This post is an analogy for product development and is a fiery four-minute read.

🔥

It's for paid subscribers only.

Imagine one day, you decided to set about building a new type of racecar. 

What would this look like?

Read more

This post is about adjusting focus and is a snappy 4-minute read. 📸

In the last post, Step by Step, Ferociously, we discussed zooming into the details of a project and building up from there, gradually, with utmost care, but also ferociously, without messing about. 🦁

There's an interesting paradox here, though. Zooming in can indeed be the way to beat the fear and not get paralyzed by large goals, but it can also cause us to get obsessed with the details too much and lose sight of the bigger picture.

This is especially the case when you don't have the right road map or are moving in the wrong direction entirely. See Failure to Launch for an example of what I mean, or if you want a refresher, as there might just be a (much requested) sequel in the works (*wink*).

So what's the answer? Zooming in or Zooming out? I'd say it's a mix of both.

I like to use the analogy of The Telephoto Lens.

Imagine a lens that can zoom into the smallest details, capturing the minutiae of a dewdrop on a flower, but also able to encompass the grandeur of an entire cityscape, a panorama of the surroundings. When we need to get something done, zooming in the lens is the way to go. But every so often, we need to zoom out and make sure we are still on the right track and that everything else is working as intended. 🔭

We discussed the example of this newsletter— zooming in on the work, an hour a day of absolute focus, is the best only way for me to keep writing. But at times, I also need to zoom out to make sure the vision is still on track, improve the publication, and do marketing-like stuff to keep growing and zoom into those areas as needed.

And then, if you have other projects, like for me with software, it's about zooming out of one area completely and then zooming into the other one and adjusting the lens based on the granularity required there. As a side note, more projects might sound fun at first, but the further along you get, the fewer, the better. So take things one at a time and focus on the ones that truly matter (unless they are hobbies, tools, etc). More sounds cool, but sometimes, less is more.

I think this is the most valuable skill you can have as a Founder, if not THE skill you need to have.

If you are building everything yourself, then this becomes apparent very quickly. If you are too zoomed in, you might end up never finishing, keep adding features, and end up with a product that is too hard to use. Nobody wants that. But if you are too zoomed out and looking at the big picture all the time, then who's doing the actual work? You might end up with a solid vision or a plan but no one to execute it. We already know that execution is the only thing that matters, right? Not quite. It's executing the right vision. So, it's about adjusting the lens to the right focal point continuously and moving forward, step by step. 👣

It's the same when you have a team, really. You just have to zoom in and out but stop at certain levels depending on the size and structure of the org. I've worked in companies of many different sizes. The pattern with smaller ones tends to be that everyone is too zoomed in and generally missing the bigger picture. In bigger ones, everyone tends to be too zoomed out and moving at a snail's pace.

That's why tiny startups can have an advantage against big companies. The big fish tend to not have time to care about building something fresh and exciting or embracing the unknown. If they see a threat, they'd probably prefer to just wait it out and try buying it eventually. But in startups, there does need to be someone looking at the bigger picture, especially if you are flying solo or just a few friends building something. Otherwise, you might end up never shipping, overcomplicating things, or building something nobody wants. Yup, you can say that again, nobody wants that. (The last error can be avoided by “scratching your own itch,” but the first two would still be a concern.)

We saw this play out a few months ago in What is the E-Myth? The book (E-Myth Revisited) talks about the three personalities that go into building a successful business— The technician (day-to-day work), the manager (coordinator), and the entrepreneur (visionary). In our lens analogy, the technician is working on the zoomed-in image, the entrepreneur is working on the zoomed-out one, and the manager in you is, well, the one adjusting the level of zoom. 🎥

And if you've ever shot with a professional camera, you'll know that each level of zoom requires you to focus in again, or the image will be blurry. The focus needs to be constantly adjusted as you move or the target moves. It might be tricky or even annoying at first, but once you get the hang of it, it's no big deal and, honestly, quite enjoyable. Same here. You just need a bit of practice to adjust your lens, and then you'll end up building a system for yourself that works and makes it all a snap. That's why we take it step by step, ferociously. Building up the details while keeping the bigger picture in mind.

📸 *SNAP* 📸 *SNAP* 📸

P.S. — This concept applies to more than just projects. Can you think of some other areas?

Please help me improve! How did you like this post?

With your anonymous feedback, I can improve the newsletter.

• 😍 Loved it!

• 👍 Good, but could be better.

• 😐 Meh... not interesting to me.

This post is about what makes a business tick and is an inspiring 5-minute read. It's for paid subscribers only, so please upgrade now if you would like to continue reading.

Otherwise, if you are not in the mood, then feel free to read Lessons from the Shoe Dog. It's a longer post but packed full of insights. This post kind of builds on that, but also stands on its own.

Here we go:

Read more

Creativity is like a slingshot.

The more we put in the work, the further we pull the sling back. 

The better the quality of our effort, the more it stretches back. 

Sloppy distracted work would be like barely pulling it back at all, but an hour of deep focus… well, this would perhaps be reaching the limits of how far we can extend the rubber.

Then comes the point where the elastic doesn't stretch any further. We can't pull it back anymore.

We might even be stuck.

What do we do?

Relaxing the mind. Letting go. Going inwards. This is what counterintuitively launches the sling forward.

The projectile speeds forward at the speed of sound, brushing through the branches, breaking forth the turbulent winds, and slicing the skies.

Giving rise to mystical… epiphany, the idea, the connections in our minds.

And then, eventually, it hits the target.

And when it hits…

Eureka!

All coming together like a perfectly designed symphony.

It's the moments between the start and stop, the unknown, the rising tides suspended before impact. Click. That's what makes it all so worthwhile. Zooming out to form the slingshot of life. You can see it everywhere.

Is your sling extended all the way back? Perhaps it's time to let go and see where it lands.

Otherwise, it might be time to pull the sling back again. Even better this time. With some deep focus.

Swoosh.

Please help me improve! How did you like this post?

With your anonymous feedback, I can improve the newsletter.

• 😍 Loved it!

• 👍 Good, but could be better.

• 😐 Meh... not interesting to me.

P.S. - Stay tuned next week for the first issue of Flyby Biographies!

Nothing like a good ol' cross-country move to throw your whole world into chaos.

But having your last couple of weeks disappear into thin air can make you look at things with fresh eyes. 

With only scraps of time available, I didn't have time for my usual power hour. Routines can often break down, but how you pick yourself up is what makes a difference in the long run.

Do you give up? Or start again and keep going.

Perseverance, grit, sticking around long enough to make a difference is how you win the game. Any game. Those who stick around and keep improving reach the top. The others move on to something else.

Well... I tried getting myself up again. Writing this in the middle of the move to create a sense of order in the eye of the storm. But.. I just couldn't do it. The momentum was lost. I thought maybe I'll read something to relax a bit and spark some ideas. Maybe a book. Tried, but couldn't focus again. I opened up my inbox and scrolled through the dozens of newsletters I'm subscribed to, and can't quite remember how or when this happened. Not surprisingly, I had double-digit unread posts as well. I suddenly realized that the cunning consumer mindset had crept in. After spending the next few minutes unsubscribing from the majority of them, leaving only the finest, I was even more wiped out than before. The balance was off, and my creativity was nowhere to be found.

Consuming piles things up, takes valuable energy, and you still have a growing list of things to do at the end of it. Even if it's consuming valuable information. I've found that it needs to be balanced with creativity. "More information" ended up not being the answer or as relaxing as I had hoped.

But… I took some deep breaths and kept going with the process. No distractions this time. Just powering through the slump. Sitting down and just writing. This was the real break I was craving. Nothing else. In about 15 minutes of blissful focus, I had the first draft ready. I felt my energy levels rising again. This is what was missing! The balance between creativity and everything else. When other stuff starts taking too much of our time, it's even more important to make the time to create. Even a few minutes sprinkled here or there can rebuild lost momentum. Next day, I was back at it with a full hour of focus early in the morning. The balance was now restored, and I was back in the game.

I think it might be time to start upping the frequency of these posts again.🔥

It's like a well-oiled machine. If you create more than you consume, you'll have a net positive output in the world and feel good about yourself. If you consume more than you create, you'll have a deficit, and your creativity will be itching to be let out. Don't let the balance get too far off-center.

You can also apply this type of systems-based thinking to other areas of life and business. Can you think of a few more cases?

But systems break down too. What if you do everything correctly and something out of your control happens? Like your bank shuts down… Woof! While this wasn't the case for me, wild things happen (Hint: SVB + friends). Hopefully, none of you were affected!? In this case, I'm not sure what the answer would be… diversification? Spreading your eggs among multiple nests. In case one breaks down, there's another lying around as backup? But you can only have so many nests. At some point, all we can have is a certain level of trust. Otherwise, everything would break down anyway.

So, the equation we are looking to put in motion is Creativity > Consumption. Create more than you consume, and you'll end up with the odds stacking up in your favor. Then use what you consume to increase the quality of what you create. That is, the cycle of Create -> Consume -> Improve while accounting for anomalies like the bank shutting down as best as you can (HOLY SH!T).

And then topping it all off with a wee bit of trust.

Please help me improve! How did you like this post?

With your anonymous feedback, I can improve the newsletter.

• 😍 Loved it!

• 👍 Good, but could be better.

• 😐 Meh... not interesting to me.

In my early 20s, I read a bunch of personal finance books that perhaps weren't the best choice for me at the time. These put me in a frugal mindset. While I was saving money, this led to an overall feeling of scarcity, like a turtle sneaking back into its shell. In circle(s) of influence, this is what I meant when I said even the types of books you read could impact the direction of your life. So, it’s prudent to choose your influences wisely.

Let's take a football (soccer) analogy with the World Cup🏆going on. In sports terminology, I was playing defense.

You can't win a game playing just defense. If you ever watch a game where both teams are playing defense. It would be, well, quite boring. Nothing would really happen. It's kind of the same in life.

What I was missing was an offensive strategy. You need a strong offense to be able to score some goals and win the game. But you can't ignore the defense, either. If you have a strong offense but weak defense, while the game would be pretty exciting, you can easily get caught off guard, frustrated, and possibly even lose if the other team is using a more balanced approach.

A strong offense for me is the sport of entrepreneurship. I am using this to build my own app startup as well as build this newsletter, which is a revenue-generating product. I can use these to increase my income with variables I can better control. Entrepreneurship is what put me in a state of abundance and also gave me a sense of purpose. In fact, long before I even launched anything or made my first sale. And unlike football, there's no limit to how many goals you can score. And each goal scored can be worth a lot more.

A strong defense is what builds the safety net. It's the investments, savings, and assets you can use to protect (and grow) your income and build a buffer, or a launchpad for your creative endeavors, startup, or side hustle. While this might not be the most efficient strategy for creating wealth, you need this to avoid getting caught off guard by unexpected expenses or unforeseen events. A strong defense gives a sense of security, which is one of the fundamental human needs, after all. Can't leave home without it. Well then, perhaps all those years learning how to play defense came in handy for me after all! A quick reminder to always be grateful for how far you have come :)

And if we continue with the football analogy, you'd also need a solid middle to pass the ball around. The middle is the glue between the offense and defense. It's having the cash flow from the two ends of the pitch and understanding how money works and the best way to allocate it. It would also involve enjoying your wealth and not hoarding or splurging it all (I’ve sampled both ends, and it ain’t fun). It's the balance or harmony, or the overall sense of stillness or calm that everything is working like a well-oiled machine.

I've found it's wise to have all three to live life by your own rules in the long term. It's worth analyzing the balance every now and then to ensure your team in the game of life is functioning optimally.

Then you can focus on scoring as many goals as you want.🔥🥅🔥

But wait! There’s more …

As a bonus for premium subscribers, here are the books I wish I had read instead. These would have helped me build the three pillars of a better strategy instead of just ‘parking the bus,’ as they say.

Read more

There's a certain advantage to treating entrepreneurship as a professional sport. If you put yourself in the shoes of an elite athlete, you'll notice how the journey is quite similar.

Building a business by yourself would be akin to tennis or any single-player sport, versus building a startup with others would be like a team sport.

Both would require hours of practice and focused effort to learn how to play and grow as an elite athlete, but the sport of entrepreneurship has some huge advantages.

Physical sports have a certain time limit to them. An aging body makes it less likely for you to become a professional athlete the older you get. You can practice more intensely as you age and improve your diet and lifestyle, but your body might not agree with this. If you decide to become a pro athlete later in life (even in your late 20s or 30s), the odds are less in your favor for most sports. You will also have to deal with injuries regardless of your age.

In entrepreneurship, the opposite is true. The more you learn, grow, and age, the wiser you become. Age is a huge advantage. You also don't need to be naturally athletic or have the right frame; you can divide the sport into its representative skills (product, marketing, sales, branding, etc.) and treat each area as something you need to practice and improve in. You can start at any age, and your proficiency will continue to grow over time as you put in the work.

Read more