Bombarded with startup advice? Here’s what to listen to
Podcasts, books, masterminds, articles, videos, and infographics about startups are everywhere you turn. And if you don’t know whose advice to take, things can become overwhelming.
The Information Age
The Information Age is a turning point in human history. We have access to anything we want to learn, see, hear, and do with a simple Google search. But there’s also an information overload that comes along with it.
There are hundreds and thousands of self-proclaimed “startup mavens,” “marketing gurus”, and “social media specialists.” These “experts” put out multiple pieces of content every day, which ultimately clutters social media with unoriginal, re-iterated content that may seem helpful at a glance, but in reality — it’s not.
The easiest way to filter out the noise is to listen to these people:
People You Would Want to Trade Places With
And these people should have a proven track record in your industry.
If you’re trying to start a health and fitness startup, you shouldn’t seek out business advice from a motivational speaker. Yes, that motivational speaker is successful, but they don’t have any first-hand experience in what you’re trying to accomplish.
To gain the most valuable insights, you should be reaching out to people that have already done what you’re looking to do. These experts will have practical advice for you to implement, and will most likely be willing to help you out.
Book Recommendations
Going hand in hand with the previous section, you should also listen to book recommendations from industry experts, because it’s proven that highly successful people all have reading as a pastime in common.
- Bill Gates: reads 50 books per year.
- Mark Cuban: reads more than 3 hours every day.
- Elon Musk: is an avid reader and when asked how he learned to build rockets, he said “I read books.”
- Mark Zuckerberg: resolved to read a book every 2 weeks throughout 2015.
According to Tom Corley, author of Rich Habits: The Daily Success Habits of Wealthy Individuals:
Rich people (liquid net worth of $3.2 million-plus) read for self-improvement, education, and success. Whereas poor people (annual income of $35,000 or less and a liquid net worth of $5,000 or less) read primarily to be entertained.
If you’re an aspiring app startup founder, here’s our recommended reading list.
