Most arguments are not binary. You may be right, but that doesn’t make the other guy wrong. Once you grasp this, conflict becomes easier to resolve. Instead of spending energy proving the other guy is wrong, you can spend energy finding common ground. Ideally, you can find a path where you come out on top,…
There are no days off
If you’ve chosen to be an entrepreneur, you’ve chosen a life of always selling. You always need to have your game face on. You always need to be optimistic. You always need to be charming. You always need to be high energy. You always need to be at work early. You always need to be…
A happy culture is the greatest motivator
For most people, looking forward to work is the most important factor in wanting to work for a company. So, if you want to be an employer of choice you need to create a happy culture. That means recruiting positive people, expelling corporate psychopaths, and cultivating an environment where people feel cared for. It also…
Too much building. Not enough selling.
It’s tempting to put your energy into building your product. “I can’t sell something that doesn’t exist!” is the common refrain. But it’s wrong. By all means, build. But more important than building is selling. Selling is the way to get customer feedback, without which you can’t build the right product. Selling is the way…
The winner is always the fastest to adapt to change
It’s not the strongest or the most intelligent that wins The winner is always he who adapts fastest to change. That’s not a new theory. Darwin figured it out in 1859 already. He realized that the animals that evolved the fastest are the animals that survived. Those that didn’t adapt, went extinct. Same for you….
You’re never too big for the small stuff
Just because you’re the boss, doesn’t mean you don’t have to sweep the floor. Make the coffee. Switch off the lights. Book your own flights. Don’t forget about the small stuff. Don’t outsource it. The small stuff is the foundation of your business. Without a solid foundation there is no big stuff.
When emotional, sleep on it
It’s easy to get emotional in business. Anger, greed, pride, depression, all these feelings come into play. It’s not a good idea to make decisions whilst these feelings are uppermost in the mind. When you’re feeling emotional, rather pause. Postpone your decisions, give yourself some time to reflect rationally. Sleep on it.
Don’t be afraid to ask for help
Startup life is all about speed. Go slow and you fail. You can’t move fast if you don’t know what to do. That’s why you need to get good at sucking up your ego and asking for help. Asking for help is the easiest way to get on the right path and keep moving. If…
Cross the bridge when you get there
You can see a problem ahead of you. An obstacle. A bridge to cross. If you’re not careful, it will distract you from the task at hand. If you’re distracted, you risk never reaching the bridge. What’s the point of worrying about a problem that is not yet in front of you? Don’t worry too…
Before starting a business, learn the relevant mental model
Charlie Munger says the secret to success is to learn as many mental models as you can, whereafter you have a latticework from which to hang facts. In the absence of a latticework, facts are meaningless. Here’s an example: Do you want to launch an Uber-like app? Or an online classified ads empire? Or another…
If you’re going to react, overreact
Most times, there’s no need to react to the outside world. Competitors, critics, politics, whatever. It’s just noise. Ignore it. Focus on your business. Reacting is a distraction from you executing your mission. But sometimes you have to react. When that time comes, OVERreact. If you’re going to give energy to anything other than your…
Give bad news immediately
It’s easy to break good news. What’s not easy is bearing bad news. Bad news for your team. Bad news for your partners. Bad news for your shareholders. Much easier to procrastinate. The problem is that whilst good news doesn’t require any action, bad news does. If things don’t go your way, you have to…