School for Startups Minutes

The short vignettes are taken from School for Startups Radio. We release a quick thought to motivate or educate you about a different facet of entrepreneurship every day.

SFS Minute 939: Remain Calm 03/01/2026

SFS Minute 939: Remain Calm This week, we have been talking about why some people advance more quickly than others. We have talked about the fact that some people solve problems without being asked. They respond faster than expected. They improve the systems around them. They make decisions when other people hesitate. I have one more thought to share on this. I'll do it right after this. People who advance quickly remain calm when major problems appear. I used to run summer camps. I had 89 summer camps around the country, and one day, we lost one of our campers. I knew where he was. He was in the bathroom. He told me that, but he did not come out of the bathroom because he had a little accident and was embarrassed. His mother freaked out. We had called the police, the campus police, and everyone went looking for him. No one left, waiting to see what happened. Of course, we found him in the bathroom, but I remained calm. /episode/index/show/163694bd-abb8-4ee1-93da-cd2e799dc13a/id/40268205

SFS Minute 938: Improve Systems 03/01/2026

SFS Minute 938: Improve Systems Some people get promoted more frequently than perhaps they seem like they deserve. Why do some people advance faster than others? This week, we are talking about that, and I hope you can take some of these lessons, some of these ideas, and apply them to your career and get a promotion sooner. I'll give you one way to do that right after this. Some people complete their work as assigned, and that satisfies them. Other people, though, look to see if they can improve the system. They simplify processes, they remove unnecessary steps, and they leave the system stronger than when they found it. This behavior compounds value, and improving systems benefits all who follow. Leaders recognize this behavior. People who increase efficiency beyond their individual contribution are noticed. The lesson is very clear: advancement favors those who improve the conditions around them. /episode/index/show/163694bd-abb8-4ee1-93da-cd2e799dc13a/id/40268195

SFS Minute 937: Make Decisions 03/01/2026

SFS Minute 937: Make Decisions Have you ever heard of the Peter Principle, the idea that some people get promoted very quickly, and everyone else shakes their head and wonders why? This week, we want to talk about that, why some people succeed more and get noticed more than everyone else. They advance faster than the rest of us. I'll share why right after this. In the first company that I started in my mid 20s, I had a business partner, and we were equal owners and both had the same amount of responsibility. We met with a very important venture capitalist, and he asked, “So who is the CEO of this business?” And I immediately said, “I am.” Those words had never been spoken, and my friend was quite taken aback, but no one ever challenged it, and I got away with it. People who make decisions quickly when others hesitate get promoted and win more. Be fast. Make your decisions quickly. /episode/index/show/163694bd-abb8-4ee1-93da-cd2e799dc13a/id/40268190

SFS Minute 936: Respond Faster 03/01/2026

SFS Minute 936: Respond Faster This week, we are talking about why some people advance so quickly and maybe without merit. We've all seen it and all wondered, what did that guy do to deserve that promotion? Nothing that I see. What a chump he really is. This week, we want to talk about that and figure out how you respond and how you put yourself on the track to get promoted quicker than everyone else. In my very first job, when I was 22 and 23, I got a letter asking for information from someone very important in town. Normally, it would take two to three weeks to turn around a letter like that, but I knew who he was. He had no idea who I was, so I did it in one day and sent it to him very, very quickly. He was shocked and responded very noticeably. He told my boss about it, and I learned a lesson: people who respond faster than expected get promoted very quickly. /episode/index/show/163694bd-abb8-4ee1-93da-cd2e799dc13a/id/40268165

SFS Minute 935: Solve Problems 03/01/2026

SFS Minute 935: Solve Problems Have you ever noticed that some people advance and get promotions quicker, more frequently than you think they should? I've seen that a lot of times, and it seems like the people who do advance don't deserve it. We've all seen that. This week, I want to talk about that, why some people advance faster than others, and how we should respond. I'll be right back to give you an example. Many of us do what we are told. We complete our assignments, we meet expectations, and we wait for more direction from above. That approach is very reasonable, but some people behave very differently. They notice the friction, the confusion, the inefficiency, and they move toward it, as opposed to away from it. They actually seek to solve the problem before it is noticed by anyone else, without being asked. People who solve problems without being asked get noticed and promoted very quickly. /episode/index/show/163694bd-abb8-4ee1-93da-cd2e799dc13a/id/40268160

SFS Minute 934: Long Term Thinking 02/21/2026

SFS Minute 934: Long Term Thinking Amateurs and professionals do things differently, and amateurs need to learn from the professionals and improve their skill sets. I've given you five ways this week that professionals are different from amateurs. I hope you have been keeping score to determine what areas you need to work on and how to improve your skill sets. I'll introduce the last trait of professionals right after this. Amateurs focus on short-term outcomes. They don't think about the long term, whereas professionals consider future consequences, short-term decisions, and long-term implications. It's an entirely different way of thinking. Professionals protect their future positions and realize that longevity is built on deliberate choices with clear outcomes. /episode/index/show/163694bd-abb8-4ee1-93da-cd2e799dc13a/id/40183435

SFS Minute 933: Take Responsibility 02/21/2026

SFS Minute 933: Take Responsibility This week, we are talking about the difference between professionals and amateurs. I'm introducing five traits of professionals, and I want you to give yourself a score at the end of the week to see how many of them you are already doing. It's very important that you understand where you currently are and what you need to work on. I'll share another professional trait right after this. Mistakes happen in business and in our personal lives all of the time. We really can't eliminate that. We can, though, change how we respond when something bad happens. Mistakes happen. Do you take ownership immediately? Do you immediately accept that you have made a mistake and assume responsibility and then acknowledge that you have learned a lesson? Customers and partners respect when you take ownership more than perfection. /episode/index/show/163694bd-abb8-4ee1-93da-cd2e799dc13a/id/40183430

SFS Minute 931: Boring Work 02/21/2026

SFS Minute 931: Boring Work Professionals do things differently from amateurs, and this week, I am talking about some of those distinctions. I want you to keep score throughout the week and see how many of the five apply to you to help determine how close to a professional you are or how close to an amateur you are. This will apply to your business life, your personal relationships, absolutely anything. I'll have one of the personality traits of professionals right after this. Amateurs enjoy the exciting parts of business, the exciting parts of life, the big decisions, the new ideas. Unfortunately, that's not all that there is. There is also boring work that no one wants to get done but has to be done. Professionals do it without complaint. This is one of the reasons I'm concerned about Gen Z. They complain when they don't like the work. Professionals do the work, even if it's boring. /episode/index/show/163694bd-abb8-4ee1-93da-cd2e799dc13a/id/40183415

SFS Minute 932: Communicate Clearly 02/21/2026

SFS Minute 932: Communicate Clearly I hope you're keeping score. This week, I am revealing five personality traits of professionals versus the things that amateurs do. I hope you're keeping score to see how many of the professional traits you are already doing. I'll share one more professional trait right after this. Amateurs assume that people understand what they want or what they are thinking, but that's very rarely true. Professionals understand that you need to communicate clearly and confirm every decision, confirm that everyone is on the same page, and that there are no misunderstandings. Clear timelines, clear responsibilities, and clear next steps all prevent confusion and help the business or your personal life prosper, and you eliminate all of those fights and confusions because of poor communication. Be clear with what you want. /episode/index/show/163694bd-abb8-4ee1-93da-cd2e799dc13a/id/40183425

SFS Minute 930: Show up 02/21/2026

SFS Minute 930: Show up This week, I want to talk about things that professionals do differently from amateurs, and this will apply to all aspects of your life: professionally, personally, your relationships, absolutely everything. I'm going to introduce five ideas this week that professionals do differently. You can keep score during the week and see how many of them apply to you. It'll be very interesting to give yourself a score at the end of the week. I'll tell you the first thing that professionals do right after this. One thing that professionals do differently from amateurs is that professionals show up when they say they will, and they call when they say they will. They write the paper and turn it in when they say they will. They do everything on time with predictability. That way, people can depend on you. Uncertainty disappears around you. /episode/index/show/163694bd-abb8-4ee1-93da-cd2e799dc13a/id/40183410

SFS Minute 929: Neuralink 02/15/2026

SFS Minute 929: Neuralink Today, we're wrapping up our discussion of Elon Musk and his collection of companies and how they all fit together. There's one more piece that I'd like to talk about: the Neuralink piece, right after this. There are already 22 people in the world who have a Neuralink implant in their brain. It allows them to control a computer using only their thoughts. Now, if AI and connectivity accelerate, the interface layer becomes critical, and that Neuralink implant in your brain now allows you to control your car, your air conditioning, and your solar input on your house, all by just thinking about it, not having to do anything with your hands or your voice. Imagine how cool it would be to think and have your car automatically turn on and go to the temperature setting that you like the most. /episode/index/show/163694bd-abb8-4ee1-93da-cd2e799dc13a/id/40114310

SFS Minute 928: X 02/15/2026

SFS Minute 928: X This week, we're talking about Elon Musk and his network of companies and how they all fit together. When you look at his collection of businesses as a whole, you can see that he has much grander plans than just selling us cars. I'll tell you how X, also known as Twitter, fits into it right after this. A lot of people call it Twitter still, but X is Elon's social media platform. Underneath, it's a real-time information engine. It allows payments, long-form content, AI integration, and identity verification. X is the public-facing nervous system of his community. Communication, payments, influence, distribution, and data all flow through it. Narratives form on it. If Tesla is hardware and SpaceX is connectivity, X is visibility and voice. /episode/index/show/163694bd-abb8-4ee1-93da-cd2e799dc13a/id/40114280

SFS Minute 927: SpaceX 02/15/2026

SFS Minute 927: SpaceX This week, we're talking about Elon Musk and how all of his companies together have a much larger goal than just selling us cars. When you look at the companies and see how they fit together, you'll see that Elon has an even grander plan than what we're aware of already. I'll tell you more in just a second. Tesla is the ground layer. SpaceX is the orbital layer. SpaceX is really important to Elon because it allows him to control the data. He's building the Starlink data network with all of his satellites in space, which is a great way to get your internet service, but it allows him to have a data network that will connect all of his cars, all of his robots, and all of his spaceships. SpaceX will be really important in the future, but Starlink is where the money and the growth are for Elon. /episode/index/show/163694bd-abb8-4ee1-93da-cd2e799dc13a/id/40114255

SFS Minute 926: Tesla 02/15/2026

SFS Minute 926: Tesla Elon Musk is one of the most controversial people out there right now. Some love him, and some hate him, but we can't deny that he's doing really cool things all over the world in different technologies. Yesterday, I spoke about his new Boring Company. They're going to be digging a tunnel from two theme parks in Orlando to connect them. Today, I want to talk about Tesla and show you how it fits into Elon's grand plan right after this. We all know that Tesla sells really cool cars. Did you also know that they sell solar panels for your house, and they are working on robots that can do absolutely anything that a human can do? Cars are computers on wheels. Batteries are grid stabilizers, and when you take it all together, transportation is not what Tesla does. Tesla is creating the infrastructure for the rest of his businesses. /episode/index/show/163694bd-abb8-4ee1-93da-cd2e799dc13a/id/40114250

SFS Minute 925: Boring Company 02/15/2026

SFS Minute 925: Boring Company This week, I thought it would be fun to talk about all of the things that Elon Musk is doing right now. I know he's very controversial. A lot of people love him, and a lot of people hate him, but he's doing some interesting things that I think you need to know about. I'll start right after this. Universal Studios in Florida just opened a third theme park, and it's a little bit away from the first two. This week, Boring Company, Elon's tunnel-digging company, just announced that they're going to build a tunnel from the two theme parks to connect them. It will be so cool and a huge advantage for all of the people going to Universal Studios and their new theme park, Epic. They've already built a tunnel in Las Vegas that's very successful. The problem was they couldn't put train cars in it, and it only runs on Teslas, but it's still a cool idea. /episode/index/show/163694bd-abb8-4ee1-93da-cd2e799dc13a/id/40114215

SFS Minute 924: AI Cutting Hours 02/08/2026

SFS Minute 924: AI Cutting Hours This week, we have been talking about technology that was supposed to save us time and make our lives better. In many instances, it's worked out that way. In others, it hasn't. Some of the software, some of the updates, and some of the silly things that we have to do to maintain our office automations are really just a pain and take up more time than they save. I'll have my final thought right after this. They all say that AI is going to do the exact same thing, another technology that's supposed to save us a lot of time. I don't believe it yet. I think that AI will create thousands of new, great-paying jobs and help save us a little bit of time, but we're going to spend a lot of time learning how to do that. We're going to spend millions of dollars learning how to save just one minute. AI is great, but it's not the panacea /episode/index/show/163694bd-abb8-4ee1-93da-cd2e799dc13a/id/40033065

SFS Minute 923: Meetings 02/08/2026

SFS Minute 923: Meetings Technology was supposed to make our lives easier and to save us time and to make us more productive. Sometimes that's true, but a lot of times, it's just not true at all. Today, I'm going to talk about one of the things that happens every week at your business that technology has probably made worse. Technology was supposed to make meetings so much easier. We created technology so that we could share documents and collaborate without getting together, and then we schedule a meeting to review the document. How many silly, useless, unneeded meetings have we been to? I go to two or three a week. How many of them could simply be replaced with an email? I think about 99% of them. All of these tools improve our work, but only if we use them, and only if managers use the tools to have fewer meetings. /episode/index/show/163694bd-abb8-4ee1-93da-cd2e799dc13a/id/40033045

SFS Minute 922: Passwords 02/08/2026

SFS Minute 922: Passwords This week, we are talking about security and technology that's designed to make our lives better, to save time, and to make us more secure. All of these updates, we've been talking about the silliness of some of them. This week, in just a second, I'm going to tell you my thoughts on passwords. Oh, passwords. I like just a simple, easy password that I can remember and type quickly, and then the site says you must update it and choose a new password. And so I do that, and other sites make me choose new passwords, and now I end up with 15 different passwords, none of which I can remember. Of course, I know about the password manager technology. I installed one of those and got locked out of it and couldn't get into it. I want all my passwords to be 1234. I know I'm an idiot, but ah. /episode/index/show/163694bd-abb8-4ee1-93da-cd2e799dc13a/id/40033040

SFS Minute 921: Updates 02/08/2026

SFS Minute 921: Updates This week, we are talking about all the technology that was supposed to save us time that isn't. We've already talked about how software is not as easy as it's promised. It just never works out that way. It's supposed to install in five minutes, and then you're supposed to be up and running. Well, then why do I have to hire another company to come in and help me install it? It's all just crazy. I'll talk about another technology lie right after this. There's nothing scarier than when your computer tells you that it needs to update itself. That's progress, right? It's going to make your computer more secure, and bugs will disappear. However, we always get stuck doing it. I always end up calling Microsoft. I always get stuck at 12%. The update should be seamless and easy, but we know they are not, and I'm still stuck on version 14.2. /episode/index/show/163694bd-abb8-4ee1-93da-cd2e799dc13a/id/40033035

SFS Minute 920: Software 02/08/2026

SFS Minute 920: Software I want to talk about all that technology that was supposed to save us so much time. You know, the Jetsons, the flying robots that take care of all of the concerns, put your new clothes out, go to the laundry, and then cook dinner. We were promised all of that, and we didn't get it. This week, I want to talk about all the things we were promised that just don't live up to it. I'm going to start in just a second with software. Software, expensive software especially, is supposed to make our lives so much easier. It's supposed to be simple and intuitive, and it just runs seamlessly. Well, why am I in the advanced configuration settings when I don't know what the settings are supposed to be? Just make it run. There's even Salesforce. You buy their product and then have to hire another company to teach you how to use it. /episode/index/show/163694bd-abb8-4ee1-93da-cd2e799dc13a/id/40033020

SFS Minute 919: Everyone Is Making It Up a Litte 02/01/2026

SFS Minute 919: Everyone Is Making It Up a Litte Imposter syndrome, signal before success, fronting, putting on the suit. These are all phrases that mean the same thing, projecting success before it happens, and we entrepreneurs must do that. You have to let people know about your successes. You need to brag on your own behalf because no one else will. The important thing is this: you cannot lie. You cannot stretch the truth, but you need to be aggressive in tooting your own horn because no one else will. But don't lie. You end up in jail like Elizabeth Holmes. /episode/index/show/163694bd-abb8-4ee1-93da-cd2e799dc13a/id/39949405

SFS Minute 918: You Will Celebrate Absurdly Small Wins 02/01/2026

SFS Minute 918: You Will Celebrate Absurdly Small Wins Entrepreneurship is hard, and we hear it a lot, so we will celebrate absurdly small wins because we need to. The first time you get a sale will be monumental, and the first time you get an unsolicited referral will feel like magic. The first time you get an email that says, “I found you online,” it will be one of the greatest moments of your life, right up there with a child being born. I got an email one time. I was so excited, I ran out of the house, jumping and screaming with joy. My neighbors and wife thought I was crazy, but entrepreneurship will do that to you. /episode/index/show/163694bd-abb8-4ee1-93da-cd2e799dc13a/id/39949385

SFS Minute 917: The Smallest Things Will Drive You the Craziest 02/01/2026

SFS Minute 917: The Smallest Things Will Drive You the Craziest Freedomnetwork.com. Another thing that new entrepreneurs discover is the stress and the way that it affects you, most likely all of that stress. The stress of feeding your family and growing the business will affect you in the smallest, weirdest ways. You will suddenly be upset because the password doesn't work. The printer is not connected, and that will drive you over the edge. Be careful with your stress. Entrepreneurship is not easy. /episode/index/show/163694bd-abb8-4ee1-93da-cd2e799dc13a/id/39949375

SFS Minute 916: Your Family Will Never Fully Understand What You Do 02/01/2026

SFS Minute 916: Your Family Will Never Fully Understand What You Do Another thing that new entrepreneurs don't understand, but will eventually learn, is that their family will never truly understand what they do. They'll give you polite expressions like, “Do you get benefits?” or “Is this just a phase?” or “Will you get a real job?” And I promise you, the confusion never goes away because we do things that are new and exciting and different and don't fit into familiar categories. Just learn to live with it. /episode/index/show/163694bd-abb8-4ee1-93da-cd2e799dc13a/id/39949370

SFS Minute 915: You Will Miss a Paycheck 02/01/2026

SFS Minute 915: You Will Miss a Paycheck This week, I want to talk about things that entrepreneurs don't know until they get started. Little things that sneak up on them, and then they discover that the truth of entrepreneurship is maybe not as glamorous as it may seem. One of the things that entrepreneurs only find out once they get started is that you will miss a paycheck every once in a while and pretend like it's okay, that your other bills are more important. You have to pay for the marketing because the ad has to run this weekend, and then you don't have enough money to pay yourself. I think it's almost a rite of passage in entrepreneurship, especially in bootstrapping. You will discover times when you have to go home and tell your wife or husband, “Honey, we didn't get paid this week. Sorry.” /episode/index/show/163694bd-abb8-4ee1-93da-cd2e799dc13a/id/39949350

SFS Minute 914: Customers Notice When Your Respect Their Time 01/25/2026

SFS Minute 914: Customers Notice When Your Respect Their Time Customers notice when you respect their time. The best example of this, and we all joke about it, is when the cable company says they will be there between three and five. I remember when my son got his very first apartment, and he called at 3:15 and said, Dad, the cable company's not here. What am I going to do? What should I do? Should I call them and check up on them? And I was like, son, you'll be lucky if they're there between three and five tomorrow, not today. We laughed about it, and we all know the bad thing about cable companies is they are never on time. Make your business different. /episode/index/show/163694bd-abb8-4ee1-93da-cd2e799dc13a/id/39865620

SFS Minute 913: Customers Notice When You Set Clear Expectations 01/25/2026

SFS Minute 913: Customers Notice When You Set Clear Expectations Customers notice when you set clear expectations, even if the news is not good. Our local power company is very good about sending texts telling us when the power outage will be over, and they update that information every 30 minutes or so. Because of that, I trust the information implicitly, and I have more respect and trust for our local power company. I know that sounds crazy, but they do a pretty good job. /episode/index/show/163694bd-abb8-4ee1-93da-cd2e799dc13a/id/39865615

SFS Minute 912: Customers Notice Your Tone Before Your Solution 01/25/2026

SFS Minute 912: Customers Notice Your Tone Before Your Solution Customers notice your tone before your solution. Tone communicates intent faster than any other information. Calm, respectful responses build confidence before the problem is solved, whereas impatience and defensive responses increase concern, even when the answer is correct. Customers remember how the interaction felt more than they remember whether it was fixed or not. Tone, and whether you're smiling, matter a lot. /episode/index/show/163694bd-abb8-4ee1-93da-cd2e799dc13a/id/39865610

SFS Minute 911: Customers Notice When Policies Matter More than People 01/25/2026

SFS Minute 911: Customers Notice When Policies Matter More than People Customers notice when policies matter more than people. We don't like it when a rule replaces judgment. That “that’s our policy” feels final and impersonal, even if the policy makes sense. We must acknowledge that sometimes the customer's uniqueness and personal situation need to be considered. Policies should guide decisions, not eliminate discretion. /episode/index/show/163694bd-abb8-4ee1-93da-cd2e799dc13a/id/39865600

SFS Minute 910: Customers Notice How You Handle Small Problems 01/25/2026

SFS Minute 910: Customers Notice How You Handle Small Problems Last week I talked about things that customers notice about you or your business. For example, I talked about the new apartment that I just rented, and they asked, do you have pets? I said no. I had to go on a website and validate that I don't have pets and that I don't intend to have pets. It took me 20 minutes. I will never forget that. This week, we're going to do five more things that customers notice about you and your business. It's okay if a business or a friend makes a small mistake; we accept that. That's okay, we are willing to forgive if, quickly and with a polite tone, the business owns up to the fact and says, we made a mistake. We will make it right. If they do that quickly, politely, and own up to it, they will get out of almost any small problem. /episode/index/show/163694bd-abb8-4ee1-93da-cd2e799dc13a/id/39865595

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