Comments on: 10 Things I Wish I Had Known About Business

By: ptomom

ptomom — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 02:51:18 +0000

One Man,

One additional item for your list — always acknowledge special days in the lives of your friends. . .

So — Happy birthday, John!

– C, D, C, M

By: Raj Krishnaswamy

Raj Krishnaswamy — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 22:08:24 +0000

Absolutely fabulous post and absolutely fabulous comments ( even when disagreeing with the disagreement’s disagreement ). My interest was perked reading number 8, but from a different angle. I put in very long hours every week exceeding 70 hours for the last ten years or so. It then becomes extremely difficult to keep work at work and not carry it in your head home. I enjoy what I do, otherwise I could not have had the stamina to work like this for so many years. However, what would be your ( or any other reader’s ) real world advice from a practical stand-point for this and has anyone else been in the same situation. Thank you.

By: TheDane

TheDane — Mon, 04 Aug 2008 05:13:02 +0000

Try 750 Pesos hotels :)

Kim:)

By: Jenny

Jenny — Mon, 04 Aug 2008 01:51:01 +0000

I meant to add .. really love your posting, John, wish I’d seen this when I was starting out :-)

By: Jenny

Jenny — Mon, 04 Aug 2008 01:49:47 +0000

Actually, one of the best pieces of advice I ever heard, wish I could rememeber who, was not to focus on getting rich or the money. He said to focus on what you actually want out of life and what you need to do to enjoy life. If you base your plans around that objective, if it’s money you need, it will come, but don’t make the money the sole objective.

I’d add to that, you have to realise that you are responsible for your own happiness, no one else. If you aren’t happy, it is no one elses fault but your own.

Lastly, when you are young it feels as though you have all the time in the world. You don’t. Even if you live to be 120, life is short. So, carpe diem, sieze the day!

My two penneth …

By: Ryan M.

Ryan M. — Mon, 04 Aug 2008 00:20:27 +0000

In response to the disagreement of the disagreement(wow, I sound like a Congressman-maybe they should work longer hours). I take a lot of stock in the book “The 80/20 Principle.” It states, most all your productivity comes from 20% of your time, so make the other 80% more productive. This often is a reason to NOT work that other 80%.

I believe this. Even if you work 20% of the time and get as much done as others, you still need to work the other 80% (in an office environment) even if it is purely for show (image is everything). I am quite sure if I was in the office only 20% of my work day, I would never get promoted. Use some of that 80% to reevaluate and make sure your time is spent on the most productive thing you can do. This could potentially take a good percentage of that 80%. If you work for yourself, go crazy with that 20%, but someone as smart as you will be working more hours.

By: impNERD

impNERD — Fri, 01 Aug 2008 23:51:21 +0000

Although 99% of business owners get rich by working long hours, there are still some out there who come up with a great idea, work short hours and then sell for millions.

By: John P.

John P. — Fri, 01 Aug 2008 21:57:35 +0000

I’m going to have to disagree with your disagreement. :-)

There is no amount of smart that can compete with long hours. Because, I guarantee other smart people are also working in your field. So, the difference is that the ones who work long and hard will beat the smart, lazy ones.

And keep in mind, I wasn’t talking about just having a job. I was talking about getting rich. You can certainly hold down a job for your entire life by being part of the crowd. But personally my goal would be NOT to have a job.

John

By: Rhoody

Rhoody — Fri, 01 Aug 2008 07:34:58 +0000

… but you don’t stay in Hotels for $750 a night…

Rhoody

By: Lisa Marie Mary

Lisa Marie Mary — Thu, 31 Jul 2008 20:58:06 +0000

I love this post, John – and the comments, too. I’m fascinated by your success, and hearing more about it and the knowledge you’ve gained from it is quite interesting. I’d love to see more posts along these lines.

By: TheDane

TheDane — Wed, 30 Jul 2008 01:22:21 +0000

40 hours a week won’t make you rich. Think about it. You can’t expect to work the same hours as 95% of the population, but somehow be in the top 1% of incomes. If your main goal is financial in nature you are going to have to really work in the same general percentage of the bell curve as you want to be rewarded.

I am not completely in agreement with this one…

You dont have to work long hours but you do have to work smart…

Kim:)

By: Mike

Mike — Tue, 29 Jul 2008 16:28:40 +0000

Whoever said “I didn’t learn anything useful in school” was an idiot.

Although the actual knowledge that is gained in school may never be used, it does assist in acquiring the skill of learning. School imparts some basic knowledge that is the basis of what we need to know further in life. It is up to us to take that further and continue our learning to suit our individual needs. Those of us that feel that learning is a waste of time end up in dead-end jobs with no future. Those that continue their ongoing learning come out ahead.

By: Jeanine

Jeanine — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 18:39:19 +0000

Don’t Expect Your Boss to Know Your Aspirations –
Your manager, if a good one, should ask periodically what you want to be when you grow up and subsequently help you get there. However, many managers throughout your career will not be this helpful. Thus, it’s your responsibility to make them aware of the fact that you want to be a manager, you want more money, you want to get a certification, or whatever other aspirations you want. Take ownership of you career early on…it will only benefit you in the long run!

By: Mark

Mark — Sun, 27 Jul 2008 13:43:19 +0000

Treat each failure as leading to your eventual success. Many people give up after one thing doesn’t work, and usually you have to try a bunch of things before you get it right.

Great list!

BTW, John, I’m looking at the site in Firefox (PC) and your apostrophes seem to be coming out garbled in the list. They look like this: ’

By: Dawn-Ann's Explorations · From One Man’s Blog - 10 Things I Wish I Had Known About Business

Sat, 26 Jul 2008 13:26:14 +0000

[...] This article, 10 Things I Wish I Had Known About Business, was written in response to an event he is attending, at which he will be mentoring young people. I think it’s just about some of the best advice I have seen on the subject. [Check out John's blog entry here.] [...]

By: Dawn

Dawn — Sat, 26 Jul 2008 13:10:53 +0000

Wow – great post, John. Very well said – and some of the comments that follow are pretty valuable, too. Comes at a great time for me, too.

By: rocketdoug

rocketdoug — Sat, 26 Jul 2008 12:33:26 +0000

I would like to add: anythign you say to a co-worker can and will be used against you. The walls have ears.

By: Elie

Elie — Sat, 26 Jul 2008 04:20:09 +0000

- If you are not a US citizen, your visa to the US should be rejected at least once.
- They should detain you for a couple of hours in the airport! Don’t get angry if they don’t believe you… stay cool!
- Never rely on luck because it turns out to be your worst enemy when you want something so bad.
- Don’t build a Woopra competitor because you will not be able to compete!
…

By: Aaron Phillips

Aaron Phillips — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 22:06:46 +0000

Two things I wish I had know…

Hang with the right crowd… When you start in your career there are those that are “fun” to hang around with (but are usually less successful) and those that are the true winners. Learn to identify the winners and become their associates. Picking the right crowd allows you to learn at an accelerated pace, move up the ladder a lot faster, and become part of a crowd that will enhance both your life and career. Hanging with the wrong crowd can do the opposite! And don’t just think that the right crowd are your co-workers, they will pop up at conferences, business meetings, social gatherings and lot’s of other great places.

Respect the Young Ones Luckily for me I was able to learn this early, my first CEO was graduating high school when I was hired. The lesson learned and carried through is you don’t need 20+ years of hardcore industry experience to be a winner. Young Entrepreneurs have the ability to work 48 hours straight, out study, and school old timers from time to time. They also have the ability to take risks, fail, and start over again without worrying about mortgages, bankruptcy, or families to feed. Latch on to a Young Entrepreneurs and you will learn loads.

By: Catbert

Catbert — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 21:23:34 +0000

Treat people the way that you expect to be treated, but don’t expect that all will oblige. That is to say that you will definitely encounter (and work with) some people along the way that aren’t very nice. Never reduce yourself to their level, never convince yourself they’re getting ‘ahead’ because of their actions/behaviors, and never forget that “what goes around, comes around”.