Notes on leading yourself, ruthless simplicity, and AI.
Seventeen years of building teams, burning out twice, and starting over, written down.
All notes
- Your first $100K is the most dangerous money you will ever touch
Your first $100K is the most dangerous money you will ever touch. I talk to founders with limited budgets weekly. Most torch cash on the wrong problem. They...
- Tech debt is a financial instrument
Tech debt is a financial instrument. You borrow speed from the future to survive today. But most founders let the interest rate wipe them out. Don't apologize...
- Repeat after me:
Repeat after me: 1 ICP. 1 UVP. 1 core problem. 1 flow. 1 acquisition channel. Founders love optionality. They target two segments. They test...
- Your $60K junior hire actually costs $160K
Your $60K junior hire actually costs $160K. You think you save budget. You actually burn your most expensive asset: your focus. Most solo founders...
- Your ugly code generates revenue
Your ugly code generates revenue. Your beautiful V2 generates zero. You built V1. It's unattractive. It smells. But it pays the bills. Then your ego wakes up....
- You don't need a strategy to recover
You don't need a strategy to recover. You need to do something stupid. You lose the client. The co-founder quits. You stare at the ceiling at 3 AM. Your brain...
- Stop looking at the code
Stop looking at the code. You can't understand it. You nod and say, "Looks good." This is dangerous. Don't mix "It works" with "It is well-made." You cannot...
- 2.5 months ago: $460K debt. 99% depressed
2.5 months ago: $460K debt. 99% depressed. Today: $20K MRR. I didn't get lucky. I got desperate. I stared at my runway. Panic attacks were my daily routine. I...
- No-code is a high-interest loan
No-code is a high-interest loan. It feels like free money at the start. But the compounding debt kills you later. You launched in 4 weeks. You felt smart....
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