how to be a wolf. 

discipline and dividends. 

1. create big, revolutionary ideas that seem unrealistic to most, but possible to you.

i don’t think someone with an app is an entrepreneur. i don’t even think most people who call themselves entrepreneurs are entrepreneurs. an entrepreneur is a synonym for a visionary. an entrepreneur is somebody who can take bold ideas (that seem unrealistic and irrational to the outer world) and introduce them to the mass market with a vision. an entrepreneur doesn’t set goals or necessarily have deadlines — just a hunger to accomplish whatever it is they want to accomplish. don’t build redundant apps, an seo service or some bullshit company. build something that can positively simplify and impact peoples lives.

2. money is a byproduct and not the focus.

never make the dollar the focus of your craft. create something that is innovative and follow through with your vision. if you’re innovative enough and you have the right impact, strategy and a ridiculous fucking effort towards making a great product, the money will follow.

3. planning is for dumbasses.

“We made mistakes, of course. Most of them were omissions we didn’t think of when we initially wrote the software. We fixed them by doing it over and over, again and again. We do the same today. While our competitors are still sucking their thumbs trying to make the design perfect, we’re already on prototype version #5. By the time our rivals are ready with wires and screws, we are on version #10. It gets back to planning versus acting: We act from day one; others plan how to plan for months.” — Michael Bloomberg

4. be the first you.

in order to establish some sort of monetary wealth, it is important to learn from the mistakes of the greats. however, great businessmen and entrepreneurs have their own paths. don’t build the next facebook. don’t become the next amancio ortega. create your own path and have people follow that. don’t do the following.

5. 20 hours a day.

when focusing on building a venture, until you exit, put in 20 hours a day. 4 hours is enough to sleep. successful companies are built on putting in 20 hours of smart strategy daily. basically, be productive.

6. ditch the chick.

the best personal relationships are built on understanding eachother. i see too many friends who have random blurts of motivation. they find a girl, focus on her for too long, lose their motivation/business interests and then end up breaking up with her. don’t be that guy. the young relationships can come after. they will put you down 90% of the time.

7. never fall in love with a deal.

this was mentored to me by felix dennis (founder of maxim). there will be many deals in your business. and if you’re playing the cards right, the first deal might be the worst. never fall in love with a deal. there will be more.

8. don’t expect anyone to understand.

expecting your parents to understand what you’re doing is almost redundant. parents want security for their children. it’s natural for your parents to want you to go to school and get a job, because that’s safe. but there’s no fucking money in safety. it’s all in the risk. ignore their career requests.

9. drop out of school.

unless you’re becoming a doctor or engineer, you’re making a bad investment. time is important, and so is money. you’re wasting both.

10. everything should revolve around functional design.

the best design is in perfect structure and form, but also very functional. create platforms and businesses that revolve around design. the details matter most. your logo, fonts, product, anything should revolve around a beautiful design, colour, and pattern.

11. hang out with 3 broke guys and you’ll be the fourth.

if you’re the smartest person in the room, you’re in the wrong room. surround yourself with visionaries and people who want to see yourself and themselves progress. ditch your other “friends”.

12. debt, divorce, death, desperation.

are always the best times to get the best price on deals.

13. you don’t need to move to silicon valley.

you can build a viable, multi-billion dollar business from anywhere. do you know who lives in omaha?

14. culture is everything.

the greatest businesses can develop their own cultures and have their customers adapt to it — it’s like a religion. when you order from starbucks, you order a venti, grande, etc. that shit is culture. people resonate with it, they recognize it. allow your brand to identify with a certain set of cultural code and it will grow.

15. cheques are meant to be cashed, deals are made to be closed.

16. your gut feeling is right 99% of the time.

everything you truly embody and believe in — write it down. and never break your code. it will guide you to mountains. always follow your gut.

17. focus on one thing.

the worst mistake you can make is focusing on too many things at one time. that dilutes your focus, which dilutes results. pick one venture you’re truly passionate about that you can put 20 hours a day towards. don’t work on multiple ventures until you can afford to hire a fleet of managers to overlook the intricacies of the business.

18. celebrate later.

partying, clubbing and doing leisure things that take drastic amounts of your time away from your craft can kill your business. don’t party unless you have something great to celebrate.