Most jobs are no longer secure. Given the current crisis, with record unemployment in the United States and elsewhere, it’s more important than ever before to find a vocation that pays well and creates independence. Years ago, I left my corporate job to create my own dream life. Here are 5 lessons I’ve learned along the way.

My brand of success = hard work plus time

Timing for successful outcomes is uncertain. The hard part is being patient and persistent through uncertainty as you strive to reach your goals. You have to give yourself enough bats to hit a home…

A test-driven approach to discovering value

Companies start out as a set of assumptions driving a hypothesis about how to solve a problem in the world. Your job as a founder is de-risking your hypothesis as quickly as possible, to find any company-destroying issues that could emerge on your startup journey or limit the upside so much that it’s not worth building. One clear risk is an inability to find product/market fit, which will be when you have a product that can satisfy a large market.

Early prospects are a SaaS founder’s messengers, helping you understand the market you’re attempting…

How to stop making excuses and start taking action

This article is about getting stuff done so I’m going to get straight to the point. It’s easy to come up with excuses not to do stuff but there are only a couple of legitimate reasons not to.

So we’re going to break down a few excuses I’ve used — and that I’ve seen others use — to accept defeat before even starting and how to turn that around to live the life of your dreams.

Apathy: Who cares? Life is meaningless and then we die.

You’re right. Life is meaningless…

The best salespeople aren’t master manipulators. They are authentic humans devoted to creating multidimensional value in pursuit of making their clients’ dreams come true.

Sales is not about getting people to buy “stuff”, it’s about helping people accept value. The best salespeople understand this as fundamental to their success, so before I go into how to get your first SaaS customers or figure out pricing (in the coming months), I thought it best we begin the conversation here.

Be yourself

Strong relationships start with open and honest communication. If you’re lying to yourself about who you are, it’s hard for…

Real job description, hiring tests, and task list included

If you aren’t using Virtual Assistants, you’re likely wasting most of your time. Below I’m going to show you how I’ve used VAs to bootstrap two separate businesses to over $10,000 per month in revenue within the first three months (one to $25,000 per month) and much more.

For entrepreneurs reading this, it is likely you feel overwhelmed at times by infinite to-do lists, tasks that aren’t “worth” your time, and the feeling that you’re dropping the ball no matter how much you accomplish. You’re right…and that ends today.

Step 1…

I’m going to break all the rules here and tell you a few things that nobody knows about entrepreneurship which may seem like contradictions. I’m only five years into my entrepreneurial career with a lot left to learn. In that time, I’ve built almost ten different projects — three investor-backed and the rest bootstrapped — some with better outcomes than others. Through an unfathomable amount of failures, I’ve found that many popular beliefs about entrepreneurship are wrong.

Myth 1: Working for yourself means that you get to do what you want.

Being the “boss” doesn’t mean that you aren’t accountable…

Hi All — Here is a running tally of what I’ve read this year and quick notes.

Please reply to this post with more book recommendations.

Talking with Strangers, by Malcolm Gladwell — Interesting take on how interpretations of people can be wildly different than how those people actually feel in and about a situation.

What You Do Is Who You Are: How To Create Your Business Culture, by Ben Horowitz — Stories from various leaders (Toussaint Louvertur, Ghengis Khan, and more) and how they created culture within their organizations / tribes.

The Master Switch: The Rise and Fall of…

Hey all,

I just moved back to New York City this week and I am keeping alive my tradition of putting together an events list every month. This month, I’m focused on social impact, fintech, AI, blockchain/crypto, and learning JavaScript.

I will attend most of these events. Let me know if you are joining so I can be on the lookout for you. This is a great way to catch up with me.

If you enjoy getting these updates, please subscribe to my personal email list at the bottom of this post.

Week of July 31

8/3: 5:30–8:30 PM Thu…