Right now I’m being a founder.
After two years of experimenting with writing, teaching and mentoring, the founder mindset is requiring a conscious shift.
The solution? A specific set of questions, for every opportunity that comes my way or when I need to decide how to spend my time.
Here they are:
- Will this directly grow my business? There are plenty of things to attempt for exposure and publicity, but the goal is to do only what will mean growth for Coachvox AI.
- Would Elon (Musk), Jeff (Bezos) or Larry (Ellison) do this? Reminding myself of how other founders make decisions stops me going off track and adding irrelevant items to my to-do list.
- Does this require my sustained time or attention? New hobbies, new habits, new practices or processes, each one has to be there for business growth or not at all.
- Is this a hell yeah? The most basic question, because otherwise there is no point. Every time I turn down a 6 or 7 out of 10 it clears the space for a perfect score.
- Does this give me an additional commitment? My business is the commitment and I’m not looking for any more. This question avoids adding obligations that take up valuable headspace.
- Do the other person’s ambitions align with mine? A reminder that mimetic desire is real, and it’s easy to get side-tracked following other people’s dreams and forget your mission.
How are you showing up in the world? What’s your one true job title, and how does that dictate your decisions from here?
An amazing founder, prolific producer, exceptional artist, attentive coach, committed CEO, or sought-after speaker.
Each one has its own set of questions, through which to run every opportunity that crosses your path.
Decide who you want to be and then act like that consistently.
