How To Go Beast Mode As A Founder

08 Jul 2024 (4 months ago)

Peter Thiel’s One Priority Philosophy (0s)

To solve problems, increase your intensity and focus rather than seeking external solutions.
Create a culture of intensity by setting clear priorities and avoiding multitasking.
Mediocrity results from multiple focuses, while excellence and value come from a singular focus.
The mind is a powerful tool that can achieve great things when properly focused, but it can only handle one question at a time.
Peter Thiel's "one priority" philosophy involves focusing on a single problem until it is solved, which can enhance productivity and effectiveness.

Intensity is not working 24/7.
Intensity is a formula: Focus x Common Sense x Insanity.
Most people think they are at a level 10 when in reality they are at a level 6.
Focus is saying no to 100 great ideas so you can say yes to the one exceptional one.
If you do this right, you're not doing more, you're actually doing less, but better.
HubSpot created an actionable guide based on the playbook developed by the speaker's company, The Hustle.
- The guide breaks down methods for spotting upcoming trends and companies with high growth potential.
Business examples of intensity:
- Elon Musk:
- Works 120 hours a week.
- Has multiple companies in different industries.
- Constantly pushing the boundaries of what is possible.
- Jeff Bezos:
- Started Amazon in his garage.
- Now one of the largest companies in the world.
- Constantly innovating and expanding into new markets.
- Steve Jobs:
- Co-founded Apple.
- Revolutionized the tech industry with products like the iPhone and iPad.
- Had an incredible attention to detail and a relentless pursuit of perfection.

Mark Zuckerberg's "beast mode" intensity led to the acquisition of Instagram for $1 billion, despite Twitter's initial offer and Sequoia Capital's independent funding proposal.
Zuckerberg's determination to prevent potential competitors from surpassing Facebook drove his urgent pursuit of Instagram and WhatsApp.
WhatsApp's success stemmed from its intense focus on messaging fundamentals, surpassing competitors by avoiding unnecessary features.
Chick-fil-A, In-N-Out, and WhatsApp achieved success by narrowing their product range and executing with greater intensity than competitors.
The WhatsApp founder stressed the significance of customer problem-solving and focus over industry trends.
Zuckerberg's persistent efforts, including personal meetings and invitations, secured the WhatsApp acquisition after two years of pursuit.

Stripe's founders, the Collison brothers, had an unconventional approach to customer onboarding.
They would "install" Stripe directly onto potential customers' laptops during initial meetings.
This hands-on approach helped Stripe acquire its first 100-200 customers.
Paul Graham observed that Stripe's approach was not particularly difficult or outrageous, yet few other companies did the same.
He attributed this to two reasons: shyness or fear of rejection, and a misconception that big things come from big things rather than an accumulation of smaller things.
Graham emphasized that startups happen and take off because the founder makes them happen, not because of inherent qualities.
He compared it to manually cranking an engine to get it started, after which the momentum takes over.

The answer to problems is rarely external, such as a mentor or a book.
Ben Horowitz's philosophy of "lead bullets, not silver bullets" emphasizes building a better product through hard work rather than seeking magical solutions.
Discovering silver bullets requires experimenting with many lead bullets (ideas and tactics) and being willing to take action.
The pie chart of effort should be 10-20% ideas and strategy, and 80% execution (blood, sweat, and tears).
Execution requires intensity and recognizing when to sprint.
Sprinting cannot be sustained indefinitely, but it's important to be able to recognize when it's needed.

Identify when a great opportunity arises or when it's time to buckle down.
This is the moment to sprint and dial up your level of intensity.
Sylvester Stallone's story:
- Despite facing challenges as an actor, he decided to take matters into his own hands and write a movie.
- He hated writing but committed to a sprint to write the first draft of Rocky in three days.
- To maintain focus, he painted his windows black and unplugged his phone to eliminate distractions.
Identify when to sprint:
- When a great opportunity comes your way.
- When it's time to buckle down.
Dial up your level of intensity during these moments.
Example of a sprint:
- Sylvester Stallone's focused writing session to create the first draft of Rocky in three days.
- He eliminated distractions by painting his windows black and unplugging his phone.

Narrow your focus.
Write down a common sense solution that sounds easy and simple to execute.
Ask yourself what level 12 intensity would look like for the task you're doing.
Example of Jesse Isler hiring a Navy SEAL to live in his house and train him intensely for 30 days to get in the best running shape of his life.
Level 12 intensity is often beyond what we think is possible until we see examples of it.