Being First May Hurt More Than Help
Being “first to market” means making far more mistakes, and making them in public. New entrants can learn from those mistakes, and get there faster and better. Maybe being “first” is a hinderance, not an advantage. https://t.co/zEfthVpcCs
Opinionated Brands Earn Loyal, Paying Fans
An opinionated company is a more human company. People like that. Some won’t agree with the opinion and won’t join. The ones who agree (enough) will be loyal and even excited to give you money. That’s why it’s better. See also: https://t.co/ZA4WruqhYd
Beyond a Point, Research Yields Diminishing Investment Returns
Does more research improve investment decisions? Beyond a certain point, in-depth analysis offers diminishing returns. Perhaps sooner than expected. So: Form a strong thesis, seek (dis)confirming evidence over time, and diversify to reduce risk. https://t.co/Mo4NVgmxWV
Mandate Outcomes, Not Methods: Flexible Policies Boost Satisfaction
When creating policies, minimize the scope of standardization. Mandate outcomes, not specific implementations. People are happier, and the purpose of the policy is still fulfilled. Detail: https://t.co/rnvrNkSERe
Shape Your Odds: Luck Isn't the Whole Story
In poker there’s still luck, but you can shape the odds. In life, too. So, while it’s true that success/failure contains a healthy-but-unknown measure of luck, that’s not 𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘦. Shaping the odds, is.
Rare Wins Sustain Us Amid Widespread Marketing Failure
Things mostly “fail” even at the best companies. Most ad-viewers don’t click, most of those don’t click past the landing page, most of those don’t consider, most of those don’t buy. It’s the rare wins that keep us going. A weird life, if...
Startups Test Leaders When Engines Fail Weekly
Captain Sully says: “You’re only a pilot with something when an engine goes out.” Otherwise you’re just managing the routine. At a start up, an engine goes out every week. Buckle up, captain. 
Measuring Brand Impact: Metrics vs Trust
How do you measure the effect of “brand?” Or do you just have to trust that it’s effective? https://t.co/YdiZEhCpT2
True Empathy Requires Questioning Assumed Customer Similarities
Koan #13 “I built this for people like me.” “Your customers write code?” “No.” “Your customers obsess over this night and day?” “No.” “Your customers quit their jobs in devotion?” “No.” “Then how are you like your customers?” And the student was enlightened. https://t.co/r4LMC80uW2
Daily Journaling Clarifies Thoughts and Releases Negative Emotions
Journalling every day is a great way of figuring out what you think, and getting some of the negative emotions out of your system. Some prefer writing longhand, some typing, some dictation. Some say talking to AI is actually helpful because it...
One Metric per Insight: Avoid Oversimplified Business Numbers
If you combine too many numbers into a single number, you no longer know what it means, or what it means when it changes. Or how much input noise has been magnified, masking any signal. Instead, each number should measure one thing,...
Founders Crave Independence, yet Struggle with Building Culture
Founders start their own organizations in part because they’re proactively searching can’t abide being a “good team member” in someone else’s. And then you wonder why they’re usually terrible at team building and culture. Both VC-funded and bootstrapped.
Embrace Ambiguity: Decide Fast, Pivot Easily
You have to embrace ambiguity in startups. Make clear decisions without enough data. You can reverse bad decisions easier than you think; an advantage to having few customers and no brand. This is the way of speed and learning.
Don't Compare Yourself to Inherently Incomparable Others
Instead of saying “stop comparing yourself to others,” which we'll ignore anyway, how about this: Stop comparing yourself to something objectively incomparable. Which, means others. https://t.co/DTjn3cpSWu
Annual Plans Reflect Commitment, Not Create Stickiness
It’s hard to know: Does picking an annual plan cause customers to be more sticky, or do more committed customers select annual plan? Clearly the latter happens, and it’s not a randomly-assigned experiment, so the data doesn’t exist. That said, I 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘬...
Cut Bad-Fit Customers Early to Scale to 10k
When you have 20 customers, it’s 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 hard to realize that 2 need to leave because they’re a bad fit. Imagine you had 10,000. Then it would be obvious. Act like that, otherwise you won’t have the time and energy to get...
Time‑value of Money Outweighs ARR Loss From Annual Billing
Yes annual billing means less ARR. So the Q is: Is the time-value of money a larger effect than the loss in revenue? I don't mean the financial rate, but "what could we spend this on" for the company in question, which...
Identify Your Phase, Then Build Systems for Progress
Phase 0: You’ve determined the goal. Phase 1: You’re working towards the goal. Phase 2: You’re measuring progress towards the goal. Phase 3: You’ve built systems consistently making progress towards the goal. Which phase are you on? How will you get to the next...
Schedule Playtime or Accept It’s Not Possible
Want to ensure you have time to explore and play, while still getting things done? Either: Put that time on your calendar, at days/times when you’re typically in that mood. Or: Realize that, right now, you don’t have time for that.
Plan for Cash Buffers when Growth Veers Off Forecast
When growth deviates from projections, whether up or down, you need more cash to run the business. That’s why you raise more than you need (if raising) or keep more profits that you might think (if not). https://t.co/ei3DqCoVKW
Focus on Who Stays: Fit Drives Success
Assume some people will leave. Employees or customers. It means it wasn’t a good fit. It doesn’t mean you’re wrong or they’re wrong; it’s just not a fit. Focus on those who stay. They are the path to winning, and being happy.
Align Departments by Translating Metrics Into Shared Language
Every department in the company is definitionally on the same team, yet it sometimes feels like they’re at cross-purposes. The solution is in translating between languages, and understanding how the metrics and goals connect: https://t.co/FRfzTptThm
Paid Ads Iterate Fast, SEO Can't Match Speed
Both paid and unpaid marketing can get you customers. Paid can iterate in days, objectively finding better messaging, which can be used in all other channels, and home page. SEO can’t.
Hire Those Who Teach You in Interviews
ICYMI: Fresh new article dropped: Zuck’s rule: “Only hire people you’d work for.” Nonsense: He wouldn’t and hasn’t worked for anyone. But, it points to a better test: Am I already learning from them during the interview? Would everyone else learn too? https://t.co/lywMRtGXYV
Expand Using Existing Strengths, Not Just More
Product is working, business is cooking, time to 𝘦𝘹𝘱𝘢𝘯𝘥! But “more” isn’t always more. What direction should you expand? In a direction that leverages what you already have. Here’s how: https://t.co/PaddbfaVoA
AI Summaries Miss Empathy and True Insight
Of course it’s a good idea to have AI record customer conversations, and summarize, and find themes, and make them easier to search. But if you only look at those artifacts, you have no empathy, no understanding, and uninsightful.
Validate Market Size and Growth via Trends and Competitors
How to know if market is big and growing? Analysts cover big markets; you can get their data by searching the internet. Often companies republish those papers, if they’re mentioned favorably. Look at Google Trends. Are competitors growing; are new ones entering the...
Start Your Day With Your Top Three Priorities
Set the top 3 things you absolutely must do, and in what order, at the top of the day (or some would say, the end of the previous day), and do those things (or at least make progress on them)...
Hire by Asking: Would Losing Them Kill Us?
ICYMI: Fresh new article dropped: When judging hiring candidates: Here’s a fear-based test I actually like: If they were to join your competitor, do you think “Uh oh, now we’re dead”? https://t.co/lywMRtGXYV
Hire Proven Marketers, Not Generic Buzzword Speakers
ICYMI: Fresh new article dropped: If a candidate talks fluently about Marketing but never connects it to what you said five minutes ago, or specific things they’ve 𝘥𝘰𝘯𝘦 (not “seen”), they’re performing. ChatGPT can do that too. You’re not hiring “generic VP Marketing.”...
Start Now, Trust Time: Balance Urgency with Patience
Pacing: Start today. Success comes in its own time. Act with urgency. Achieve with patience.
Copying Classics Reveals Your Unique Writing Voice
Hunter S. Thompson copied The Great Gatsby by hand "to see what it felt like to write a great American novel." And his own style was completely different. Just shows how useful it can be to study and try other styles, in...
Candidate Ideas so Good You’d Hire Them Anyway
ICYMI: Fresh new article dropped: I look for a specific post-interview feeling: “I want to implement half of their ideas even if we don’t hire them.” It’s a feeling, but it’s also a real signal. Both because they have ideas, and those ideas are...
Claiming No Competition Signals Incompetence or Deception
Saying "we don't have competition" is a massive Red Flag. Either you don't realize you have any (incompetence) or you're pretending you don't (dishonest).
Factor Replacement Costs Before Claiming Profit
Before you report your “profit” for your build-in-public report, ask: > What would be the cost of hiring people to replace everything I do? Deduct that from “profit,” since the business requires that to operate. It’s just paying 𝘺𝘰𝘶 for that currently.
Complexity Isn’t the Problem; Mindset Is.
Koan #55 “[process] isn't working.” “You're doing it wrong.” “But we got certified, read books, watched videos, and used templates.” "You're doing it wrong; it's more complex and subtle than all that.” "Then it's too hard to do right.” And the student was enlightened.
Target the Best Segment, Not Just Cheap Pricing
Should you raise prices? Or use low prices to beat incumbents who have gone upmarket? A: Pick one strategy: (1) cheapest or (2) best for [segment]. If 1, fine. (2 is likely more profitable.) But if incumbent charges $10,000/mo, then raising from $20/mo to...
AI Defies Disruption Theory: Startups Must Rethink Strategy
Disruption Theory's been a staple of startup strategy, but it does not apply to AI. Incumbents do not regard AI as “just a toy,” and are not waiting around while startups to disrupt them. So, startups need a new strategy. https://t.co/9zku0mmxLZ
Post‑COVID Memory Span May Shrink to 5±2
You’ve heard the “7 ± 2” rule probably -- we can keep about 7 things in mind, like 7 digits of a phone number. Post-COVID, I wonder whether the new rule is “5 ± 2.” What do you think? https://t.co/kk4URv2dtm
Founders Must Use Vesting and One‑Year Cliff
Founders should have vesting shares like everyone else. With a one-year cliff for early folks that don’t work out, which is extremely common; the more founders, the more common. Yes you should make that legal before you start. Always.
Identify and Fix Tech Debt to Boost Happiness
RE tech debt: Is _____ slowing us down, whether because it's hard to change, risky to change, or we keep fixing bugs there? If yes, addressing it soon will boost team happiness and performance. Otherwise, maybe it’s best to keep that loan outstanding. https://t.co/UJrgWx9kEr
Likes Don't Equal Sales: Separate Launch Strategy Required
Just because people are liking your tweets (or whatever they are) doesn’t mean they will buy your product when you launch. A launch plan is completely different. I didn’t realize this at first: https://t.co/gJaBCH5BWr
Selling a Startup Redefines Identity, Not Just Business
Selling a startup isn’t just a business transaction. It’s a change of identity. And it can crush people, even if it was the right thing to do. More: https://t.co/p4XhQRkxs1
Prioritize Internal Strengths, Borrow External Best Practices
For differentiation look inward -- what can 𝘺𝘰𝘶 do ; what do 𝘺𝘰𝘶 have. For everything else you can look outward -- what are the so-called "best practices" you can just steal? All is needed to create a full organization, but spend...
Cumulative Effort Drives Future Sales, Not Single Moments
The next customer will buy because of the sum total of all the work you’ve done until now. Whether you work today for 10 hours or 1. So, not every second has to be packed. But most of them do, so that you...
Efficiency Means Trimming Nonessential Tasks, Not Passion Projects
Often we act as if “efficiency” means minimizing all types of work. It is, for work that needs to be done but isn’t key to your winning, or fun for you. Like paying taxes. But don’t minimize work you love, or that...
Give Value First: Reciprocity Boosts Sales Across Industries
You sell more books if you give away its secrets during the podcast interview. You sell more designs if you give away a design system. You sell more security services if you find vulnerabilities and tell the vendor. Reciprocity works.
Ruthless Prioritization: Deleted Feature Requests Mostly Stay Gone
Deleted a feature request from the backlog, only to add it back a month later? That’s not a mistake -- that’s a sign we're prioritizing ruthlessly. Almost all WON’T return, proving that overall this was wise. More: https://t.co/UJrgWx9kEr
Leverage Strengths, Sidestep Most Weaknesses, Fix only Few
We are a mixture of strengths we're proud of and weaknesses we wish we didn't have. Conclusion is obvious but difficult to execute: To build careers/products that leverage our strengths and avoid rather than "fix" most weaknesses. Then fix just a few.
Curiosity Unlocks Openness to Being Wrong
What helps someone be open to being wrong? Curiosity. If you have it, it's pretty obvious even in casual conversation, so you can also ID it in people. Adopt it yourself, to be smarter. And hire accordingly.