There are plenty of speed-bumps on the startup road. When you’re small, you feel them more. You risk damaging your venture if you hit the speed bumps too fast. So you have to drive carefully, slowing down for every bump along the way. Another reason to grow fast. The bigger the car, the less you…
Mediocrity is the cousin of relativism. “We’re not the fastest, but we’re not the slowest.” “We don’t have the best service, but we’re better than most.” “We’re not the market leaders, but at least we’re not last.” “I’m not the best dad in the world, but I’m not the worst.” Relativism is the crutch that…
Many of the world’s greatest inventors, artists and entrepreneurs were creatures of habit. They realised that if they wanted to free up their creative juices and save their brain muscles for important matters, they must minimise time and energy spent on repeatable tasks, such as meals, clothes and daily chores. Steve Jobs always wore the…
Stress isn’t a bad thing. It makes you focus. Focus is a good thing. The trouble comes with distress. Distress can cause you to panic. Panic will cause you to fail. The easiest way to avoid distress is to keep your eye on the big picture. Don’t let the small stuff get under your skin. Your flight delayed?…
In business, “sustainability” means being profitable. Making more money than you spend. There are different types of money: The most sustainable income is annuity-based. Earn while you sleep. Know that when you get a new customer, she will be paying you every month going forward, rather than you having to sell to her again next month,…
You’ll encounter enemies along the way. Critics and competitors. They’ll attack you, throw insults and legal letters and advertising campaigns. Most times, the best defence is to play dead. Responding simply feeds the fire, and worse: distracts you from your mission. Occasionally you have to fight back. But 9 times out of 10, the best…
When given options, small or big, always go big. You may think the small option is the safe path, but you’re wrong. Safe is dangerous. Safe is for corporate. For yesterday. For losers. Entrepreneurs are none of the above. Always go big.
It’s not that pessimists are never right, it’s that they never win. At best a pessimist can proudly stand amidst the ruins and say, “I told you so.” That’s why entrepreneurs can’t be pessimists. For entrepreneurs, it’s not about being right. It’s about winning. Only optimists stand a chance of winning. The pessimists never win.
Every business has some basics. If you own a pub, the basic thing is to serve cold beer. That’s it. Cold. Beer. No matter how nice the decor is, no matter how good the beer is, no matter how great the location is, if the beer is not cold, the customer will not very happy. Make sure…
All discipline comes from habit. Habit comes from routine. Routine comes from doing the same thing at the same time every day for 30 days in a row. If you want to wake up at 430am and get ahead of the pack, set your alarm for 430am. Wake up, get out of bed. Rinse and…
You will come across many excellent potential employees. Smart, well-spoken, experienced. Before you hire, make sure of one thing: She listens to the customer. The more skilled/talented a person, the higher the likelihood of her thinking she knows better than the customer. And so they close their ears to feedback, discounting it as uninformed drivel….
Trying and failing to stop drinking? Or wake up early? Or exercise? Or cut out sugar? Or quit your job and start a business? The reason is that you don’t want to. If you really want something, you do it. So, instead of setting your alarm clock, ask yourself what it is you want. If…