For the last couple of years I’ve been collecting business aphorisms. Although they are pithy, they’ve helped me protect myself and stay good at my job – whatever that job may be.
I tend to get caught up in the moment. Often, when I revisit one of these aphorisms, I’m forced to examine my own motivations and thought processes. Every time I read through this list, I have an “oh yeah” moment.
Let me know if you have any aphorisms you work by that I should add to my list!
Working Your Job
- The best jobs are never posted online.
- Your value is in what you’re willing to do. If lots of other people can and will do what you do, then start looking for a thing nobody else does.
- Your job can be fun, be rewarding, or pay well. Usually, it’s just two of three. When it’s just one, it’s time to leave.
- Jobs can incentivize you with money, vacation time, public recognition, or increased responsibility. Know which one is most important to you and be sure the organization can provide it.
- Share offerings for startups will almost always end up worthless. Make sure the job is providing you with some other form of compensation that’s valuable to you. (see #4)
- You are responsible for your work but you don’t own your work.
- Second to the small company owner, there is a “key employee” that is the most powerful. Be sure you know who that key employee is.
- Go slow to go fast.
- You can make friends at work, but where you work is not your friend. Be sure not to confuse the two.
Sales
- No is the second best answer to yes.
- Sales is a numbers game. The more numbers, the better. If you run out of numbers, maybe you’re selling the wrong thing.
- Price is rarely the most important purchase decision.
- 80% of sales is to 20% of your customers.
- A good salesperson and a good sales manager are two different kinds of people and rarely the same person.
Management
- The boss is the last person to know.
- Employees can be on time, good at their work, and fun to work with. They remain tolerable so long as they are two out of three. When they are only one, it’s time to let them go.
- Firing a bad employee is empowering for all the good ones. And vice versa.
- Organizations incentivize the outcomes they want.
Running A Business
- Business partnerships are like marriage without the release of sex. Choose carefully.
- Thinking about your business and running your business are two different tasks that require their own time.
- Sales is the cheapest form of money.
- Think carefully before taking on close friends or family as investors. If things go badly, you’ll rather have their comfort than owe them money.
- When sales are bad, everything is bad.
- Ideas are great. Execution is harder.
Other Things I’ve Been Thinking About
Using AI To Build A Polemic Website – A City That Works is a newsletter about Chicago city policies. To make their point about pension management, they used AI to build a great website. It’s effective and I think everyone should consider this medium.
Unpredictable Climate Secondary Effects – Climate models did not predict French fire thunderstorms or Canadian fire smoke raising AQI in Illinois to over 500. Get ready for a lot of bad things we never anticipated.
Russia Is Losing Its Grip on Crimea – If you haven’t been following the Russia-Ukraine war, the pummeling by Ukrainian drones is not only resetting the war but also how all future wars will be conducted.
Orson Welles Drunk Outtakes – Welles was a mess towards the end, but oh how few fucks he gave!
EnergyThink.ing – If you are remotely interested in following climate and energy policy, please try out the site I built that allows you to track every state’s policies. Choose your states and get daily updates. Easy! Free! In beta!