Great Work
Starting a startup will change you a lot. So what you're trying to estimate is not just what you are, but what you could grow into, and who can do that?
First Principles: in the context of a project, it’s the assumptions you’re confident about and your fundamental values that you won’t compromise.
i am thinking of the first principles we wrote down for my work project. there were 4 - and they were opinionated, guided direction, could be debated upon but we agreed on them and they led us through the
... See moreCan universities teach students about startups? Yes and no. They can teach students about startups, but as I explained before, this is not what you need to know. What you need to learn about are the needs of your own users, and you can't do that until you actually start the company. [5] So starting a startup is intrinsically something you can only... See more
Once you have figured out what to do, be unstoppable about getting your small handful of priorities accomplished quickly. I have yet to meet a slow-moving person who is very successful.
Ben Kuhn • Be Impatient
This is amazing self talk, ever since reading it I've been trying to DJ this into heavy rotation on my kids' mental playlist:
"Like almost everything in my life, iteration—one dumb step in front of the other, course-correcting as you go—is the only process I’m any good at."
- Barry Diller (from his... See more
Graham Duncanx.comI find one meeting can sometimes affect a whole day. A meeting commonly blows at least half a day, by breaking up a morning or afternoon. But in addition there's sometimes a cascading effect. If I know the afternoon is going to be broken up, I'm slightly less likely to start something ambitious in the morning. I know this may sound oversensitive,... See more
Paul Graham • Maker's Schedule
How to run major projects
1. Focus: carve out dedicated time each day to check statuses, contemplate priorities, broadcast updates etc.
2. Detailed Plan for Victory: a list of steps, as concrete as possible that end with the goal being achieved. add the requisite amount of “slop” to your plan. Check in frequently enough against the plan once it’s made
3. Fast OODA loop. (Observe, orient, decide, act i.e how you update your plans and behavior based on new information): mantain living doc with ranked list of biggest open questions. step back and reorient frequently
4. overcommunicate
5. have fun
