Both the San Francisco 49ers and Cleveland Browns used very similar methodologies to build their teams, but the 49ers went to the Super Bowl in Kyle Shanahan's third year, whereas the Browns sputtered to a 6-10 record. A lot comes down to execution, while the Browns also suffered from a lack of patience, prematurely shutting down the process of working the salary cap and investing in the draft.
The 49ers forged a viable partnership between head coach Kyle Shanahan and general manager John Lynch, who were both given six-year contracts. This setup ensures that these guys will either succeed together or they will probably be fired together, in contrast to the Browns system in which the coach and general manager continually complained to the Haslams to get the other guy fired.