The trick is to pull in unison. If the oxen are pulling out of sync, their power is exponentially weakened. Same for companies. More people means exponentially more power, but ONLY if everyone is moving in same direction, in sync. Focus on getting your crew moving in the same direction, in sync.
Is it a hole or a tunnel?
You’re digging, you’re digging, you’re digging. The question is whether it’s a hole, or a tunnel. If the former, stop. If the latter, don’t give up. If you’re not sure, keep digging.
Hick’s law: the paradox of too many choices
Hick’s law, or the Hick–Hyman law, named after British and American psychologists William Edmund Hick and Ray Hyman, describes the time it takes for a person to make a decision as a result of the possible choices he or she has: increasing the number of choices will increase the decision time logarithmically. In other words, don’t…
Rather reign in a stallion than kick a donkey
Stallion’s can be a pain in the ass. Always causing problems, always needing to be managed. But at least they have energy. At least you don’t have to light a fire under it’s ass. Better a stallion than a donkey. A donkey won’t give you any hassles, but it also won’t give you any output….
Hold onto the fishing pole
Assume you’re fishing next to a rushing river, and you slip. Into the water you fall. You’re being dragged through rapids, tossed and turned. Do you know what the secret to survival is? Holding onto your fishing pole. Not because it will help you, but because by focus on not losing the pole you can…
Take the singles AND the sixes
The best entrepreneurs are like the best batsmen. They take every single on offer, AND they hit sixes. It’s no good only getting ones and twos, but it’s also no good only trying to hit it out the park. You have to do both.
Reality does not fit the stories
David Warner is an unlikeable character who’s admitted to cheating. But he’s also probably the best batsman in the world. That doesn’t fit the ideal narrative of how the world works. According to perfection, the best batsman should also be the kindest and most honest. But that’s not how reality works. Reality often juxtaposes opposites:…
Rather don’t jinx yourself
It’s tempting to crow of your impending victory. A big customer about to sign up. A big capital raise about to conclude. A big partner about to join. But what’s the upside? Crowing only makes you look like a braggart, which no one likes. And you may jinx yourself. Downside all the way. Rather don’t…
Everything works out ok in the end
Pick your mission, then stick to your daily routine: Wake up early. Exercise. Meditate. Find the right partners. Get rid of the wrong partners. Work as hard as you can. Etc. Do that, and everything will work out ok in the end. If it’s not ok, it’s not the end.
Don’t regret your past decisions
You are who you are today because of the choices you’ve made in the past. If you hadn’t made those choices, you wouldn’t be here. You wouldn’t be in a position to regret stuff. So what’s the point? It’s just wasted energy. Everyone makes mistakes, learn from them. Don’t regret anything. Just keep moving forward.
3 ways entrepreneurship is like swimming
Jumping in the deep end without learning how to swim first is a great way to drown. Start small. If you stop moving, you drown. Never stop moving. If you don’t have good technique, trying harder makes you move even slower. Before you work harder, first learn the right moves.
Never go for the lowest common denominator
When you’re in a leadership position, the easy route is to find the lowest common denominator. The decision that everyone agrees with. That way lies failure. You’re the boss. Your job is not to win 100% consensus. Your job is to lead the way. To choose the path. That almost always means taking a course…