Posted by Steven Bristol

Two weeks ago Allan wrote a post about Pitfalls of Guaranteed Success. Today “James” added a comment that made me think that maybe other people could benefit from elaborating on a few points.

James said about #1: ignoring server scaling leads to disaster, just as ignoring UI leads to disaster. (this should not be taken to mean that I think all resources should go into server scaling.)

My opinion: Most people worry about server scaling long, long before they really need to. Who cares if your site can’t survive getting Digged? Planning to get Digged before you’ve done anything good is a waste of energy. This is an example of people trying to solve problems before they are problems. You do not need to worry about scaling servers until you have a server scaling problem. It is exactly this mentality we see all the time: A client wants to make sure their brand new website can survive being Digged. We appreciate the excitement, but it happens so rarely that it is not an issue. People think the problem is real because when someone goes through it a lot of people find out about it, usually through Digg. I promise you that 99.999999% of people will not have this problem. Until you have a server load problem, exactly ZERO percent of your resources should go into server scalability. And once you have that load problem you should start by looking to your code, not your server. Planning a server infrastructure to survive being Digged is like driving an 18-wheeler ever day because one day you might move. The real difference is that you will almost certainly move one day.

James said about #2: depending on the type of business, people may be much more likely to hire too many people out of fear of not getting the work done successfully during an up-blip in business than they are because they are thinking success is guaranteed. the result is similar but the motive isn’t the same.

hiring the right people is always key, of course.

My opinion: 2. Those two motives are actually the same. Most people don’t see an “up-blip,” they see the beginnings of success. It is a rare person who sees the pragmatic reality that this might just be a blip. People tend to think that they can finally start to hire people, buy better computers, buy a boat or a new house. It’s much better to just wait and see what happens. But hiring people can be disaster. Hiring someone just to fill a seat hurts more than just the additional payroll costs. It hurts because the person hired is probably not the “right” person. Their lack of productivity, passion, dedication, excellence will spread like a virus. One of the best things I heard at the Y-Combinator Startup School was that “Eventually the quality of your managers/employees falls to the level of the worst manager/employee.” This happens because it is human nature to say, during the hiring or promoting process, “well this guy is bad, but he’s no worse than __.” The hiring process must be about fighting entropy. I think only Google has managed to overcome this. They pass up a lot of really good talent because of it though.

James said about #5: gut is not reliable. if yours has been you have been lucky. you said it in number 4. trust your gut to start but plan to iterate.

My opinion: I’m sorry your gut is not reliable. If it wasn’t so arrogant, I would recommend trying to improve the reliability of your gut feelings. Allan’s point here is about trusting yourself. If the majority of people think your idea is great, it probably isn’t. Do you think most people would have told Microsoft that they had the killerest idea and that they would be huge? What about Google? Most people would have said “why compete with Yahoo, they have the search market locked up.” Worrying about what other people will say will make your product mediocre. Be bold. Trust yourself. Follow your gut.

I don’t know James, and I certainly don’t mean to pick on him (I hope no one takes this post that way). He brought up some great points that are worth clarifying. Thanks James!

Posted by Steven Bristol

A week or so ago a friend of mine asked me for a bit of advice. He is a smart guy and like most people has a decently fine/boring/semi-fulfilling job. He has an immediate family member who is in need of regular daily medical care. And he has an idea for a web site/company. He asked me how I managed to work so many hours last year. (I worked a lot of hours last year. More than anyone you know did.) I was very busy when he asked and gave him a short answer of “I am (or was) a machine. I am Superman, blah, blah, blah.” But that is far from the whole story and I want to give him an answer he deserves.

I did indeed work a lot of hours last year. More than anyone should have to. My marriage has suffered for it, although thankfully not too much. My children missed me more than they should have (and I work from home). My business partner, Allan, and I got into a few fights that we wouldn’t have had if I had not been so tired. (Being tired makes stress harder to deal with.) I am fatter, my hair line is worse, I have many more grays hairs and the bags under my eyes are larger. And the truth is I simply can’t work that hard anymore. This year when I work very late I am near useless the next day. I can still work twelve hours every day, but no more. I am no longer a machine. I am no longer Superman.

Last year took a lot out of me. But this year I have a successful business with a very bright future. I (and Allan and my wife and my children and Allan’s wife and children) payed a price for my (and our) hard work last year. I think it was worth it. I don’t recommend it to anyone else.

So the question remains, how does one create a new site/business/product/book/wood carving while still maintaining their current income and responsibilities.

Getting more hours in the day is the key. Obviously that means less sleep, but you don’t have to cut your sleep in half. Try sleeping two hours less. If that doesn’t work try sleeping one hour less. Find the balance that works for you. Then find other places in the day where you can find time. Get rid of your television. TV is the single biggest waste of time. Although my family watches DVD’s, we haven’t had cable TV in about seven years. Cut it out. Next, see if you can arrange to eat and work at your desk during your lunch hour. Working 8:00 – 4:00 will save an hour a day.

Realize you don’t have to work eight hours at your job and then another eight on your project. Set a goal for yourself to work two hours a day on your project. That might not be a lot, but try. Add more hours if you can. If you can’t then you have to make those hours count. Do you really need that feature? Yes. Do you need it before launch? No. Do you need it now? No. Not only does writing fewer features take less time, it usually makes for a better app. Stay focused.

Stay motivated. Remember why you are doing this. You will have a better life, you will have more money, you will be doing something you love, you will be more fulfilled. Keep at it. You are on the right track.

Schedule your time. I have found that the best way to ensure I put those hours in is to do them first. Set the alarm and get up early. Be late to work. Hopefully by the time they fire you your project will be taking off.

Bet on yourself. Use your savings to live and quit your job. If you are not willing to sacrifice because there is no guarantee of success, then why would any investor give you money.

Ask for help. What about partnering with a friend? Ask you parents for money so you can quit your job. Ask a relative. We get a lot of people who approach us asking us to work for equity. I always ask these people what did their parents/in-laws/siblings/cousins say when they asked for money to fund their project. I have yet to have anyone say that they have even asked. Why would I take the risk on you when don’t even believe in yourself enough to ask your family for help?

The point I want to make to my friend is to take the leap. Try. Find a way to make it work. If it fails then so what. Try again. I work hard, but I have the best job in the world. I LOVE my job. If you feel the entrepreneurial spirit, then do it. The world is changing. It is becoming easier and easier to make a living with a very small company. A one or two person company can do things that giant companies can’t do. You can do things that giant companies can’t do. Do it. And feel free to ask me for help along the way.

Posted by Allan Branch

We love our clients and thank goodness have never fired one but I have spoken to many people who have been in this situation. They are worried about losing that income from their forever unhappy client. Neither the client or contractor is happy with the results or relationship, but they continue to work together. Ending a working relationship with client a NOT a negative thing. If you aren't happy in the relationship, they most likely aren't either. There is no need to hold them back from finding someone that can make them happy. One of our rules in business is "Want your clients/customers/employees to be happy. Even if that means going somewhere else."

No one likes to end a relationship but it’s usually for the best. For the best? How is firing a client and losing that income better? Simple answer, in the time it takes to try to live up to their expectation you can make three new clients happy. Which makes more sense?

3 Steps
1) Be Honest, "I don't think I can make you happy, fulfill your need, I don't have the time."
2) Refer to someone else better suited.
3) If you refer to someone check back with them and make sure your referral is living up to your recommendation.

Posted by Allan Branch

If you think success is guaranteed you will…

1. Worry about Server Scaling instead of good UI.
2. Hire people you don’t need instead of hiring the right people.
3. Add features you don’t need instead of trimming the cruft.
4. Your overall attitude changes and you…
   1. start believing you have all the answers.
   2. stop listening to users.
5. You worry about what people will say instead of going with your gut.
6. You opt for vanilla solutions instead of being bold.
7. You turn into an asshole (might have already happened).

Posted by Steven Bristol

1. Always do what is right (as in righteousness, not correctness).
2. Work hard.
3. Don’t cheat.
4. Don’t ever make decisions based on greed.
5. Do your best work.
6. Want your customers to be happy. Even if that means using a different service or product.
7. Want your employees to be happy. Even if that means working somewhere else.
8. Only hire the best.
9. Your business partner(s) should not always think like you or agree with you.
10. Encourage push-back.
11. You will be misunderstood, get ready.
12. You are not always right.
13. A business that ruins your marriage is not worth having.
14. If your work sucks, get better or change careers.
15. Negative people and relationships will kill your passion and business.
16. Be thankful for everything all the time, even when times suck.
17. Your reputation is your first and last product.

Posted by Allan Branch

I was talking to my Dad (one of the greatest businessmen I know) the other day and I asked him to "give me a topic or a statement to blog about". He said "I dunno." I replied "How about your customers are always right?" He replied "People who talk in absolutes are always assholes and they always will be".

I hope you caught his sly joke.

Only the Sith deal in absolutes.

Posted by Allan Branch

Steve and I recently attended BarCampOrlando a two day event with 300 in attendance. If you don't know what BarCamp is, google it. When you attend a conference/group meet-up don't try to remember every talk, every conversation, don't take notes. Don't memorize the conference, instead, soak up the words in that moment, find one sentence, one phrase, one thought that can inspire you. If you can leave a conference with one inspiration and a new friend then its been a success.

Here's my sentence from BarCampOrlando "We only give our clients one design, so wire-framing is important" by @alexdesigns

Posted by Allan Branch

These two blogs are the killeriet blogs on the tubes, if you don’t have them in your rss reader you’re seriously losing out. I promise, read them for a week and see if your mind doesn’t explode.

Seth Godin

Seth Godin’s blog articles are quick and short about marketing, they make you think. He empties your head of any marketing garbage that is in there and fills is with straightforward opinions about reaching people in a real way. A no-nonsense blog that every entrepreneur should be reading. He posts an article everyday, no bs and no fluff. Seth’s books are killer too. He’s not supplying information about being good, he nudges you in the direction of the light.

Gary Vaynerchuk

Gary, Gary, Gary, watching/listing your blog is like drinking 15 espressos in a row, mixed with crack and shot out of a cannon into your mouth. Gary is so freaking awesome, he makes my veins pump FRESH blood. Gary breathes confidence, so much so that he makes you KNOW you can karate chomp a tree down with your bare hand. I haven’t been a long time reader/watcher of Gary and I regret it. Daily after I watch his vlog, I stand up and do a triple air punch and double air kick combo because I am so pumped from it. It’s safe to say I have a “man crush” on Gary and my wife is cool about it.

Posted by Allan Branch

I was a hell of a kid, not a bad kid, but it seemed I was always doing really dumb things. When I was 10 my Dad told me something that really stuck. He said "You can obey me out of fear or out of love but you're going to obey me". Rarely does 10 year-old boy remember anything let alone something that makes them think. I've always thought about this and observed people in authoritative positions to me.

Love and Fear are two totally different paths, but a successful leader must follow one of these paths.

I played college football and had many coaches through the years. Most of the coaches I had didn't have a path and weren't successful. The coaches that got the best result out of me were the ones I loved. I obeyed the feared ones just enough to not make them mad. But I would have put my head through a brick wall for the ones I loved. The coaches I loved weren't overly nice or even close to easy on us. But they made you feel like you could be better around them. They made you feel, with them, you were a better football player. They gave to you, pushed you, encouraged you to be something more. It's an amazing feeling to feel like someone brings the best out of you. My wife and business partner do this for me; I love them both.

Being in-charge is weird for me. Having employees and having children is uncharted territory so I look for others to show me things. My family owns car washes; the employees aren't used to having an employer care about them. My Dad has had employees quit and come back, some have worked for him since I was a child. He wants his employees to love him and they do. They don't fear losing their job and they yearn to make my Dad happy.

Love isn't created by being easy on a person. It's not from being their buddy. It's not about overpaying them and letting them walk all over you. It's created by being real with them, caring about them, gaining their respect and making them hemorrhage with passion. Like @garyvee says, give (unselfish) love and have it come back 10x in return...this is how love is created.

Posted by Allan Branch
A really great day must consist of the majority of this list.

1. A good breakfast (I love eggs)
2. Good music, Amy Winehouse, Regina Specktor, some killer 80’s music or late 90’s. Today it’s “Ace of Base”, don’t laugh they rock.
3. Being really productive, surprising productive. You know the days you look back and you’re like wow, I got a ton done today.
4. Inspired for (at least) a couple hours during the day. Being inspired is my drug.
5. Laughing a lot (I love bad jokes).
6. Working out and sweating for 45 minutes. My body isn’t a temple but I do work out.
7. (Mandatory) Playing with my son in the evening. He’s my priority, the reason I work.
8. Designing in the zone for a couple hours.
9. Talking to positive upbeat people. Perpetual negativity will wear you down.
10. Few or no iChat Video crashes. Love Apple, iChat is fickle.
11. Seeing something outside of work that makes me smile/think.
12. (Mandatory) Talk to my wife about her day and the next day’s activities.

What makes a good day for you?

Posted by Steven Bristol

Taken from an email written by a good friend of mine about the number of downloads for our open source social network platform, Lovd By Less:

Talking to you on Thursday it was obvious that you were genuinely surprised by the success of LovdByLess. The fact that you were surprised is shocking to me. Take the single-most sought out feature in one of the hottest languages of today and have one of the best Rails shops in the country build the functionality, design the site, and bundle it all together for no cost.

Obviously flattering, but from our perspective very far from the mark. We have been genuinely surprised by the number of people who have tried, downloaded and contributed code back to Lovd. There is no guarantee of success. We had an interesting idea have executed well.

Our recipe for success is:

1. Have a good idea.
2. Work really, really hard.
3. Be lucky.

We have been blessed with a lot of good ideas, a really strong work ethic, the ability to see what’s important and stick to it, very understanding families, and luck. Our parents have always supported our careers and have guided, mentored and inspired us. We have occasionally been called arrogant or self-promoting, but truly what we have is a fear of failure. We self-promote because we don’t have any expectation that someone will do it for us. We succeed or our families don’t eat. Just like the rest of you.

Last year I worked over 4000 hours. This year I am trying to keep the number close to 3000.

We work hard. We participate in open source. We blog a lot. We write and act honestly. We try to make things easy for our users and ourselves. Any measure of success that we have or will have comes from these things. We don’t expect to succeed. We just keep trying.

And we are grateful. We are overjoyed that people enjoy our opinions enough to read and subscribe to our blog. That people like our work enough to use our products and ask us to work on their products. That people download our software and contribute back.

Thank you all for allowing us to share ourselves with you. And while we don’t expect it, we do appreciate it.

Posted by Allan Branch

In the past couple of days LovdbyLess has taken off. Thousands of downloads, tons and tons of emails, the google group is getting a bunch of activity. So tonight, I'm thinking about things....

Wow... no really, WOW, I'm a partner of a successful, very profitable web shop that has cool clients with good budgets. We turn down client work daily, how lucky/blessed are we? I work with the killerist people on the Internet! It seems this is the place we've worked for, we're living the dream right?

But still we (Steve and I) are faced with tons of stress, tough business decisions and general life stresses. It's so easy to think, "oh when I make X amount of $$ my life will be awesome. When I go freelance everything will be better. When I move to a bigger house I will be happier. When I get that new car I'll be satisfied." Well, with more money you'll be able to value size that #3 combo meal, but you'll have new, different stresses.

It's so easy to dream about the grass on the other side of the fence. About being a freelancer and working from home, about being your own boss, about having better clients about having a bigger salary. But, life is stress, life is work, life is tough. You will always have hills to climb and things to overcome.

Live in the moment, sure, dream about the future but again, be thankful. Realize that hard work pays, good things come to good honest people and its better to be loved than feared.

Posted by Allan Branch

I was at SEED Conference in Chicago, walking to my hotel, the snow was falling on my head and I was freezing. A young girl walked up to me with clipboard in hand. "Do you care about the environment?" Immediately without breaking stride, I replied "Nope." Now I do care about the environment, but at that second I didn't. In life, timing is everything, the release of your product, the timing of your call to a client, everything is about timing.

Being Aware
This same girl was stopping people in a hurry about to cross a busy street. Why wouldn't she walk ten steps to the Barnes and Noble where 25 customers were outside under the cover of the building smoking? Ask them, they have time to kill, they're just standing there.

Realize your target's situation
People in a hurry and being snowed on don't want to be bothered about surveys. I hate when people call me early or late in the day, it's usually when I am reading through emails or wrapping up my day. I'm on central time, I've had head hunters call me at 7 AM on my cell. Why?

Be aware of your users', clients', friends', familys' feelings/situation and realize that timing is more important than the message you bring.

Posted by Allan Branch
I wanted to jot down some things we (less everything) work towards to keep our personal lives in balance with our work. Our industry is unique in the fact we love what we do and sometimes we feel it's acceptable to work 80+ hours. While some weeks you must kick out some work, overall it's not a positive thing to be that unbalanced. In the past months, we have added a few company rules.

1) First, no one is productive for +80 hours a week (except Steve, he's a freaking machine, 110+), something isn't right if you spend that much time working. If you can't make a living working less than 80 hours a week, you need to change careers.

2) Around 5pm you must be looking for a place to pause work. Many of us have small kids and they go to bed early. If you must finish a task do it once they're in bed. During evening hours, family time is #1, work is far down the list of priorities. We usually do three to five hours of more work after the kids go to sleep

3) Dinner time is important. This follows the first rule of stopping around 5pm, take a few hours, play with your kids, interact with them. Talk to your wife, family, parents something but get away from the computer and be social with the people important to you. Talk to someone besides your co-workers.

4) Leave the house. It's imperative that you get out of the house/office or place you work. Personally I have been trying to go to beautiful places, parks, lakes, any place I can take pictures of. It's another form of creativity that lets my mind feel free. Creativity isn't something I can turn off but I can be creative without staring at pixels.

5) Try to do something to get the blood pumping. I'm fat and lazy but I try to ride my bike around the neighborhood while pulling my son in his baby trailer. This is a time that I can have complete silence and clear my thoughts, plus sweat a little.

Remember that work is your tool to make money, it's not your life. Money is only a temporary justification for not being there for the people you love. Time is fleeting, memories are priceless, choose life over work any chance you get. As long as you get your work done. ;)

Posted by Allan Branch
I purchased this book because we love Seth's blog. Seth Godin posts these short powerful blog posts, they're a great way to start the day. "The Dip" is about quitting, it's about how quitting is good and how it frees you to do the things you're good at or the things you can succeed at.

This is a great book, here's how I can relate to it. I played division 1 college football at University of Alabama in Birmingham (UAB). I played offensive line and was one of the better linemen on the team. College football is an 80 hour a week job that wears you down both mentally and physically. I devoted 7 years of my life to football, winning numerous awards in high school (All-State, All-Star Games). I quit football my junior year in college because it literally owned me, my grades suffered because of it. It pulled me away from my true passion, ballet and rhythmic gymnastics. Okay bad joke, my passion is business, design and technology. I didn't have the time to allocate to both, so I picked my passion which wasn't bashing my brains in everyday. Looking back I made the right decision, I probably would have never learned anything and I wouldn't have had time to explore my passion. My advice and I think Seth would agree - try everything, quit most, find your passion and run with it.