What Do I Do? Or, in Mythological Terms, What’s My Boulder?
Since I follow Gary V, I’ll keep it simple: first and foremost, I don’t try to sell to people who aren’t interested in buying. That’s one of those common-sense rules I stick to. If you don’t care about your business, why should I?
In terms of what I do, I’ve also been influenced by an idea from Simon Sinek that I came across in his bestseller Start with Why. In short, he argues that if you’re playing an infinite game, the most important thing is to be better than you were yesterday. So yesterday, I was doing SEO, Google Ads, Facebook Ads, and tracking through Google Analytics, implemented via Google Tag Manager. Today, I’m still doing all of that—but better.
And I can’t leave out the lessons from former LinkedIn VP Fred Kofman, who, at the time I’m writing this, is a VP at Google. In his book, he talks about building a business that is aware of the world it operates in. To transform a business from operating unconsciously to acting with intention, he outlines 12 key principles (not to be confused with Jordan Peterson’s, though those are worth knowing too):
From Blame to Mastery – Responsibility
Stop acting like a mere victim of circumstances beyond your control and take ownership of the life you want to live.
From Winning to Meaning – Wisdom
Stop chasing purely competitive goals and realize that true happiness comes from pursuing a noble purpose through ethical means.
From Taking to Trading – Creativity
Stop engaging in win-lose negotiations and seek ways to create exchanges where everyone benefits.
From Judging to Understanding – Compassion
Stop seeing people through your own mental filters—step into their shoes instead.
From Avoidance to Confrontation – Courage
Stop suppressing uncomfortable truths and face reality head-on.
From Debt to Added Value – Integrity
Stop deceiving your creditors—honor your commitments unconditionally.
From Control to Consideration – Respect
Stop telling people what they must do—acknowledge what they want to do.
From Submission to Engagement – Commitment
Stop obeying as if you have no choice—choose to be fully present in what you do.
From Frivolous Pleasures to Truth – Honesty
Stop altering your story to please others—start telling the truth.
From Knowing to Learning – Humility
Stop trying to prove you’re always right—open yourself to new possibilities.
From Indulgence to Investment – Discipline
Stop seeking instant gratification—delay immediate pleasure for long-term growth.
From Bossing to Leading – Vision
Stop managing people solely through rewards and punishments—inspire them with a worthy purpose.
Write to me if you’ve come across better rules that could help me improve what I do.