I had a conversation with a buddy about a real estate solution this past week. I recognized a problem and called him to get his perspective because he has years of experienced in the space. He agreed the problem is real and the solution seems viable. However, he questioned whether using resources to execute the solution would be the best use of those resources. Based on his experience, he thinks the same resources could be used to implement four smaller solutions in roughly the same time or less. Those four solutions could create value for more people than the larger single solution would.

I’m so glad I asked my buddy for his thoughts. My early thoughts weren’t developed and structured. Even with the rough starting point, though, his experience allowed him to see things  I couldn’t. After hearing his perspective, I’m thinking about this solution differently.

This was a reminder for me that it’s never too early to begin talking with others about ideas. Those conversations can reveal gaps in my thinking and refine it.

Today marks the end of my seventy-fourth week of working from home (mostly). Here are my takeaways from week seventy-four:

• Schedule – This week I went back to a few days with a heavy meeting schedule and a few days with a light schedule so I can focus. The heavy days were hard on my eyes because of Zoom, but they were productive.
• Demo day – I attended a virtual demo day today. It was nice to chat with multiple founders and hear about interesting problems.
• August – The month will be over in a few days. The year is flying by. Before we know it, we’ll be in the fourth quarter.  

Week seventy-four was packed. Lots of meetings and other work and very productive.

Today marks the end of my seventy-third week of working from home (mostly). Here are my takeaways from week seventy-three:

• Alignment – People are more aware of values and purpose. They’re openly discussing how they factor into their decision-making. I’m hearing more people talk about this in relation to their work and as consumers (i.e., what companies they’re willing to buy from).
• Cancellations – A lot of meetings were cancelled by other people this week, for various reasons. It happens, of course, but not usually this much!
• Unexpected outcomes – A few scenarios played out in ways I didn’t expect. It was a reminder to be ready for anything.

Week seventy-three was a good, productive week. Looking forward to unwinding this weekend and getting ready for next week.  

Today marks the end of my seventy-second week of working from home (mostly). Here are my takeaways from week seventy-two:

• No – This week, I’ve been told no and I’ve told others no. In my personal and professional lives. It’s not easy to say it or hear it. This week was a reminder of that.
• Conviction – This was top of mind last week, and it still is. I’m considering more bold moves and want conviction to factor heavily into my decision-making.
• Intention – I had a great conversation with a founder who recently retired. He shared his views on his intentionality as he starts his next chapter. He has a great perspective and he’s using some interesting frameworks. I hope to borrow from some of the things that are working for him.

Week seventy-two was another busy one. I’m glad it’s over. Looking forward to a nice weekend!

Today marks the end of my seventy-first week of working from home (mostly). Here are my takeaways from week seventy-one:

• Rhythm – Lots of things were going on this week, but I was in a good rhythm and one top of it all. I felt organized and proactive instead of chaotic and reactive.
• Conviction – I watched some interesting interviews of successful people on YouTube. All of them mentioned gaining confidence in bold moves by having conviction. This stuck with me, and I’ve been thinking about it all week.
• Knowledge sharing – I want to be more proactive about learning things in areas I’m curious about. Digital communities are a great source of knowledge.

Week seventy-one was a busy one. Lots of good things happened. I felt like I was productive and ended the week on a high note.

‍

Today marks the end of my seventieth week of working from home (mostly). Here are my takeaways from week seventy:

• Origins – A close friend reminded me of how I began as an entrepreneur. It was unglamorous and at times dangerous (I was dealing with large cash payments from customers). It’s good to think about where I started and how far I’ve come. I believe I’ll share more of those origin-story details going forward.
• Top of mind – Staying top of mind with people can lead to amazing opportunities. I read a book about this years ago, and this week I experienced the power of staying top of mind.
• July – The month is over, and a little more than half the year is over. Time is flying by.

Week seventy was a great one. It was brisk and keep me on my toes. Looking forward to starting August off on a great note.

Today marks the end of my sixty-ninth week of working from home (mostly). Here are my takeaways from week sixty-nine:

• Systems – I told myself I want to implement systems that help me work on things that are important to me in a healthy and sustainable way. This week I made great progress on one of those systems, and I’m already seeing it pay off. Looking forward to finishing it and regularly leaning into something that’s important in a way that’s sustainable and authentic.
• Time to focus – I blocked out some nice chunks of time this week to focus, which helped me move the needle on some big projects. Things ebb and flow, so I need to be flexible, but I want to be more intentional about taking time to focus.
• Juggling – I have a few competing priorities with similar levels of importance. This week it was harder to juggle them, but I got my arms around them more toward the end of the week.  

Week sixty-nine was a busy one. Not hectic, but a lot going on. Looking forward to closing out the month strong next week.

Today marks the end of my sixty-eighth week of working from home (mostly). Here are my takeaways from week sixty-eight:

• Regional capitals – I spent some time looking at different regions of the country and the cities most people think of as their capitals. There doesn’t appear to be a consensus about the southeast—a few cities were mentioned.  
• Reflection – I’ve had a few conversations this week in which people mentioned reflection and how it leads to insights. I think reflection can accelerate learning.
• Learning – A friend shared an interesting observation: reading, thinking, and writing can help make people smarter. He’s got me thinking about this.

Week sixty-eight was a great, productive one. Looking forward to keeping up the momentum next week.  

Today marks the end of my sixty-seventh week of working from home (mostly). Here are my takeaways from week sixty-seven:

• Short week – Monday was a holiday, so this was a four-day week. Short weeks are nice. The extra day makes a difference. I’d imagine a lot of people took the entire week off.
• Systems – I want to implement systems that help me work on things that are important to me in a healthy and sustainable way. Looking forward to doing that in the second half of the year.
• Events – In-person events are coming back. I’m starting to see more scheduled for this fall. Many are hybrid—they offer a virtual option. I’m curious to see if attendance will be back to pre-pandemic levels.      

Week sixty-seven was a short one. Next week, the pace will be back to normal.

As a founder, I made tons of mistakes. (I often refer to this as stepping on landmines.) Recently I shared one of my more painful stories with a friend. He asked a few questions about why my decision proved incorrect, which I answered. He felt the flaws in my decision should have been apparent from the start and couldn’t understand why I’d made that decision.

The old saying that hindsight is 20/20 is true. Things are often crystal clear when you look backward. You usually have the benefit of complete information. Being in the middle of a situation is very different: you have imperfect information and, often, time constraints.

I explained to my friend what I had perceived the situation to be as it was unfolding versus what I later learned had actually happened. He then understood.

Making decisions with imperfect information is hard, and I’ve gotten it wrong lots of times. I try to make the best decision I can with the information I have. When I finally have the luxury of hindsight, I try not to focus on the outcome. Instead, I aim to learn. In my experience, regardless of the outcome, there’s always something to be learned when you can see everything more clearly.

Hindsight shouldn’t be used to second-guess or critique past decisions. Founders should be careful not to fall into this mental trap. It’s better used as a tool to help people understand what worked and didn't work so they can improve future decisions.