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I can tell you the number one thing that kills most founders... Even when they're failing, they:
- don't ask for help
- look for an overcomplicated solution
- don't do the simple, boring things consistently
- think they're smarter than...
Most founders don’t get killed by the market, the competition, or the economy. They get killed by their own brains...
3 things I notice in CEOs who scale past $10M:
1. They hire for culture > skill
I once had to let go of our best designer at AppSumo. Flawless work but everything took 4x longer than it should. She couldn’t align with our "ship fast" culture. Hire a ship dirty designer and speed of learning went up. CVR closely followed.
2. They’re ruthless with their time
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Most founders get stuck between hustle mode and actual CEO mode. The business grows, but their calendar, stress, and decision-making...
Own the parking lot.
I saw a guy outside the biggest, nicest house in my neighborhood, so I said hi and asked what he does for a living. Turned out to be a good business lesson.
He told me he used to own a bunch of restaurants in Austin. Then he said, almost like it was boring, that he never really made money on the restaurants. He made his money on the parking lots.
What? Excuse me!
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Most people hustle to own the flashy restaurant. Smart people quietly buy the boring parking lot. One gets press, stress,...