1. The system can be changed and normal is not permanent
2. Find the smallest viable audience
3. Pick your customers, pick your future
4. Outdated maps might be worth less than no map at all
5. Reliability is a superpower
6. There are no side effects, merely effects
7. There’s usually an opportunity to be of service
8. Silence is an option, and so is leadership
9. There is no perfect moment to begin
10. Shame is a dream killer
11. Everyone who disagrees with you believes they are correct
12. Ship the work
13. Treat different people differently
14. I am not stuck in traffic, I am traffic
15. Invest in slow growth
16. The problem with the race to the bottom is you might win
17. Uncomfortable facts are often the most helpful ones
18. A good deal is better than a big deal
19. When in doubt look for the fear
20. Avoid arguments, embrace conversations
21. Easy to measure doesn’t make it important
22. Find clarity about who the customer is (and isn’t)
23. Genre is a platform, not a fence
24. Lowering expectations can increase satisfaction
25. Improve project hygiene
26. Ask what the system is for
27. We might not need more time, we simply need to decide
28. Consider the cost of keeping a promise before making it
29. Earn enrollment
30. Helping someone get what they want is easier than changing what they want
31. Not all criticism is equally valid
32. Write down the things you’re sure you’ll never forget
33. Focus on the hard part
34. Quitting one thing is the only way to find the focus to do the next thing
35. Perfectionism is not related to quality
36. Your competitors are actually your allies
37. Surfing is better than golf
38. Criticize ideas, not people
39. Cannibals rarely get a good night’s sleep
40. Status roles are the unseen force in almost every system
41. Embrace necessary discomfort
42. Gratitude is a more useful fuel than anger
43. Create tension and relieve stress
44. Imposter syndrome is real, and it arrives whenever we’re doing important work
45. Solve interesting problems
46. Offer dignity
47. Ignore sunk costs
48. Don’t try to fill an unfillable hole
49. This might not work
50. Consistency is more useful than authenticity
51. People like us do things like this
52. Simple hacks rarely fix long-term problems
53. Trade short-term wins for long-term impact
54. Today’s world is unpredictable, and this is as stable as it will ever be again
55. Generous doesn’t mean free
56. Make assertions
57. Invest in skills that compound with effort
58. Culture conceals systems, and systems construct our future
59. Peeves make lousy pets
60. Reassurance is futile
61. Take responsibility, demand freedom, don’t seek authority
62. Ideas that spread, win
63. Earn trust through action
64. Become the person your future thanks you for and forgive the past for the mistakes it made
65. Attitudes are skills