this is a bulldog. Not a human.

How to Build an Agency.

(that people will care about)

My name is Mills. I am Mills.

Yyyyyyooooo0 — !!! — these are the show notes from one of my daily JFDI CAST podcasts where I speak to myself daily and weekly I sit with my ustwo cofounder Sinx and discuss the life of a human who built a 300 person digital product, service, gaming and investment fampany.

The JFDI Cast is a daily show where I just talk for 20 mins about just fucking doing something (although today I spoke for 46 mins). Stop procrastinating, stop overthinking, stop planning, just fucking do it (and learn from it).

I could talk forever about the subject of how to build an agency (although we built a studio) and this is a JFDI cast meaning I just say what I remember at the time so I have forgotten loads and this is just the start. Hopefully it gives you enough to trigger questions you can fire over to me at mills@ustwo.com

Here is the ustwo cultural manifesto that I refer to btw.

At 4am I wrote in my sketchbook and by 5am I wrote them up.

This is the rough jist of what I say in the podcast. This is just my opinion, not to be taken to seriously. On reflection there is so much more I would need to talk about but this is a start. It’s also what I remembered to say in the 2 hours I spent thinking about what to say (from 4am!)

Remember: This is a JFDI cast.. I think on the spot, or within a few hours before and this subject was chosen by the twitter poll I put out last night and woke to.

STARTING
Don’t overthink, Just do. get stuck in and work hard on anything.
Learn on the job.
How can you stand apart? So many agencies out there.
Build a company you want to work at.
You are what your company becomes. Pricks build prickish companies.
Make it fun. Have humour.
Have a mission beyond profit.
Be daring. Be bold, take huge risks.
If you don’t like clients then don’t start an agency.
Remember you are in the problem solving game. No problem is too little.
Don’t build your company to sell. Don’t.
Great companies are about amazing work and amazing togetherness culture.
What are your values. Why are you doing this? hire/fire with them.
Create your own nomenclature — Fampany, Succailure etc.
Create a sense of belonging. This is what drives people.
Think of a company name. But don’t think that hard.
Get a client or some money so you can start.
Don’t worry about your logo or website, nobody cares. (plus you’ll change it)
Make sure reality is better than the website perception.
Shut the fuck up on social in the beggining and just make stuff.
Don’t build an agency, create a studio.
Don’t for one minute think winning awards is important. Utterly cringy.
Don’t sign NDAs — total waste of your life.
Don’t go to black tie industry events.
Don’t go to conferences. Total waste of time.

YOU
Always expect. The day you stop it’s over.
No Bullshit, Hard graft, and leave ego at door.
Be passionate, Determined and Humble.
Work Early and Late.
Get over yourself, you’re not a boss. You are a human and so are employees.
Take the time to understand your gang.
Recognise that you will always make mistakes and own up in public.
Communicate. Communicate, and then do it more.
Wear what you want, whatever makes you do your job better.
Have an opinion. Put it out there. Nobody will care but do it.
Clean piss from the floor every day. The day you stop it’s over.
Have a hobby. You will need it. (I didn’t have one and paid the price)
Reach out to people who have done it before. Learn from them.
Talk to other founders. You’ll see everyone is in the same boat.

PEOPLE
Have a best mate co-founder who is different to you.
Inspire everyone but expect delivery back.
Don’t Hire your hids mates.
Set expectations on people from the off.
Be hyper aware of the benefits of inclusion.
Fire fast and hire slow.
Have a supportive husband, wife or partner or mates! You might need it.
Bring in HR asap.
Get over the fact people leave. They have lives. It’s not always a reflection on you.

BIZ
Find a wave and surf it.
Share opportunities with other companies if they don’t suit you.
Hire an FD you can trust.
Create your own side projects and promote the fuck out of them (they attract clients)
Find a client you can grow with.
Be open and transparent. Employees will slag you off down the pub so create a safe space in the studio to do it.
Vet your clients. Do they share your values.
Take on bad work if you are open about why you are doing it.
Don’t give away equity.
Don’t waste money on business cards.
Think of unique ways to embrace clients. Clients are humans.
Prepare to change to stay the same. The industry is in constant flux.

MONEY
Reinvest all your money into the growth of the company.
Pay people what they deserve.
Money isn’t important to those who join new companies. What can you give beyond money.
Clients are going to take time to pay so build that in.
Save as much money as you can for rainy days (at least 3 months fully packed)

STUDIO
Make the place special. This is your castle.
Create Touch points everywhere. Your studio is your billboard.
Have furniture taste, do it yourself, (don’t hire a company to give you taste)
Fuck remote working when you start. This is about the physical imo.
Have a good coffee machine. It says a lot about how you treat people.
Have nice toilet paper. Love your arsehole.

THINGS TO UNDERSTAND
it’s going to be very hard.
It’s going to take more than 15 years.
Be willing to get stuck in on utterly dreadful things.
Nothing is below you.
Enjoy the journey. Because that is what it is.

this is my professional podcast zone. In my cellar.

Here is the ustwo cultural manifesto that I refer to btw and studio something!! I knew it was that name! sorry boys!

mail me on mills@ustwo.com if you want to undertdsand what I am meaning or saying.

I have started the new daily JFDI show. Why not have a listen..
Soundcloud iTunes TuneIn OverCast

my email is mills@ustwo.com and I podcast daily on my JFDI cast .