The business of business

Instead of trying to copy other people’s success stories, here's what I think works better:

Study patterns, not paths.

Look at multiple examples of success in your field. Find the common principles, patterns, and tactics that show up, regardless of someone's advantages.

And don’t forget to pay attention to failures. When someone fails doing exactly... See more

It’s not enough to tell one good story; you have to create an entire world that people can step into, familiarize themselves with, and spend time getting to know. Initially you’ll have to walk them around and show them what’s in your world, but your goal is to familiarize them with your world sufficiently, and motivate them to participate, to the... See more

The truly great entrepreneurs — the ones who build lasting companies — refuse to tolerate mediocrity. They don't accept sloppy work because "the client won't notice." They play until the whistle blows every single time.

Again, it’s not about perfectionism. It's about having the courage to be honest about what's excellent and what isn't. It’s about... See more

she didn’t start renting office space or buying business cards; rather, she just began emailing every single person she knew. Her parents, friends, college professors, former coworkers, internet friends … everyone she could think of. She wrote each one a personal email stating she had left her radio job, she was now working as a freelance writer,

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When you deal with people who have trouble, you can either choose to taken the token that says “it’s no big deal” or the token that says “it’s the end of the world”. Whichever token you pick, they’ll take the other.

If you’re talking about something new or novel, you’ll have to repeat yourself for years before you’re heard.