Tag: Problem Solving

Learnings

You’re stuck? Be a Master, not a dabbler

Chris Labs

There’s three types of people when something gets hard or stop growing: The Stresser-achiever They grind through everything. They are stressed the whole time. Eventually they burn out. (đź‘‹consultants đź‘‹bankers) 2. The Dabbler This used to be me. Work hard. Have fun. Love making rapid progress. Progress stops. Motivation drops. Fuck this. I’m going to go do THAT instead. 3. The Master The master knows how progress actually happens. When a master hits a plateau: She does not panic like the stressor-achiever. She does not quit like the dabbler She simply says “ah…a plateau….to be expected.” She greets plateaus like an old friend. Part & … Continue reading You’re stuck? Be a Master, not a dabbler

Learnings

A committee is a cul-de-sac in which ideas are lured and quietly strangled

Chris Labs

Of course, there is nothing wrong with robust debate, either with others or oneself. What is undesirable, however, is the pretense that any such debate can resolve the risks involved in advance. It cannot. All debate can do is clarify, support or contest the next step. The risks remain, however much talking is done. -How to get rich, p.31 Continue reading A committee is a cul-de-sac in which ideas are lured and quietly strangled

Being CEO

If sh*t happens in top management, solving it should be your priority

Chris Labs

When the two people at the top of a company have a dysfunctional relationship, there’s no way that the rest of the company beneath them can be functional. This is what happened between Michael Eisner and Michael Ovitz around 1995. Ultimately, Eisner fired Ovitz but the damage it caused to the company was significant. -The Ride of a Lifetime, p.62 Continue reading If sh*t happens in top management, solving it should be your priority

Learnings

Greet a Plateau like an old friend

Chris Labs

It’s inevitable, you will plateau at some point. This is a cycle. Once I’m there, I start asking my brain questions: What does the data actually say is happening? What is the stupidly obvious thing I haven’t tried yet? What would a friend or mentor of mine do in this scenario? If I was going to make a simple tweak to the current product, what would I change? Let’s look at the first-mile of the product with a fresh set of eyes, what 10% tweaks would make this 200% better? Who’s already successfully doing this? What the heck are they … Continue reading Greet a Plateau like an old friend