I’m not sure what I have to add to the great thoughts here, other than this: I can cook my meat EXACTLY the way I want it to taste. So, i don’t compare my results to other cook’s. I’m honest about what I like, and what my family likes. I don’t care what FD cooks in the grand scheme of things. I’ve been to a place in KC that’s won some major hardware in comps, and I like my ribs better than theirs. But then again, I cook to my own flavor profile, and cook to when it’s ready for me and my family. They’d kick my tail in a competition!
Know what you like from a flavor profile perspective. Get good meat and use fresh spices. Cook it to where YOU like it. Sauce it the way YOU want. Learn. That, to me, is the fun of this, and I’ve been playing around with it for over 20 years.