Building in public became building in private - unintentionally.

Why:

1. I enjoy figuring out the path. Once the path is clear, I lose interest.

Many write to think. I think to think, and scribble notes to free working memory and draw connections.

I’ve never journaled nor written for fun. It’s always been to educate (business), connect (people) or graduate (school).

To me, thinking is fun, writing is not.

2. “Take a big step forward, take the gamble,” a mentor told me a month ago.

It stuck.

Was I too conservative? Was I giving it my all? Was I giving this baby (startup) the attention it deserves?

Binge-reading and -listening to Warren Buffett and Charlie Munger this past month reinforced these thoughts.

“When the odds are greatly in your favour, bet heavily,” Charlie Munger said.

Are the odds in my favour? Can I be the first, the best and/or the biggest in this game?

I believe so.

Then am I giving it my all? Am I doing everything I can to stack the odds in my favour - to give this baby (startup) the greatest chance to survive?

I thought I was.

Until I talked with 2 mentees last week.

“What to do before 30?” (They’re 25 y/o.)

Many 20 y/o Japanese make me sad.

They go to work, do what they’re told, in the way they’re taught.

They stay late for 1 of 3 reasons: ineptitude, corporate inefficiency or social decorum.

After work, they drink with colleagues or sleep.

In the weekends, they spend time with friends, spending money left and right. Consumerism is strong. Few save. Even fewer invest.

They upgrade their car, get married, have a child, and build a house.

They’re 30-35.

If the wife opts to be a housewife, a stable income now owns the husband. Dreams make way for responsibilities.

Dual incomes are often out of necessity, not by choice.

These prospects dominate the minds of 20 y/o Japanese and reinforce their instant gratification behaviour.

They live as if change isn’t inevitable - “sono mama” the Japanese call it - until life has changed past the point of no return.

They live happily and carefree as 20 y/o and feel shackled as 30 and 40 y/o.

They never stop to ask: “How can I make tomorrow better than today? How can I make my next decade better than this one?”

​Compounding and opportunity cost are foreign to them.

But I think this problem is universal: around the world and across age ranges. I just used Japan as an example.

I was lucky.

I graduated and entered a growing startup. No crawling, no walking. Running was the only option, together with other hungry, ambitious, passionate, unencumbered 20 y/o.

I’d be at the office from 8 am to 8 pm. Fridays were until 9 pm.

I’d arrive an hour before others to pursue job-related self-improvement, work alone from 9 until lunch, eat while reading news or testing competitor’s products, work with others until they left around 6-7 pm, and spend another hour with the founder discussing ideas (2 on Fridays). On the train home, I’d reflect and prepare an improvement for the next day. At home, I’d eat (thanks mom), then read 1~1.5 hour until bedtime. I’d read books that helped me solve a work problem; if none, I’d read to improve my Japanese.

For 3 years this was how I spent my Mondays to Fridays. Saturdays I’d relax: time with family or friends, read or play games. Sundays I spent reading, researching and improving myself: preparing for the workweek and improving my Japanese ability.

Everything was need-based and curiosity-driven. It was simple. Progress was fast.

It was a blast.

“Work more, play less,” I replied. “The earlier you start anything, the bigger the benefit. When in doubt about life or passions, become great at your work, your relationships, money management and yourself. With time and reflection, the rest falls into place eventually. But you’ll never regret having given it your all to maximize your potential and your opportunities.”

Combined with my mentor’s and Munger’s words, I realized: I had much more to give. I wasn’t yet going all-in. I wasn’t yet living like I once did - when progress was fast and life a blast.

Perhaps it’s the environment. Perhaps it’s conservatism that comes with age.

All I know for sure is I have more to give.

3. On Monday, month 2 of the Empowering MBA finished.

18 startups in 18 months was the idea.

But I know I’ve got something here: a complementary co-founder, an older, stable industry ripe for innovation with decent barriers-to-entry, and opportunities to expand horizontally, vertically and/or internationally. Even conservative estimates give us decent odds and a decent living.

But gaining trust in a traditional industry requires more time. I’m willing to give it. I’ve even considered visiting the Netherlands earlier to visit offices in person. It’d increase our growth rate, I think.

But without a paying customer, the looming Dutch “summer break” and knowing I’ll be in Vietnam in August, parents visiting me in Japan in October and me going home at the end of the year, I think “slow is smooth, smooth is fast,” makes more sense now.

Meaning: stick to our plan.

I treat prospects as lifetime partners, send them “co-owner strategy & implementation” Loom videos and record a masterclass or interview for our (video) podcast once a week. I call whoever replies.

My co-founder gets us partnerships, sets up accounts and creates whatever needs to be created.

For this niche, podcast is our attention arbitrage opportunity. As a result, my time on LinkedIn is a waste.

Combining these 3 reasons, I probably won’t write daily anymore.

I’d still like to inform and inspire you, and leave something for future Jim. So, when the urge to write is stronger than the urge to build this startup, I’ll write.

For now, I’m returning to how I worked nearly a decade ago. When life was simple, my efforts focused, and I obsessed over work. When progress was fast and life a blast.

I’m going all-in.

Day 66 (almost) finished. 474 to go.

Love,

Jim

P.S. Even if I now focus on turning Dutch real estate agents into personal monopolies, I still coach. I’ll always be a coach. But I won’t do any outbound or specific marketing for it. Whoever comes, comes. I’ll never say no to great opportunities. But the bar rises every day, as does the value of my time. No has become the default.

P.P.S. The Empowering MBA continues. I have many startups I want to create. I have only adjusted the timeline and approach.