Rework : Change the way you work forever

Takedowns

Don't plan too much. Figure out things on the go.
Don't think of growing too much. Find a size that fits your team and keep with it. In long run agile and flexible teams win over big chunky ones
Don't promote workaholism. Make people work reasonable hours.

Go

Solve the problem you yourself face
Draw a line in the sand. Stand on your points what you think make sense. Keep it simple and don't listen too much to what other folks want.
If you want to start something, squeeze some extra hours. If it continues, carry it on or otherwise life goes on.
Try avoiding taking outside money. Reasons -
- You give up control
- Cashing out begins to trump building a quality business
- Spending others money is addictive
- Its usually a bad deal
- Customers becomes the last priority
- It is incredibly distracting
Always ask do you really need it or there is better simple of doing something.

There is nothing wrong with being frugal
Start a business not a startup. Think like an actual business from day one. Not thinking spending someone else's money. Think about revenues from day one.
Have a commitment strategy not an exit strategy. Don't think about selling the business. Enjoy making it better for customers not worrying about who will buy it.
Keeping mass low so that we can quickly change anything. The more expensive things are to change the less likely we are going to do it.

Progress

Embrace constrains - make things out better for yourself, even with less resources
Build half product not half assed product. Cutting good stuff to make great stuff.
Start with the most important stuff by asking " If I took this away, would what I am selling still exist ?"
Don't focus on details early on
Make decisions fast don't pile them up
Keep looking for stuff to remove , simplify and streamline. Be like curator and keep less things
Throw less at problems, instead cut short.
Focus on what won't change and don't follow what's fashion. Fashion would fade away and thing that people really want 10 yrs. from now would stay
Try to sell the byproducts as well
Launch now and don't try to delay because of few left overs.

Productivity

Illusion of agreement, always talk in diagrams and ask people to have some level of prototype/wireframe when presenting things
Ensure that what you are doing that really matters -
1. Why are you doing this ?
2. What problem are you solving ?
3. is this actually useful ? - Don't confuse enthusiasm with usefulness.
4. Are you adding value ? - Not just features
5. will this change behavior ?
6. Is there an easier way ?
7. What could you be doing instead ? Something else could be a priority
8. Is it really worth it ?
To get some serious work done you got to avoid interruptions. Collaboration is another from interruption.
Meeting should be avoided at all cost.
- Set a timer
- Invite minimum people
- Always have a clear agenda
- begin with a specific problem
- Make someone responsible for implementing it
Have a good enough solution that gets the job done instead of having a complicated one.
Get in the habit of having small victories / Quick wins
If a problem is taking too much time, Give it away - don't be a hero.
When the situation isn't right and you have to make a hard call. Sleep over it.
Don't estimate over large things.
Don't have long to-do list → have bunch of smaller to- do list
Make tiny decisions instead of BIG ones

Competitors

Don't Copy
Make yourself part of the product or service so that its hard for others to copy that aspect.
Pick a fight but Focus on yourself instead of the competitors, be more simple and less do things as they do.

Evolution

Say NO by default. Make sure your product stays right for you.
Let your customer OUTGROW you. As they grow big, say no to their demands of changing the product to their needs.
Don't confuse enthusiasm with priority. Let new ideas cool off before jumping straight in to implement them.
Create products that are at home good. Aiming at long-term relationships.
Don't write down customer requests, If they are needed to be remembered then you will remember them anyways.

Promotion

Obscurity is a good things. It gives you space to try new things without being under the microscope.
Build an audience around your product as form of repeat customers without need of marketing or ad
Teaching is a good way to outmaneuver your competition. E.g. Garry V
Share everything you know like recipes of famous chefs
Show your audience behind the scene of how you work. This will develop a bond making you see as humans not faceless companies.
Be genuine with what you have and what you are. Be upfront about your shortcomings.
Get featured in small publication instead of spamming big media's. The small editorial will let you get out quickly and picker up by audiences quickly.
Give some product for free. Free trials gets people to Come back with cash.
Marketing is not a department, it's the sum of everything you do.

Start building your audience today. Start getting people interested in what you have to say. And keep at it.

Hiring

Before hiring, try to do the job yourself first until it wears you down and start hurting not just for pleasure.
Hire slowly
Don't hire just based on resume, hire based on personalized cover letter / note.
Years of experience are irrelevant, after +1 year the graph flattens out.
Avoid delegators, they make up more work when they run out. Make everybody do work.
Own the bad news. Let people hear out from you now instead of sweeping it under the carpet.
Hire people who can manage themselves, don't need daily check-ins and set there own goals
Try the candidate in a real manner. Like a test drive

Damage control

Be quick in the response
Apologize genuinely
Make everyone interact with customers and put them out in front line. This helps them learn from bad mistakes and also get them motivated when customer appreciate
Take a deep breathe before responding promptly to any new change or customer response to it

Culture

Culture is by product of consistent behavior
Decisions are temporary. Don't fixate in planning for problem that don't exist now
Don't hire Rockstars, Build Rockstar environment out of trust , autonomy and responsibility
Don't manage people like they are 13 years old. Let them manage their time themselves
Send people home at five. Shouldn't expect someone job to be his entire life.
Don't create policies right away someone does a mistake. Only create them is a situation happens over and over again
Always sound like yourself, like you are talking to your friends without extra sugar coated layer of professionalism
Don't use these four letter words -
- NEED , MUST , CAN'T , EASY, JUST, ONLY , FAST
  
  Once Uttered it makes it difficult to find solution
ASAP is poison

Conclusion

Inspiration is a magical thing, a productivity multiplier, motivator. But it won't wait for you. Inspiration is a now thing. If it grabs you, grab it right back and put it to work.

# Rework Summary: Get better at your tech work

Comments

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Rework : Change the way you work forever

Takedowns

Go

Progress

Productivity

Competitors

Evolution

Promotion

Hiring

Damage control

Culture

Conclusion

Command Palette

Comments

More from this blog

Rework : Change the way you work forever

Takedowns

Go

Progress

Productivity

Competitors

Evolution

Promotion

Hiring

Damage control

Culture

Conclusion