave] I don't know why I come here. My parents didn't take care of me.

Listen to #397 Jiro Ono: Simplicity Is The Ultimate Advantage on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or YouTube.

Ramp: Time is money, save both. Easy to use corporate cards, bill payments, accounting, and a whole lot more. All in one place.

Vanta: Automate compliance, security, and trust with AI. Vanta helps you get compliant fast. Vanta's AI and automation power everything—from evidence collection and continuous monitoring to security reviews and vendor risk—whether you're starting up or scaling. Trusted by over 12,000 companies, from startup to enterprise.