Focus on what won’t change
I recently read that, only about 70 of the top 500 companies of the 1950s are still around today; businesses that must have seemed rock-solid to investors back then went the way of the dinosaurs.
The market changes all the time. It’s nearly impossible to predict the needs and competitive landscape of tomorrow. In spite of the best unfair advantage, an unforeseen change in technology might mean completely new competitive dynamics (think Apple vs Nokia).
There’s many positioning and competitive advantages a business can have. Some might change, some won’t.
Focus on the things that don’t change (Jason Fried).
Everything might change around your core offering but, some desires are there to stay. People will always want faster, more reliable, better customer service, etc. Focus on what won’t change.
Don’t shit in your own trail
When I started working as a teen, my father started sharing work-related wisdom. At the time, one of the lessons that stuck was:
Don’t shit in your own trail [...] Continue Reading…
Don’t be average
The reasonable man adapts himself to the world; the unreasonable one persists in trying to adapt the world to himself. Therefore all progress depends on the unreasonable man (George [...] Continue Reading…
Are you building or just surviving?
What are the pillars of your success? What do you need to be successful?
Credibility?
A great network?
Up-front capital?
Visibility and fame?
Luck?
Something else?
Are you thinking strategically in expectation of future goals or [...] Continue Reading…
What’s your assumption path?
The only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven’t found it yet, keep looking. And don’t settle. (Steve Jobs)
How do you find love? [...] Continue Reading…
Selling is not enough
You have a business. It’s starting to sell products. Money’s pouring in like never before. Everything’s fine, right?
Well, it depends.
It depends on what your profit margins and customer [...] Continue Reading…
You already know what’s broken
No matter what you do for work, you have insight into a problem (or many).
You probably understand the market, the customers and the issues your employer is [...] Continue Reading…
Figure out the black box first
When starting a project, it’s normal to first want to do the things we’re comfortable with.
Too many teams assume that the thing they’re working on will just sell [...] Continue Reading…
21 lives is a digest of hand-picked lessons and stories meant to inspire and expand your mind. Together, we'll see what Babe Ruth, JFK and my dad can teach us about business, work or, maybe even, life. We can do more. My personal goal is to inspire action towards whatever you wish to do with your life. 
