The business of business

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.

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

It’s simple. Stay on the bus. Stay on the f*cking bus.Why, because if you do, in time you will begin to see a difference.

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

Shipping, because it doesn’t count if you don’t share it. Creative, because you’re not a cog in the system. You’re a creator, a problem solver, a generous leader who is making things better by producing a new way forward. Work, because it’s not a hobby. You might not get paid for it, not today, but you approach it as a professional. The muse is not

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Do you ever feel like your business standards are lower than they should be?

If so, identify the three most important aspects of your business — maybe it's your product, your customer service, and your team (if you have one). Write down the current standard for each category. And then write down what excellence actually looks like.

The gap between... See more