The Right Axis

You may be ‘good’ by some axis you’ve invented.

But if customers aren’t choosing you, you may have picked the wrong axis.

The axis is up to those we seek to serve.

Act Now

Ideas have the power to change the market. Only if you act on them.

Overcome fear and laziness because missed opportunities can be more costly than sunk costs.

‘You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.’

Don’t Turn Back

Rather than wishing it was easier, become better.

Rather than wishing for less problems, gain skills.

Rather than wishing for less challenge, seek wisdom.

There is no such thing as difficulty because YOU’RE difficulty for difficulty.

Vision

The market is going to change more in the next 5 years than it has in the last 20.

If we don’t care to script our future, someone else will do it for us.

Create Relevance

Your work is not for everyone.

You’re working to reach such few people that they’re virtually no one.

So, the real question is: which ‘no one’ is your work for?

In order to create relevant work, define your audience and hold yourself accountable for delighting them.

Because You Get To

‘Have to’ is up to someone else: doing things today because ‘they’ said so.

‘Get to’ is up to us: doing things today using the trust, leverage, and privilege granted to us.

Throw off the lazy blanket and get out there. Because today will be gone tomorrow.

You Are Capable

There is something to be said about sprinting.

It reveals our upper limit—reminding us of our capability.

How will you apply this realization about yourself?

A Person Will Move Mountains

We repeatedly tend to underestimate the power of an individual and overrate scale.

‘A person is smart. People are dumb, panicky, dangerous animals.’

Fight Difficult Problems with Respect

Certain market access problems are difficult and persistent despite the vigilance of many skilled, well-meaning professionals.

They’re difficult because they have resisted simple, obvious solutions.

They’re demanding that we now try approaches that feel risky and might not work.

They reward patience, nuance, and guts and will fight off brute force all day long.

Wake Up

You cannot fight while asleep.

First, wake up. Be aware of your responsibilities, your surroundings, and your limitless capability.

How much attention are you giving to waking up which is the hardest, most foundational part of our work?