Ignore the Workaholics

People who spend their entire day at the office saying they are working should be fired. These guys case feelings or guilt and low morale in other people. If people have something fruitful to do at home, then they will do their office work faster. (Go to Sleep)

Why Grow

You don't need to have 100-200 employees working for you. More people leads to rigidity and the company does not remain flexible and bureaucracy creeps in.

Scratch your own itch

You have something that bugs you, try to solve it. You feel some system is not up to the mark, or you think you can make something better out of it, just do it yourself. Most Businesses starts this way.

Start making something

Don't say, oh! I have an idea for this. Start implementing on the idea. Ideas are cheap. Execution matters.

Draw a line in sand

You need not listen to every customer. If you are selling healthy and someone says also keep a bar of snickers as complementary, you have to say NO. You cannot and should not make everyone happy.

Mission Statement Impossible

A telephone company has put you on hold since 1 hour and one voice keeps on repeating ⇒ Customer Satisfaction is our first priority. How'd you feel?

Building to flip is building to flop

Don't start a start-up so you can have a million dollar exit later

Embrace Constraints

More constraints ⇒ Less things to do ⇒ Less bloat ⇒ better product (Draw a line in sand)

Start a epicenter / Ignore the details early on

You are a fintech company, you don't need to have a payment dashboard from start. First focus on creating a Payment feature. Everything else is secondary. (Launch Now) Create the rest of things as you go on. Getting your product out there is what matters.

Focus on what wont change

"Cryptocurrency is hot now. Let's start a startup". No. Don't focus on trends and fashion. Focus on things that people want today and will want from ten years from now. Amazon is successful because it has great customer service, affordable prices and friendly return policies.

Tone is in your fingers

Tiger Woods can beat you with a 3 dollar stick and you can't beat him with even a 300 dollars clubs. You don't need 10000 dollars setup to start with. What matters is if you can create good product with whatever you have or not.

Quick Wins

Momentum fuels motivation. Set small targets so that you feel motivated when you achieve those. If you have a long project, say what can do release this week, do that and get some inspiration.

Emulate Drug Dealers and Chefs

Chefs don't fear to say about their recipe in front of others. Because they know you can't beat him in his own game.

Drug dealers give first time as free. Because they know you'll come back again wanting for more.

Pick a fight

Fight sometimes causes motivation. BMW has been fighting with Mercedes since long. McD has been fighting with BK since long.

Marketing is not a department

Everything is marketing. Your colors, your headings, your logo; hell even your error messages is part of marketing.

Sound like you

Culture is fictional concept. Try to stay genuine. Everybody likes that.

Pass on great talent

Sometimes companies hire because the candidate is exceptionally well. No. If you don't need extra force, you don't need extra force.