The Start-up of You: Adapt to the Future, Invest in Yourself, and Transform Your Career

In school, you’re told to focus on shoring up weaknesses. Parents and teachers pay special attention to the Cs and Bs on the report card, not the As. Work on your weak spots, they say. This attitude sticks. But it’s also inefficient. In adulthood, you’ll get a greater ROI (return on investment) from investing in your strengths than in your weakness

In fact, the word company is derived from the Latin cum and pane, which means “breaking bread together.”[1]

A strong market can overcome almost any deficiency in a startup, at least for a time.

In life, there are multiple gold medals available at any given time. Aim for a specific gold medal in a specific contest.

Passions Aren’t Found—They Emerge

No matter how brilliant your mind or your strategy, if you’re playing a solo game, you’ll always lose out to a team.

The person who is emotionally driven by what they are doing will outwork and outlast the person motivated solely by making money.

“The reason I don’t have a plan is because if I have a plan I’m limited to today’s options,”

No matter how much heart and hard work you throw into something, no matter how good your intentions, no matter how strong your convictions—if real customers don’t want what you’re offering, you’ll go out of business.