Building a Business

Here’s the uncomfortable truth: If you’re half in, you’re actually all out.

Even 90% in gets you nowhere. There’s something magical in that last little bit, simply because so few are willing to do it. That’s where you unlock new levels to the game. True mastery at your craft.

True mastery isn't about talent—it's about courage.

The courage to live a li

What is wonderful about The Great Differentiation, though, what gives me hope, is that people seem to be copying the desire to differentiate.

Instead of faking the form, they are emulating the essence: create something unique and true to you, something that only you have earned. Something different.

This is good advice for all of us.

Differentiate. Al

A small team of A+ players can run circles around a large team of B players.

Henry David Thoreau on the hard part:

“Simplify, simplify, simplify!”

“You don’t have to do exceptional things to get exceptional results.”

Great work requires being stubborn about your goals but flexible about your methods. The best people I know stick relentlessly to what they want to achieve, but quickly adapt how they'll achieve it when they see a better way. Most people do the opposite - they cling to their methods even when better options appear.

Elite rowers understand this balan

Hiring and retaining talent (Nvidia):

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It constantly looks for ways to add more performance incentives. While most companies push back against any requests to renegotiate compensation, Nvidia seeks opportunities to do so. It does not wait for performance reviews to reward good performance. At Nvidia, the CEO routinely gives people new equity grants

The willingness to figure things out as you go is often the only difference between those who achieve difficult things and those who never begin.