May 29th, 2020
Over the next few days, I’ll be writing more about my think week, and some of the things I thought deeply about. Here are some.
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Does time == money?
Much of the guru advice out there is about maximizing your time, maximizing your day, and being the most productive person you can be.
Productivity is an addiction - it feels amazing - it’s something we all chase - certainly something I’ve chased in every job, startup, and project I’ve worked on.
We all want to be more productive.
For example, if you’re a full-time software engineer, what is an example of a good, productive day?
“Being able to code for 6 hours straight, uninterrupted.”
After you code for 6 hours straight, you feel like a boss, like you conquered the day.
However, 99% of the time, I believe this is unproductive.
The only way that would be productive is if you knew with 100% certainty you were working on the right thing, with the exact right specs. We all know this is almost never true.
Unless you’re a software engineer at Facebook working on scaling emojis, those 6 hours were likely an utter waste of human energy.
How much of our work/code that we've written is still being used today? Maybe 10% (for me).
How much of our work/code that we've written is still being used today? Maybe 10% (for me).
So, are you sure you’re working on the right thing?
You might be 80% sure, but that’s not enough.
To be successful, you need to be able to (1) become self-aware of this and (2) learn to ask the right questions:
- Are we working on the right thing?
- If we don't know, how can we quickly test that we are working on the right thing?
- How can we do this 80% cheaper and faster?
Even if it’s not in your job title, asking these questions makes you a better human and will lead you to more success and happiness in life, in your career and personal life.
Chasing the feelings of productivity is selfish, and it’s something I’ve suffered from a lot.
As a programmer, I hated meetings and being interrupted. But looking back, those meetings were far more valuable than I knew at the time.
I wish I was more proactive about bringing these questions up, because often, nobody even asks them.
I wish I was more proactive about bringing these questions up, because often, nobody even asks them.
As entrepreneurs, it is our duty (and a pre-requisite of success) to constantly ask these questions
Asking these questions leads to running experiments and evolution in your business - if your business doesn't evolve it will die.
Asking these questions leads to running experiments and evolution in your business - if your business doesn't evolve it will die.
When you stop asking these questions, you become comfortable - which is the most dangerous place to be if you’re running a company.
Time does not equal money, it’s far more valuable. But it’s less about how you spend your time, and more about how you take back your time.
Don’t maximize your day, maximize your decade.