565: Noah Kagan - The Art of Asking For What You Want, Launching a Business, Handling Rejection, Working For Mark Zuckerberg, and Not Living a 'What-If' Life

<p>Order our new book, <em>The Score That Matters</em></p> <p><a href= "https://amzn.to/47K2g4f">https://amzn.to/47K2g4f</a></p> <p>Full show notes at <a href= "https://www.LearningLeader.com">www.LearningLeader.com</a></p> <ul> <li aria-level="1">"Rejection is a test if you really want something. The upside of asking is unlimited." <ul> <li aria-level="1"><em>"People are afraid of asking. The people who make it happen are willing to ask, be rejected, and keep going."</em></li> </ul> </li> <li aria-level="1">One of the biggest lessons learned from working with Mark Zuckerberg? Pick one goal. Then focus relentlessly on reaching it. His was 1 billion users on Facebook. This is how Noah has grown App Sumo to $80m in revenue. Focus on one big goal and the system implemented to make it happen.</li> <li aria-level="1">Noah's parental influence: <ul> <li aria-level="1">Fearlessness - Ask for everything. Set rejection goals. You learn that selling copiers door to door.</li> <li aria-level="1">His mom is very disciplined. Always working out in the gym. She follows through. She's persistent. She grinds. His mom also hated her job.</li> </ul> </li> <li><em>"I don't want to live a 'what-if' life"</em></li> <li><em>"Are we getting what we get or are we getting what we want?"</em></li> <li>The law of 100 -- Do the thing 100 times before you quit.</li> <li>Get going, get started. It's about now, not how.</li> <li>Create an exciting vision: "What are we looking forward to?"</li> <li>Million Dollar Weekend: <ul> <li>Start it</li> <li>Build it</li> <li>Grow it</li> </ul> </li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Noah's philosophy on interviewing: <ul> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="2">1) Talk with people you're genuinely interested in</li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="2">2) Tell them how they've positively impacted your life. People love genuine compliments. And they loved to hear that they've helped others.</li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="2">3) Tell them what's in it for them. Create questions that make your guests excited to answer (set them up to tell interesting stories)</li> </ul> </li> <li>Entrepreneurship is not risky. Risky is spending your life at a job you hate, with people you don't like, working on problems you don't care about.</li> <li>Freedom is about gaining control of your schedule. Money is the tool, not the goal.</li> <li>This trip was one of my highlights of the fall. Nothing like biking across America. So much good time to think and reflect. Reminds me that whenever you're in a funk, just get moving. (Helps to be surrounded by beautiful landscapes)</li> <li>The future of big business is small teams. One person. No employees. Everything automated. Solopreneurs are the future.</li> <li aria-level="1">Acknowledgements: <ul> <li aria-level="1">Adam Gilbert for our bike ride ten-plus years ago where I shared a dream to put my knowledge into a book for other people. And for always always being my guardian angel.</li> <li aria-level="1">Tahl Raz - I dreamed for years of the chance to work with you on a book. Thank you for taking a chance on me. Somehow you were magically able to take all my adventures/theories/ideas/antics and put them together in a helpful narrative better than I could have ever dreamed. Thank you! Also for being a mutual lover of schvitzing.</li> </ul> </li> </ul>