%20(1).jpeg)
When starting a company from nothing, you have to do nearly everything yourself. You also have to learn quickly. Below are a set of guidelines I follow to propel myself and my companies to success. I created these guidelines based on books I've read, failures I went through and conversations I had.
High-level managerial tasks. Contains strategies, negotiations, hiring and raw thoughts.
0) Ask Great Questions- A great CEO/leader does much more listening than talking. Whether dealing with employees, investors, or customers, think hard on the right questions to ask & listen well to the responses. Find the next question to ask based on the answers they provided (or didn’t provide).
Applying this- “What question should I be asking this person? What do they know that I need to know?”
3) Think Big- See the direction the company needs to go. Having the ability to zoom in to get things done (usually in the short term), while still being able to zoom way out (long term) to see big opportunities and threats is a trait you must continue use effectively.
Applying this- “What is the highest level I can look at this subject? What is the furthest we can take this __________? What do we need to do right now to reach our goals?”
6) Block out Noise- Always remember who is giving you advise. Don’t let opinions/ideas from an invalid source stress you out or cause you to do/think rash things. Never become close-minded but understand that not all advise is the right advise.
Applying this- “What is this person’s experience? What field are they in? What is their mindset?”
Fundamentals Followed-
.jpg)
%20(1).jpeg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
Design and development of products. Ideas on both the product and the process itself.
1) Customer Obsession- With no customers, there is no company. When inventing, building & iterating products, put yourself in the customers shoes & work backwards from there. Work vigorously to earn & keep customers.
Applying this- “Would our customers find value in this product? Why or why not? How can we create more value for them?”
2) Invent & Simplify- Push for innovation on your current products & the inventions of new ones. This is a mix of thinking big & obsessing over customers.
Applying this- “What can I build that has never been built? What large problem (internal or external) needs to be solved more efficiently?”. Forever ask yourself & your teams the question “How can we make this simpler?”
4) Insist of the Highest Standards- Never settle for half-baked products. Never pass up an opportunity to fix a problem. Don’t pass problems down the line, fix them when you see them in a way so they stay fixed. Push yourself & your teams to deliver the highest quality product you can with the available resources.
Applying this- “Am I holding myself & my team accountable to operate and build at the highest level?”
Fundamentals Followed-
%20(1).jpeg)
%20(1).jpeg)
%20(1).jpg)
%20(1).jpeg)
Focus on getting eyes to our creations. Content generation, building and then launching.
7) Take Action- Speed matters in business. Decisions that are easily reversed don’t need to be mulled over & push aside to decide later. Jumping on opportunities when they arise are important, making phone calls right when you have a new potential client, taking that interview with a PR opportunity etc. Don’t let chances at greatness sit at the back burner.
Applying this- “In this field/bucket/branch, what can I do today that will bring us closer to a high-quality result?”
Fundamentals Followed-
.jpg)
Tasks involving banking, taxes and paperwork. Questions/ideas on how to manage money better.
8) Be Quick and Light- Ties into taking action, accomplish more while using less. Less words. Less money. Less time. Less energy. Constraints breed resourcefulness. There is no prize for more budget size, growing headcount etc.
Applying this- “How can we do this cheaper, easier, faster & with less energy?”
Fundamentals Followed-
.jpg)
.webp)
Tasks involved with making money. Questions/designs on how to make more money faster.
5) Learn & Be curious- Learning has no limits, never cut yourself off from gaining new insights & perspectives. Ask questions that will allow the listener to dive into their field of expertise & make the questions ones that add to your bank of knowledge & wisdom. Understand that there are people much smarter & more experienced than you.
Applying this- “What knowledge can I gain in this moment/meeting/conversation? What does this person/group know? What are they good at?”
9) Deliver Results- Focus on the key inputs that will propel your companies to success. Deliver these with the right quality & in a timely manner. The company sinks if results cannot be delivered on time & on quality.
Applying this- “Is this the end product we want to deliver to our customers? What message does this send to them about our company? Can we get this to them in a timely manner?”
Fundamentals Followed-
%20(1).jpeg)
.png)
.jpg)
