Many entrepreneurs start a business by asking a simple question: What product should we sell?
For Paco Magsaysay, the process works in the opposite direction. When he considers entering a new venture, the first question is not about the product or the market—it is about the people.
“Whenever I enter a business, I don’t start with the product—I start with the people,” he explains. “I make sure I’m working with individuals I trust, who have real credibility and deep expertise in that field.”
This philosophy has guided Magsaysay throughout his entrepreneurial career, from building the premium ice cream brand Carmen’s Best to launching his latest venture in the aesthetics industry, Skin Adept.
While the two businesses operate in completely different sectors, the underlying principle remains the same: the quality of the people involved determines the quality of the business itself.
Trust before opportunity
For many founders, entering a new industry can be intimidating. The lack of experience in a particular field often leads entrepreneurs to rely heavily on market research or product innovation.
Magsaysay approaches the challenge differently. Instead of trying to master every technical aspect of a new industry himself, he focuses on building partnerships with individuals who already possess deep expertise.
In the case of Skin Adept, that expertise came from Dr. Benjie Bince, a dermatology expert who spent more than a decade practicing in Dubai.
But the relationship was not purely professional. Magsaysay had known Bince for over thirty years, largely through his brother, Pipes Bince, who was part of the core team that helped build Carmen’s Best.
That long-standing connection created a level of trust that Magsaysay considers essential before entering any new venture.
“I’ve seen his growth and his reputation in the industry,” he says. “That gave me a strong foundation of trust and confidence.”
For Magsaysay, trust is not a secondary consideration—it is the starting point.
When the right people are involved, he believes the business is far more likely to succeed.
Expertise matters more than ownership
Another interesting aspect of Magsaysay’s approach is how he views leadership and ownership within a business.
Many entrepreneurs prioritize maintaining majority control of their companies. Magsaysay, however, places greater emphasis on assembling the right team.
“I’ve always believed in surrounding myself with people who are better than me in their field,” he explains.
In practice, this means working with specialists who understand their industries far better than he does.
Rather than attempting to dominate every decision, he focuses on creating an environment where experts can contribute their knowledge and experience.
In highly technical industries such as medical aesthetics, this mindset is particularly important.
Treatments involve not just equipment and procedures but also professional judgment developed through years of clinical experience.
Recognizing this reality, Magsaysay structured Skin Adept around a strong medical team rather than trying to manage the technical side of the business himself.
Building credibility through the team
In industries where safety and expertise are critical, credibility becomes one of the most valuable assets a business can have.
For aesthetic clinics, credibility is closely tied to the qualifications and experience of the medical professionals providing treatment.
Skin Adept addresses this by ensuring that consultations are handled by licensed physicians rather than non-medical staff.
But Magsaysay believes credibility goes beyond formal credentials.
“Of course, having board-certified and licensed doctors is important,” he says. “That’s the baseline.”
However, real expertise comes from practical experience—the number of cases doctors have handled, the range of procedures they have performed, and the judgment they develop over time.
In aesthetics, no two patients are exactly the same. The ability to evaluate each situation carefully and recommend the appropriate treatment requires both technical skill and professional maturity.
By building the business around experienced professionals, Magsaysay ensured that the clinic could establish trust with patients from the very beginning.
The long-term advantage of the right partners
The emphasis on people also reflects a broader strategic insight.
Markets change, technologies evolve, and business models adapt over time. But the quality of the team often determines whether a company can navigate those changes successfully.
A strong group of partners provides more than expertise—they provide perspective, judgment, and stability when challenges arise.
For Magsaysay, this principle has proven valuable across multiple ventures.
Instead of trying to build businesses alone, he focuses on identifying individuals whose capabilities complement his own.
When the right partners are in place and aligned toward a common goal, the business becomes far more resilient.
“If the right partners are in place and everyone is aligned,” he says, “ownership becomes secondary to execution.”
A simple but powerful principle
In the end, Magsaysay’s philosophy highlights a lesson that many entrepreneurs overlook.
Successful businesses are rarely built by products alone. They are built by people who bring the right mix of experience, credibility, and shared values.
By placing trust and expertise at the center of his decision-making process, Magsaysay ensures that every venture begins with a strong foundation.
In industries as different as premium ice cream and medical aesthetics, that principle remains remarkably consistent: choose the right people first, and the business can grow from there.
