don’t be discouraged

Trusting the process becomes much easier when you regularly run into these little reminders that we’re all kinda going through the same ups and the same downs... “The tough thing is that consistency can feel like it’s not paying off for long stretches of time. You feel aimless, like you’re going nowhere. You’re not improving as fast as you like. I’... See more

Fun graphic on $META from the Rowan Street annual letter (a hedge fund that printed a 102.6% net return in 2023): Shows how non-linear the path to good returns can be and how conviction pays off. https://t.co/jWQGVSc7LS... See more

I think a lot about the fluctuations of belief—the inevitable up and downs of maintaining engagement with something over long periods of time. Most people seem to think that love is unchanging versus merely enduring, that if you’re really passionate about something you wake up excited to do it every day. I don’t believe that’s true. In fact, it set... See more

I tell a lot of entrepreneurs who don’t have traction, I miss those times. Yes, it’s exciting to have traction, to have a company that has huge scale. But the biggest leaps you ever get are when you’re small. Another way of saying it is: Your product changes less the bigger you get because there’s more customers, more blowback, more systems, more

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Do you have a “number one principle” that guides you through the ups and downs of running a business?

While it’s not a principle, I often think of the parable of the Taoist farmer. The Taoist farmer has one horse, and the horse runs off. The villagers lament his misfortune, and he replies “We’ll see.” The horse returns with four more horses, and t

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In 2008, Airbnb sought $150,000 in funding for 10% of the company. They emailed 7 big investors. 5 sent back rejections. 2 others didn’t respond. 10% of Airbnb is now worth $7 billion.

As a new founder, it’s tempting and often discouraging to compare your inside to another’s outside. Every other founder and company looks so well put together, whereas you are of course all too aware of your shortcomings and insecurities.

Because of how much we deify the great entrepreneurs of our time, we end up inevitably comparing our new company

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“Generally everyone is misunderstood, and you realize it’s not your job to make people understand you,” Le Bon said. “It’s your job to work and align yourself with your own integrity. I think that’s even harder to harness when you’re an artist as big as Annie. But she does.”

On this day in 1964: Jack Ma born *taught himself English at age 12 *rejected from 30 jobs including KFC *made $15/month teaching English *rejected by Harvard 10 times *first 2 business ventures failed *started Alibaba with $60,000 from 18 friends *net worth: $41.4 billion