What was a pivotal moment where your business made a big leap forward?
Understanding the 80/20 principle or even 64/4 and that it's a law of nature applicable everywhere. It's one of the biggest levers for doing more with less or in less time. (E.g. 20% of the streets in the world handle 80% of the traffic.)
What's a skill that we should pay more attention to in the workplace?
Perseverance, as progress comes from continuous steps forward that compound over time. Without perseverance you give up before it pays off.
What personal habit or behavior helped you accelerate your personal growth?
Reading as it's the shortcut for learning from ideas and mistakes of others at scale. And not being afraid of reading 10 books at the same time without having completed one entirely.
What shift in mindset has allowed you to see things differently?
Being able to shift perspectives constantly and really trying to walk in the shoes of another person. This helps to understand how they're wired and what motivates them. In the end, this makes it possible to achieve something great together.
What book do you recommend the most?
"Poor Charlie’s Almanack: The Essential Wit and Wisdom of Charles T. Munger," as it contains incredible wisdom and thought provoking perspectives.
When times are tough, who or what is an anchor for you?
My wife and daughter, as my daughter (3 yo) just sparks joy and my wife is the smartest advisor and best friend I have.
What's a question you like asking — yourself or others?
“What would you give as advice to your best friend in your situation?” This forces you to see yourself from the standpoint of a person that values you and sees your point - but also is not in your current rabbit hole.
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Here’s More, From Other Founders Around the World
What's a mistake that you're happy you've made?
When I was 16 (way before the internet) I founded a travel-partner agency to connect people from different backgrounds seeking travel companions. After a year, I had to close the agency due to a lack of customers and the confusion some callers had regarding the nature of the “service.” Despite this setback, I gained invaluable insights into sales, communication and people’s needs, solidifying my desire to run a business that helps people.
What motivated you to become an entrepreneur?
After graduating, I worked for an extremely well-paying automotive company. But I always had the feeling that there was more out there. So I quit and went into research with the aim of becoming a founder.
What should leaders understand about their own role and responsibility?
There are no overnight miracles, it's very hard work: both physically and emotionally. Requires resilience, grit, strategic approach and grind.
What’s an important guiding principle that informs the way you build and run your business?
One of our core values is experimentation. Rather than get stuck in arguing about what solution may best solve a problem or play to our ego, we focus on the smallest step we could possibly take to learn whether that’s true. It moves our minds away from thinking too big without sweating the small stuff and from getting stuck in discussions rather than actually doing something to understand the possible solutions better.