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<title>My #1 regret in life</title>
<link>https://noahkagan.com/my-1-regret-in-life/</link>
<comments>https://noahkagan.com/my-1-regret-in-life/#respond</comments>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[Jay Yang]]></dc:creator>
<pubDate>Thu, 25 Apr 2024 11:16:25 +0000</pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[Favorite Guides]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Podcast]]></category>
<guid isPermaLink="false">https://noahkagan.com/?p=15532</guid>
<description><![CDATA[My #1 regret in life: I wish I had taken myself and dating more seriously in my 20s. Why? Because having a great life partner is one of the BIGGEST life upgrades you can make. Today, I want to share 8 pieces of Brutally Honest relationship advice that I’d give to my younger self (so […]
The post <a href="https://noahkagan.com/my-1-regret-in-life/">My #1 regret in life</a> first appeared on <a href="https://noahkagan.com">Noah Kagan</a>.
The post <a href="https://noahkagan.com/my-1-regret-in-life/">My #1 regret in life</a> appeared first on <a href="https://noahkagan.com">Noah Kagan</a>.
]]></description>
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My #1 regret in life: I wish I had taken myself and dating more seriously in my 20s.
Why?
Because having a great life partner is one of the BIGGEST life upgrades you can make.
Today, I want to share 8 pieces of Brutally Honest relationship advice that I’d give to my younger self (so you can avoid my mistakes):
<a href="https://noahkagan.com/mdwbook/" data-wpel-link="internal"><img fetchpriority="high" decoding="async" class="size-medium wp-image-15533 aligncenter" src="https://noahkagan.com/wp-content/uploads/noah-and-mafe-300x208.jpeg" alt="" width="300" height="208" srcset="https://noahkagan.com/wp-content/uploads/noah-and-mafe-300x208.jpeg 300w, https://noahkagan.com/wp-content/uploads/noah-and-mafe-1024x710.jpeg 1024w, https://noahkagan.com/wp-content/uploads/noah-and-mafe-150x104.jpeg 150w, https://noahkagan.com/wp-content/uploads/noah-and-mafe-768x532.jpeg 768w, https://noahkagan.com/wp-content/uploads/noah-and-mafe.jpeg 1108w" sizes="(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" /></a>
<h3>1/ Improve yourself</h3>
You have to love yourself before you can expect someone else to. 
And if you don’t, it’s a BIG ask to imagine a person will love and fix you.
The best way I’ve found is to focus on the things under your control:
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">You can control your effort</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">You can control your hobbies</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">You can control how you dress</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">You can control who you hang out with</li>
</ul>
These things don’t guarantee someone will show up on your doorstep like Uber Eats but they guarantee you’ll like yourself – and I promise over time someone else will like you too. 
<h3>2/ Be binary about what you’re looking for</h3>
When you ask people what they want in a partner, they all say the same things.
“Funny. Attractive. Sweet.”
Cool. But a lot of people are those things. 
Here’s what works better, have binary filters:
<ul>
<li>Kids or No Kids?</li>
<li>Jewish or Not Jewish</li>
<li>They want to live in Barcelona</li>
</ul>
Super black and white.
Having more clear filters makes saying no much easier. 
<h3>3/ Be where the fish are</h3>
Initially, I thought dating a Jewish person was a big requirement for me.
So I went to Israel. LA. New York.
But after dating a few Jewish women, it turned out that being Jewish wasn’t a big deal to me.
The lesson is the same when you’re marketing for your business.
Meet your customers where they are.
My friend went to Colombia to find his wife. I met my wife in Barcelona.
Where does your ideal partner live? Where are you?
<h3>4/ The Dinner Test</h3>
A while back, my brother asked me a question that I still remember to this day.
He asked, “If you couldn’t have sex with that person, would you still be with them?”
And for all of my past dates, the answer was “No”.
This sheds light that you have to like your partner mentally. 
Realize you will have at least 1,000 dinners with them.
It’s important that you genuinely enjoy being with your partner, you’ll be sharing many meals together.
<h3>5/ Don’t settle</h3>
A while back, I got engaged to a girl because everything was moving in that direction. I thought that was what I was supposed to do.
But then my business partner Chad asked, “Are you getting what you’re getting or are you getting what you want?”
And boy did that hit hard.
Let me repeat that again…
Are you getting what you’re getting or are you getting what you want?
As adults, we often let society’s norms and expectations drown out our intuition.
Go to college. Get good grades. Get a ‘safe’ job. Work 40 hours a week in a boring cubicle. Work until you’re 65+. And save your best adventures until retirement.
But deep down inside, we know when we’re settling.
Now, I constantly ask myself, “How did I trick this woman into being with me?” I feel so lucky to be with Mafe.
<h3>6/ Learn the art of being alone</h3>
After college, I got cheated on. It destroyed my self-worth. I felt unlovable. Why would anyone want to be with me?
It took me a long time to be comfortable with myself again.
It’s a skill.
<ul>
<li>Eat a meal alone</li>
<li>Go for a walk alone</li>
<li>Go to the movies alone</li>
</ul>
Can you be happy with yourself without distracting yourself with alcohol or social media?
The best relationships are when two WHOLE people decide to be together. Not two people who just don’t want to feel lonely.
<h3>7/ It takes time to figure out what you want</h3>
In your 20s, date a TON of people.
It sounds obvious, but it takes time to figure out what you value in a relationship.
In business, when we’re recruiting, we rarely hire the first person we interview.
It’s like going to a buffet. The first time you go up for food, you try a bit of everything. The second time, you know what you like and get more of it.
The same goes for dating.
You have to go through a few dates to figure out what you do and don’t like.
<h3>8/ Partnership is #1 life upgrade</h3>
Years ago, I thought dating many people was more fun than just one person.
But once I truly committed to taking dating and myself seriously, it took six weeks and then I met Mafe.
My friend said, “If you want variety in dating, date one person.”
What does that mean? Well, when you go on lots of dates, you end up repeating yourself.
<ul>
<li>These are my hobbies</li>
<li>Here’s my funniest joke</li>
<li>This is my background story</li>
</ul>
But when you truly get to know the textures and flavors of another human being, that’s special.
Go wide, then go deep.
Rooting for you,
Noah <img src="https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/14.0.0/72x72/1f32e.png" alt="🌮" class="wp-smiley" style="height: 1em; max-height: 1em;" />
 
Ps. I like to say <a href="http://milliondollarweekend.com/" data-wpel-link="external" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">Million Dollar Weekend</a> is a personal transformation book disguised as a business book. While it won’t teach you how to find your loved one, it will help you overcome your fear of starting and your fear of asking. <a href="http://milliondollarweekend.com/" data-wpel-link="external" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">Check it out</a>! <img src="https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/14.0.0/72x72/1f49a.png" alt="💚" class="wp-smiley" style="height: 1em; max-height: 1em;" />The post <a href="https://noahkagan.com/my-1-regret-in-life/">My #1 regret in life</a> first appeared on <a href="https://noahkagan.com">Noah Kagan</a>.The post <a href="https://noahkagan.com/my-1-regret-in-life/">My #1 regret in life</a> appeared first on <a href="https://noahkagan.com">Noah Kagan</a>.
]]></content:encoded>
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<post-id xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">15532</post-id> </item>
<item>
<title>A 7-figure business with no-employees (Laura Roeder)</title>
<link>https://noahkagan.com/laura-roeder/</link>
<comments>https://noahkagan.com/laura-roeder/#respond</comments>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[Jenn]]></dc:creator>
<pubDate>Thu, 18 Apr 2024 11:00:06 +0000</pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[Podcast]]></category>
<guid isPermaLink="false">https://noahkagan.com/?p=15529</guid>
<description><![CDATA[📚 Get the NYT bestseller – milliondollarweekend.com – Available Everywhere! This week, I caught up with Laura Roeder, a dear friend who also happens to be an exceptionally skilled businesswoman. She is the Founder of a coaching software business called Paperbell. We chat about handling envy, finding contentment, and happiness in our lives, both at work […]
The post <a href="https://noahkagan.com/laura-roeder/">A 7-figure business with no-employees (Laura Roeder)</a> first appeared on <a href="https://noahkagan.com">Noah Kagan</a>.
The post <a href="https://noahkagan.com/laura-roeder/">A 7-figure business with no-employees (Laura Roeder)</a> appeared first on <a href="https://noahkagan.com">Noah Kagan</a>.
]]></description>
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Subscribe:
<a class="btn btn-outline-dark px-1 rounded-5" target="_blank" href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/id1187402810?mt=2&ls=1" data-wpel-link="external" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">
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<a href="http://milliondollarweekend.com" data-wpel-link="external" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer"><img src="https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/14.0.0/72x72/1f4da.png" alt="📚" class="wp-smiley" style="height: 1em; max-height: 1em;" /> Get the NYT bestseller – milliondollarweekend.com – Available Everywhere!</a>
This week, I caught up with <a href="https://lauraroeder.com/" data-wpel-link="external" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">Laura Roeder</a>, a dear friend who also happens to be an exceptionally skilled businesswoman. She is the Founder of a coaching software business called <a href="https://paperbell.com/" data-wpel-link="external" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">Paperbell</a>.
We chat about handling envy, finding contentment, and happiness in our lives, both at work and personally. Laura’s approach involves skipping traditional meetings, relying on freelancers, and keeping everyone on the same page with informal company updates.
Laura’s a master at dodging work in the best possible way—she’s smart and super efficient with her time. Following her lead, you might just discover that a day’s workload can be knocked out in just 2 hours.
In this episode, you’ll enjoy 3 BIG things:
<ol>
<li dir="ltr" aria-level="1">
When’s the right time to sell a business and do you actually need to if running the business is so damn easy.
</li>
<li dir="ltr" aria-level="1">
The differences between selling SaaS products and courses.
</li>
<li dir="ltr" aria-level="1">
Learn how to manage company updates and maintain alignment without traditional meetings.
</li>
</ol>
Check out <a href="https://lauraroeder.com/" data-wpel-link="external" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">Laura’s website</a> and her coaching software company <a href="https://paperbell.com/" data-wpel-link="external" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">Paperbell</a>.
If you’re hungry for more efficiency tips to level up your business game, check out last week’s episode, the second in our ‘Brutally Honest’ series. Join me as I jump into the time machine to drop some serious wisdom on my younger self about the do’s and don’ts of business. You can hear that in <a href="https://okdork.com/podcast/348" data-wpel-link="external" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">episode 348</a> of this feed!
Use Docusign, Hellosign, or Pandadoc and want subscription free. Check out our latest tool – <a href="https://breezedoc.com/" data-wpel-link="external" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">Breezedoc</a> – The same tool as others, but pay once and use it forever.
And if you enjoy listening to the podcast, I would appreciate it if you left a review on Apple Podcasts to help more people learn about it. I might shout you out in the next episode!
Check Out:
<img src="https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/14.0.0/72x72/1f32e.png" alt="🌮" class="wp-smiley" style="height: 1em; max-height: 1em;" /> Wanna save money on software? Of course you do!! Find what you need on AppSumo
<img src="https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/14.0.0/72x72/2709.png" alt="✉" class="wp-smiley" style="height: 1em; max-height: 1em;" /> Sign up to my newsletter (I reply to emails)
<img src="https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/14.0.0/72x72/1f449.png" alt="👉" class="wp-smiley" style="height: 1em; max-height: 1em;" /> Need help getting started with your own business? Sign up at OkDork.com/Monthly1K
<img src="https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/14.0.0/72x72/1f4c5.png" alt="📅" class="wp-smiley" style="height: 1em; max-height: 1em;" /> Our scheduling tool —TidyCal. The New Mutual Availability beta feature is out now!
<div class="p-md-3 p-1 py-2 bg-light d-flex align-items-center">
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<h4>
Free Weekly Marketing Newsletter
</h4>
<div class="mb-1 col-lg-11">Join 100k+ subscribers to the Free Weekly Marketing Newsletter for insider tips, cutting-edge strategies, and personal tool recommendations.</div>
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</div>The post <a href="https://noahkagan.com/laura-roeder/">A 7-figure business with no-employees (Laura Roeder)</a> first appeared on <a href="https://noahkagan.com">Noah Kagan</a>.The post <a href="https://noahkagan.com/laura-roeder/">A 7-figure business with no-employees (Laura Roeder)</a> appeared first on <a href="https://noahkagan.com">Noah Kagan</a>.
]]></content:encoded>
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<post-id xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">15529</post-id> </item>
<item>
<title>Brutally Honest BUSINESS Advice (Part 2)</title>
<link>https://noahkagan.com/brutally-honest-business-advice-part-2/</link>
<comments>https://noahkagan.com/brutally-honest-business-advice-part-2/#respond</comments>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[Jay Yang]]></dc:creator>
<pubDate>Wed, 17 Apr 2024 16:10:26 +0000</pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[Favorite Guides]]></category>
<guid isPermaLink="false">https://noahkagan.com/?p=15519</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Got amazing feedback on the first brutally honest BUSINESS advice email… so we’re back with PART 2!! If you’re new, my business (AppSumo.com) is about to do $100M in revenue this year. But before that, I was rejected by Microsoft and Google (twice!). Fired by both Facebook and Mint after less than a year. And […]
The post <a href="https://noahkagan.com/brutally-honest-business-advice-part-2/">Brutally Honest BUSINESS Advice (Part 2)</a> first appeared on <a href="https://noahkagan.com">Noah Kagan</a>.
The post <a href="https://noahkagan.com/brutally-honest-business-advice-part-2/">Brutally Honest BUSINESS Advice (Part 2)</a> appeared first on <a href="https://noahkagan.com">Noah Kagan</a>.
]]></description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[Got amazing feedback on the first brutally honest BUSINESS advice email… so we’re back with PART 2!!
If you’re new, my business (<a href="http://appsumo.com" data-wpel-link="external" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">AppSumo.com</a>) is about to do $100M in revenue this year.
But before that, I was rejected by Microsoft and Google (twice!). Fired by both Facebook and Mint after less than a year. And built 20+ startups that didn’t work out.
In short… I’ve had my fair share of mistakes. I want to help you learn from mine.
And I am still trying NEW things – just launched <a href="http://fivetaco.com" data-wpel-link="external" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">fivetaco.com</a> – check it out – building the world’s best directory of tools for solopreneurs. 
10 more pieces of brutally honest business advice for my younger self:
<h3>1/ Leverage your Zone of Influence</h3>
When I was at UC Berkeley, I noticed many freshmen couldn’t get summer jobs.
So I started HFG Consulting, a local consulting company, and hired them to help. I figured we knew the college well and could sell to local restaurants and stores how to market to our college. It worked.
We ended up spreading across 5 campuses and generated $50,000 within a year. Not bad for a senior (me) and some freshmen.
Your Zone of Influence is the intersection between your existing knowledge, skills, and network.
It is always easier to start a business in an industry you’re familiar with.
<a href="http://milliondollarweekend.com" data-wpel-link="external" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="size-medium wp-image-15520 aligncenter" src="https://noahkagan.com/wp-content/uploads/Mountain-of-Nos-29-300x300.png" alt="" width="300" height="300" srcset="https://noahkagan.com/wp-content/uploads/Mountain-of-Nos-29-300x300.png 300w, https://noahkagan.com/wp-content/uploads/Mountain-of-Nos-29-1024x1024.png 1024w, https://noahkagan.com/wp-content/uploads/Mountain-of-Nos-29-150x150.png 150w, https://noahkagan.com/wp-content/uploads/Mountain-of-Nos-29-768x768.png 768w, https://noahkagan.com/wp-content/uploads/Mountain-of-Nos-29.png 1080w" sizes="(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" /></a>
To find yours, ask yourself:
<ul>
<li>What do I get paid for in my day job?</li>
<li> Who do I have access to in my network?</li>
<li> What hobbies have people commented positively on?</li>
</ul>
If you’re reading this, you likely have $100,000+ worth of knowledge, skills, and experience RIGHT NOW that others would pay for.
<h3>2/ Focus on ONE goal</h3>
One of the biggest lessons I learned from working directly under Mark Zuckerberg was this:
Pick ONE goal… then focus relentlessly on reaching it.
Mark’s goal was 1 billion users on Facebook.
<a href="https://noahkagan.com/brutally-honest-career-advice-to-my-younger-self/" data-wpel-link="internal"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class=" wp-image-15521 aligncenter" src="https://noahkagan.com/wp-content/uploads/zuck-kagan-300x169.jpg" alt="" width="555" height="312" srcset="https://noahkagan.com/wp-content/uploads/zuck-kagan-300x169.jpg 300w, https://noahkagan.com/wp-content/uploads/zuck-kagan-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://noahkagan.com/wp-content/uploads/zuck-kagan-150x84.jpg 150w, https://noahkagan.com/wp-content/uploads/zuck-kagan-768x432.jpg 768w, https://noahkagan.com/wp-content/uploads/zuck-kagan-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://noahkagan.com/wp-content/uploads/zuck-kagan.jpg 1920w" sizes="(max-width: 555px) 100vw, 555px" /></a>
Mark Zuckerberg and me working at Facebook. 2006. Yay, I had hair!
Every idea we’d bring to Mark, he’d always ask, “Does this help user growth or not?”
I remember going up to him one day and pitching him about doing monetization. He grabbed a marker and wrote “GROWTH” on the whiteboard.
If it wasn’t driving toward that goal, we didn’t do it.
You don’t grow fast by doing many things, but by doing ONE thing extremely well.
<h3>3/ The best marketing is a great product</h3>
When I was Director of Marketing at Mint, we grew from 0 to 1 million users in 6 months.
We tested many different marketing strategies – PR, blogs, influencer marketing, affiliate programs, etc.
Here’s an example spreadsheet I used at Mint:
<a href="https://appsumo.com/products/mint-marketing-plan/" data-wpel-link="external" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class=" wp-image-15525 aligncenter" src="https://noahkagan.com/wp-content/uploads/mint-marketing-plan-300x68.webp" alt="" width="613" height="139" srcset="https://noahkagan.com/wp-content/uploads/mint-marketing-plan-300x68.webp 300w, https://noahkagan.com/wp-content/uploads/mint-marketing-plan-150x34.webp 150w, https://noahkagan.com/wp-content/uploads/mint-marketing-plan-768x174.webp 768w, https://noahkagan.com/wp-content/uploads/mint-marketing-plan.webp 1024w" sizes="(max-width: 613px) 100vw, 613px" /></a>
But ultimately, the best marketing is a great product.
Marketing was easy because we had a product that customers LOVED, not liked.
First-time entrepreneurs focus on customer acquisition. Second-time entrepreneurs focus on customer retention.
And the best way to retain your customers is to build a remarkable product.
<h3>4/ Buyers buy again</h3>
When I was running my conference business (CommunityNext), I wanted to find people to sponsor my conferences. But I didn’t know where to find them.
<a href="https://noahkagan.com/brutally-honest-career-advice-to-my-younger-self/" data-wpel-link="internal"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class=" wp-image-15523 aligncenter" src="https://noahkagan.com/wp-content/uploads/kagan-conference-300x203.jpeg" alt="" width="313" height="212" srcset="https://noahkagan.com/wp-content/uploads/kagan-conference-300x203.jpeg 300w, https://noahkagan.com/wp-content/uploads/kagan-conference-150x102.jpeg 150w, https://noahkagan.com/wp-content/uploads/kagan-conference.jpeg 499w" sizes="(max-width: 313px) 100vw, 313px" /></a>
Speakers at Community Next
So I looked at who was sponsoring OTHER conferences and reached out to them.
Instead of trying to find NEW customers – find the ones who are already spending money.
<h3>5/ The industry you pick matters</h3>
When we started AppSumo, there were ~10 SaaS tools. Now, there are 10,000+.
Want proof? Check out <a href="http://fivetaco.com" data-wpel-link="external" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">fivetaco.com</a> to see all the latest tools out there…
<a href="https://fivetaco.com/" data-wpel-link="external" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class=" wp-image-15524 aligncenter" src="https://noahkagan.com/wp-content/uploads/fivetaco-300x207.png" alt="" width="403" height="278" srcset="https://noahkagan.com/wp-content/uploads/fivetaco-300x207.png 300w, https://noahkagan.com/wp-content/uploads/fivetaco-150x104.png 150w, https://noahkagan.com/wp-content/uploads/fivetaco.png 512w" sizes="(max-width: 403px) 100vw, 403px" /></a>
I’ve watched super hard-working people spend years working on ideas in shrinking markets with little to show for it.
I’ve watched less hard-working people achieve insane business growth by being in the right market, at the right time.
WHAT you work on matters more than HOW hard you work.
A growing market makes business easy. A shrinking market makes business hard.
<h3>6/ Work backward from your lifestyle</h3>
Another thing I’d tell my younger self is to be more intentional with the lifestyle you want.
In my 20s, I was obsessed with getting rich and proving Facebook wrong for firing me. But when I became a millionaire, I still found myself chasing money for the sake of money. Sometimes I still do. 
Far too often, I see entrepreneurs start a business for freedom but get sucked into their business and end up working MORE than if they just stuck with their day job.
Don’t trade your 9-5 for a 5-9.
Now, in my 40s, I find myself saying no more. I’m selling most of my real estate. And my priorities have shifted to spending time with my family.
What’s your dream life? Write it down and keep it in a place where you look often to remind yourself.
You need less money than you think to live your dream life! I talk about how to calculate and obtain your Freedom Number in <a href="http://milliondollarweekend.com" data-wpel-link="external" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">Million Dollar Weekend</a>.
<h3>7/ Practice Leadership</h3>
The advice I’d give my younger self is to practice leadership.
For example, start by hiring a cleaner.
You may be thinking, “Really, Noah?”
Yeah, that’s leadership. You learn how to agree on the money, make sure they’re responsible, and check in on them regularly.
The more you can practice hiring, delegating, and focusing on the areas you want to – the better leader you will become. And like any skill – the more you practice, the better you get at it.
Sometimes leadership is about saying what you’re going to do and convincing others to join you. And other times it’s about being the last person to talk and leading from the back.
Every single person is a leader. And to be a great leader, practice leading.
<h3>8/ Selling is the most valuable skill</h3>
Selling may get a bad rap these days, but the truth is EVERYONE is selling you something.
<ul>
<li>Going on a date?</li>
<li>Interviewing for a job?</li>
<li>Trying to get a customer?</li>
</ul>
That’s ALL selling.
Selling at its core is an Ask. And how do you get better at Asking?
In <a href="https://noahkagan.com/mdwbook/" data-wpel-link="internal">Million Dollar Weekend</a>, I talk about The Coffee Challenge.
The next time you go to get a coffee, ask for 10% off and see what happens.
I promise you if you commit to doing this – it will change your life. You’ll see that asking is never as bad as it seems and that you’re better than you think.
Don’t worry about whether you get the discount, the point is that you’re practicing asking.
The more you ask, the better you get.
<h3>9/ Don’t “burn the boats”</h3>
Another thing I’m seeing is this idea that you have to quit your job and “go all in”.
I don’t know about you, but that sounds stupid and dangerous. 
Most people shouldn’t quit their jobs – at least not right away.
Instead, block off a 60-minute block each day to work on your escape plan.
This is YOUR time to build new skills and explore side projects.
<ul>
<li>Wake up 30 minutes earlier.</li>
<li>Give up 1 episode of Netflix</li>
<li>Reduce your screen time by 20 minutes</li>
</ul>
That’s more than 60 minutes right there.
Creating your dream life is possible.
<h3>10/ Why not you?</h3>
It sounds cliche, but I’m not anyone special.
I don’t have an Einstein-level IQ. I wasn’t born to mega-rich parents. And for the majority of my career, I felt lost and confused.
I failed SO many times.
But because I kept going, each failure became a valuable lesson.
Entrepreneurship is simply the ability to come up with ideas, the courage to try them out, and the mental fortitude to keep going.
YOU can do it.
Start small. Start now!
 
Rooting for you,
Noah <img src="https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/14.0.0/72x72/1f32e.png" alt="🌮" class="wp-smiley" style="height: 1em; max-height: 1em;" />
Ps. I HATE paying for overpriced bloated software. So I just launched <a href="https://breezedoc.com/" data-wpel-link="external" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">BreezeDoc</a> – the simplest document-signing solution. Collect signatures from one or multiple signers with ease. Pay once, use forever. <a href="https://breezedoc.com/" data-wpel-link="external" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">Check it out</a>! <img src="https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/14.0.0/72x72/1f49a.png" alt="💚" class="wp-smiley" style="height: 1em; max-height: 1em;" />The post <a href="https://noahkagan.com/brutally-honest-business-advice-part-2/">Brutally Honest BUSINESS Advice (Part 2)</a> first appeared on <a href="https://noahkagan.com">Noah Kagan</a>.The post <a href="https://noahkagan.com/brutally-honest-business-advice-part-2/">Brutally Honest BUSINESS Advice (Part 2)</a> appeared first on <a href="https://noahkagan.com">Noah Kagan</a>.
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<title>Brutally Honest BUSINESS Advice (Part 1)</title>
<link>https://noahkagan.com/brutally-honest-business-advice-part-1/</link>
<comments>https://noahkagan.com/brutally-honest-business-advice-part-1/#respond</comments>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[Jay Yang]]></dc:creator>
<pubDate>Wed, 10 Apr 2024 15:42:17 +0000</pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[Favorite Guides]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Podcast]]></category>
<guid isPermaLink="false">https://noahkagan.com/?p=15511</guid>
<description><![CDATA[AppSumo is about to do $100M in revenue this year. But before that: Rejected by Microsoft and Google (twice!) Fired by both Facebook and Mint after less than a year And built 20+ startups that didn’t work out In short… I’ve made A LOT of mistakes. Today, I want to share 9 pieces of brutally […]
The post <a href="https://noahkagan.com/brutally-honest-business-advice-part-1/">Brutally Honest BUSINESS Advice (Part 1)</a> first appeared on <a href="https://noahkagan.com">Noah Kagan</a>.
The post <a href="https://noahkagan.com/brutally-honest-business-advice-part-1/">Brutally Honest BUSINESS Advice (Part 1)</a> appeared first on <a href="https://noahkagan.com">Noah Kagan</a>.
]]></description>
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AppSumo is about to do $100M in revenue this year.
But before that:
<ul>
<li> Rejected by Microsoft and Google (twice!)</li>
<li> Fired by both Facebook and Mint after less than a year</li>
<li>And built 20+ startups that didn’t work out</li>
</ul>
In short… I’ve made A LOT of mistakes.
Today, I want to share 9 pieces of brutally honest business advice to my younger self:
<h3>1/ Spend more time picking your partners</h3>
In my previous business, Gambit – I always thought of us as a 3-headed dog. Each partner thought we were most important and each of us had our own idea of the best direction for us to go in.
I’ll let you in on a little secret… it didn’t work well.
A lot of entrepreneurs tell me they need a co-founder, and my response is always, “Do you really need a co-founder?”
Because let me tell ya – who you partner with matters A LOT.
If you don’t find the right one, it’s a HUGE pain in the ass.
Now, the way I view partnerships is like a “Business Marriage”.
If I can’t see myself working with someone for 10 years, I won’t work with them for 5 minutes.
Go on many “dates” with potential business partners. And don’t let finding a business partner be an excuse for getting your business started.
<h3>2/ Learn personal finance</h3>
I know what you’re thinking. Finance? Boooring.
But learning about your money is a game-changer – and it doesn’t have to be anything fancy.
I’ve kept the same simple spreadsheet with my Assets, Liabilities, and Net Worth for the past decade.
Here’s my exact net worth from February 2018:
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class=" wp-image-15512 aligncenter" src="https://noahkagan.com/wp-content/uploads/noah-kagan-networth-2018-247x300.png" alt="" width="288" height="350" srcset="https://noahkagan.com/wp-content/uploads/noah-kagan-networth-2018-247x300.png 247w, https://noahkagan.com/wp-content/uploads/noah-kagan-networth-2018-123x150.png 123w, https://noahkagan.com/wp-content/uploads/noah-kagan-networth-2018.png 421w" sizes="(max-width: 288px) 100vw, 288px" />
Finance, at its core, is understanding how much money is coming into your business and how much is going out.
And trust me, nothing is more important than knowing where your money is. If you don’t track your numbers, you have NO CLUE what the bottleneck is.
No numbers = randomness
Even to this day, we grow <a href="http://appsumo.com" data-wpel-link="external" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">AppSumo</a> by focusing on budgets and financial models.
1- if you pay attention to money, you can grow it.
2- if you know how to track a budget, you can improve it.
3- if you aren’t taking care of the basics of personal finance, DO it.
<h3>3/ Work-life balance is stupid early on</h3>
Early on in your career, being intense is a HUGE asset.
When I was building Gambit, I worked 16-hour days…
I remember being up at 3 am so I could do a pitch call with a company in Sweden… and at the moment I LOVED it. It was exhilarating to be on the hunt for a new customer.
Here’s a press page I created from Gambit:
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class=" wp-image-15514 aligncenter" src="https://noahkagan.com/wp-content/uploads/gambit-232x300.png" alt="" width="271" height="350" srcset="https://noahkagan.com/wp-content/uploads/gambit-232x300.png 232w, https://noahkagan.com/wp-content/uploads/gambit-116x150.png 116w, https://noahkagan.com/wp-content/uploads/gambit.png 396w" sizes="(max-width: 271px) 100vw, 271px" />
We were making $150,000 a day in revenue and $15,000 a day in profit (!!) for 3 people.
If there are time-sensitive opportunities, go ALL in.
Intensity gets the ball rolling. Sustainability gets the ball winning.
<h3>4/ Let your hate, motivate</h3>
After I got fired by Facebook, I applied to Yahoo and they somehow gave me a $105,000 job offer. Pretty sizable money for a 26-year-old.
But something didn’t feel right. It felt like going backward and not the right chance to prove Facebook wrong. 
I was so angry. Honestly – sometimes I’m still angry and insecure thinking back to those Facebook people.
Find someone to hate. And let your hate, motivate.
Over time, you can change from trying to prove others wrong to start proving yourself right.
But almost EVERY very successful entrepreneur had some deeper issue that they were trying to solve through starting a biz.
<h3>5/ Follow your curiosity, not the crowd</h3>
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">I tried building Facebook games – I don’t play any games</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">I tried building Affiliate blog websites – they are scammy-ish </li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">I tried dropshipping bracelets – yea, ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ </li>
</ul>
None of these are “bad”, but what I ultimately learned is when you chase what you’re curious about you’ll stick with it much longer.
Instead of getting into AI or Crypto or whatever else is hot right now, ask yourself:
<ul>
<li>What are the things you’re using day-to-day?</li>
<li>What problems are you excited to work on?</li>
<li>What are you genuinely curious about?</li>
</ul>
Because the point isn’t to “win” business. It’s to STAY in business. (<a href="https://ctt.ac/MP6ic" data-wpel-link="external" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">Click to tweet</a>)
And the best way to stay in business is to go after problems you’re actually excited about solving.
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="size-medium wp-image-15513 aligncenter" src="https://noahkagan.com/wp-content/uploads/Mountain-of-Nos-45-300x300.png" alt="" width="300" height="300" srcset="https://noahkagan.com/wp-content/uploads/Mountain-of-Nos-45-300x300.png 300w, https://noahkagan.com/wp-content/uploads/Mountain-of-Nos-45-1024x1024.png 1024w, https://noahkagan.com/wp-content/uploads/Mountain-of-Nos-45-150x150.png 150w, https://noahkagan.com/wp-content/uploads/Mountain-of-Nos-45-768x768.png 768w, https://noahkagan.com/wp-content/uploads/Mountain-of-Nos-45.png 1080w" sizes="(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />
<h3>6/ Gifts for business marketing</h3>
Gifts are the cheapest way to build friendships. Maybe it’s un-secretly my love language.
I sent a pair of running shoes to Greg Tseng of Tagged, a potential customer. I ended up doing tens of thousands from that one customer.
You want it to be things they see and use regularly.
My favorite types of gifts: 

<ul>
<li><a href="http://ember.com" data-wpel-link="external" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">Ember</a> Coffee Mugs for teammates at AppSumo</li>
<li>Gave a <a href="https://www.theadventurechallenge.com/products/couples-camera-set/" data-wpel-link="external" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">camera</a> to <a href="http://aliabdaal.com" data-wpel-link="external" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">Ali Abdaal</a> for his date night</li>
<li>Got Air Jordans for <a href="http://lewishowes.com" data-wpel-link="external" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">Lewis Howes</a> (I noticed his old ones were scuffed)</li>
</ul>
It doesn’t have to be expensive. People just want to feel acknowledged.
<h3>7/ Make your first $1</h3>
I remember the first AppSumo sale like it was yesterday. Seriously, I recall the $12 PayPal email that came in and the validation and momentum from those first dollars STILL gets me excited.
Getting $1 from someone is one of the biggest confidence boosters in business. And the beauty of it is that you can do that today if you are just getting started.
To be a millionaire, you have to start with a dollar-aire.
Think NOW, not HOW – What can you do TODAY to get that first $1 if you are just starting? I promise you it will change everything.
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="size-medium wp-image-15515 aligncenter" src="https://noahkagan.com/wp-content/uploads/Mountain-of-Nos-21-300x300.png" alt="" width="300" height="300" srcset="https://noahkagan.com/wp-content/uploads/Mountain-of-Nos-21-300x300.png 300w, https://noahkagan.com/wp-content/uploads/Mountain-of-Nos-21-1024x1024.png 1024w, https://noahkagan.com/wp-content/uploads/Mountain-of-Nos-21-150x150.png 150w, https://noahkagan.com/wp-content/uploads/Mountain-of-Nos-21-768x768.png 768w, https://noahkagan.com/wp-content/uploads/Mountain-of-Nos-21.png 1080w" sizes="(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />
<h3>8/ The best biz is the one that works</h3>
My conference biz (CommunityNext) was doing $200k a year and potentially more if I took it seriously. But I didn’t want to be known as a networker or event organizer… so I quit. Cold turkey.
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class=" wp-image-15516 aligncenter" src="https://noahkagan.com/wp-content/uploads/kagan-conference.png" alt="" width="175" height="175" />
Web Badge from my first conference
A bud Charles Hudson started his own biz that modeled mine, and so did <a href="http://samparr.com" data-wpel-link="external" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">Sam Parr</a> and both went on to sell those businesses for multi-millions.
I wish I could tell my younger self to stop prematurely quitting things that are working.
It’s challenging to find a biz that people WANT, so once you find it, keep it going at all expenses.
You don’t have to be the one to do it. Hire someone else if your biz is working. I promise you it’ll be worth it.
Most people stick with losers too long and don’t stick with winners long enough. (<a href="https://ctt.ac/0dJDZ" data-wpel-link="external" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">Click to tweet</a>)
<h3>9/ Take more swings</h3>
As you may be able to tell, when I was young, I tried a lot of businesses (almost too many).
Each swing taught me a valuable lesson.
When you’re young, you don’t need your business to be a success for it to be worth starting. The knowledge and skills you gain far outweigh any monetary outcome.
It’s not about WHAT you achieve, it’s about WHO you become.
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="size-medium wp-image-15517 aligncenter" src="https://noahkagan.com/wp-content/uploads/Mountain-of-Nos-36-300x300.png" alt="" width="300" height="300" srcset="https://noahkagan.com/wp-content/uploads/Mountain-of-Nos-36-300x300.png 300w, https://noahkagan.com/wp-content/uploads/Mountain-of-Nos-36-1024x1024.png 1024w, https://noahkagan.com/wp-content/uploads/Mountain-of-Nos-36-150x150.png 150w, https://noahkagan.com/wp-content/uploads/Mountain-of-Nos-36-768x768.png 768w, https://noahkagan.com/wp-content/uploads/Mountain-of-Nos-36.png 1080w" sizes="(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />
Everything I tried (and failed) led me to where I am today.
So even if you can’t immediately see the fruits of your labor – just know that your swings DO COMPOUND.
Keep starting things. Keep taking swings.
Rooting for you,
Noah <img src="https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/14.0.0/72x72/1f32e.png" alt="🌮" class="wp-smiley" style="height: 1em; max-height: 1em;" />
 
Ps. <a href="https://noahkagan.com/mdwbook/" data-wpel-link="internal">Million Dollar Weekend</a> is the business book I wish I had when I was younger. It contains everything I’ve learned from building eight million-dollar businesses. Let’s build your <a href="https://noahkagan.com/mdwbook/" data-wpel-link="internal">dream business</a> this weekend! <img src="https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/14.0.0/72x72/1f49a.png" alt="💚" class="wp-smiley" style="height: 1em; max-height: 1em;" />The post <a href="https://noahkagan.com/brutally-honest-business-advice-part-1/">Brutally Honest BUSINESS Advice (Part 1)</a> first appeared on <a href="https://noahkagan.com">Noah Kagan</a>.The post <a href="https://noahkagan.com/brutally-honest-business-advice-part-1/">Brutally Honest BUSINESS Advice (Part 1)</a> appeared first on <a href="https://noahkagan.com">Noah Kagan</a>.
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<title>Asking Is the Biggest Skill No One Uses</title>
<link>https://noahkagan.com/chris-hutchins/</link>
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<dc:creator><![CDATA[Jenn]]></dc:creator>
<pubDate>Thu, 04 Apr 2024 11:00:03 +0000</pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[Podcast]]></category>
<guid isPermaLink="false">https://noahkagan.com/?p=15508</guid>
<description><![CDATA[📚 Get the NYT bestseller – milliondollarweekend.com – Available Everywhere! Today Noah Chats with Chris Hutchins, host of “All the Hacks“, about the growth of his podcast and the art of making bold asks. In this conversation, you’ll hear Chris’s masterclass in ‘The Power of Asking for What You Want’. Remember my coffee challenge, imagine […]
The post <a href="https://noahkagan.com/chris-hutchins/">Asking Is the Biggest Skill No One Uses</a> first appeared on <a href="https://noahkagan.com">Noah Kagan</a>.
The post <a href="https://noahkagan.com/chris-hutchins/">Asking Is the Biggest Skill No One Uses</a> appeared first on <a href="https://noahkagan.com">Noah Kagan</a>.
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Today Noah Chats with <a href="http://chrishutchins.com" data-wpel-link="external" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">Chris Hutchins</a>, host of “<a href="https://www.allthehacks.com/" data-wpel-link="external" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">All the Hacks</a>“, about the growth of his podcast and the art of making bold asks. In this conversation, you’ll hear Chris’s masterclass in ‘The Power of Asking for What You Want’. Remember my coffee challenge, imagine that but on whatever those big bodybuilders take. This is huge advice.
Follow his intentionality and laser focus in asking his way to become one of the biggest podcasters out there. Together, we explore podcast growth strategies, effective monetization tactics, and the importance of taking small, consistent steps toward progress.
In this episode, you’ll enjoy 3 BIG things:
<ol>
<li aria-level="1">Making an ask easy to say yes to by doing the leg work for the person you’re asking</li>
<li aria-level="1">Strategies for how to monetize any podcast, content, or project you’re working on</li>
<li aria-level="1">Getting to no faster, how not to waste time on someone sitting on the fence, and moving on to the next option quicker. </li>
</ol>
If you enjoyed this and want to hear more about being a productive content creator, check out a previous episode we did with infamous YouTuber Ali Abdaal called How to Be Productive. That’s <a href="https://okdork.com/podcast/332" data-wpel-link="external" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">episode 332</a> in this feed.
And if you enjoy listening to the podcast, I would appreciate it if you left a review on Apple Podcasts to help more people learn about it. I might shout you out in the next episode!
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</div>The post <a href="https://noahkagan.com/chris-hutchins/">Asking Is the Biggest Skill No One Uses</a> first appeared on <a href="https://noahkagan.com">Noah Kagan</a>.The post <a href="https://noahkagan.com/chris-hutchins/">Asking Is the Biggest Skill No One Uses</a> appeared first on <a href="https://noahkagan.com">Noah Kagan</a>.
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<title>April Life Updates and Billionaires</title>
<link>https://noahkagan.com/april-life-updates-and-billionaires/</link>
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<dc:creator><![CDATA[Jay Yang]]></dc:creator>
<pubDate>Wed, 03 Apr 2024 19:04:24 +0000</pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[Favorite Guides]]></category>
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<description><![CDATA[Happy THURSDAY! A quick update on what’s been going on in my life since the launch of Million Dollar Weekend (then onto my billionaire lessons). What happened in March: Got MARRIED and baby due soon. 💍👶 Huge personal news. So grateful for my wife, Mafe. 🙏 Went on our honeymoon, an RV trip to sights […]
The post <a href="https://noahkagan.com/april-life-updates-and-billionaires/">April Life Updates and Billionaires</a> first appeared on <a href="https://noahkagan.com">Noah Kagan</a>.
The post <a href="https://noahkagan.com/april-life-updates-and-billionaires/">April Life Updates and Billionaires</a> appeared first on <a href="https://noahkagan.com">Noah Kagan</a>.
]]></description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[Happy THURSDAY! A quick update on what’s been going on in my life since the launch of <a href="http://milliondollarweekend.com" data-wpel-link="external" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">Million Dollar Weekend</a> (then onto my billionaire lessons).
What happened in March:
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Got MARRIED and baby due soon. <img src="https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/14.0.0/72x72/1f48d.png" alt="💍" class="wp-smiley" style="height: 1em; max-height: 1em;" /><img src="https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/14.0.0/72x72/1f476.png" alt="👶" class="wp-smiley" style="height: 1em; max-height: 1em;" /> Huge personal news. So grateful for my wife, Mafe. <img src="https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/14.0.0/72x72/1f64f.png" alt="🙏" class="wp-smiley" style="height: 1em; max-height: 1em;" /> Went on our honeymoon, an RV trip to sights like Zion National Park and Sedona. <img src="https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/14.0.0/72x72/26f0.png" alt="⛰" class="wp-smiley" style="height: 1em; max-height: 1em;" /></li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Reviews. Reached goal of 1000 book reviews for Million Dollar Weekend!! <img src="https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/14.0.0/72x72/1f973.png" alt="🥳" class="wp-smiley" style="height: 1em; max-height: 1em;" /> THANK YOU. Continuing the momentum. Leave a review if you can: <a href="https://sendfox.com/trk/click/87ky4vvr/958lld" data-wpel-link="external" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">amazon</a>, <a href="https://sendfox.com/trk/click/87ky4vvr/47rvvl" data-wpel-link="external" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">audible</a>, <a href="https://sendfox.com/trk/click/87ky4vvr/qz9xxl" data-wpel-link="external" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">goodreads</a></li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Billionaire YouTube video launch. Great human lessons from the super rich, <a href="https://youtu.be/FRbeL6rEWjY?si=eVdo41M8wNmzW_34" data-wpel-link="external" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">watch it here</a>.</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Podcast. Some fire <img src="https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/14.0.0/72x72/1f525.png" alt="🔥" class="wp-smiley" style="height: 1em; max-height: 1em;" /> episodes recently. If you missed it, here’s <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/how-to-get-rich-as-an-introvert/id1187402810?i=1000649970143" data-wpel-link="external" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">How to Get Rich as an Introvert</a> and <a href="https://open.spotify.com/episode/3uaiSP1WbrAloXDNWZDf1d" data-wpel-link="external" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">Brutally Honest Career Advice I Wish I Knew Earlier</a></li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">MDW Weekend Bootcamp. Hosted a workshop for people who bought 2 or more copies. Helped people get results from one weekend of work. </li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Mark Manson. My interview with Mark Manson just got released on his channel, <a href="https://youtu.be/m6-j7RumjNs?si=76ekbA-kuogQa4uL" data-wpel-link="external" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">give it some love</a>. </li>
</ul>
What’s coming up in April
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Florida trip. Prioritizing more time with family and doing our babymoon. Then interviewing PBD for YouTube channel…</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Shows. Connecting with Aaron Marino’s community this week. On CLS Experience with Craig Siegel and Talking Too Loud with Wistia CEO Chris Savage end April. Any others that I should be on?</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Podcast and Newsletter. People loved the “Brutally Honest Career Advice to my Younger Self” episode and email. Planning to do more on relationships, mindset, fitness. </li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Filming. More YouTube videos. Plus Cybertruck interview with Codie Sanchez for an AppSumo surprise and future podcast episode. </li>
</ul>
Ok. Now onto this week’s newsletter…
==
There are 2,640 billionaires in the world.
My career has enabled me to work with / interview 1% of the world’s billionaires.
What do they know that everyone else doesn’t?
Here are the 6 biggest lessons they taught me:
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="size-medium wp-image-15500 aligncenter" src="https://noahkagan.com/wp-content/uploads/noah-billionaire-300x169.jpeg" alt="" width="300" height="169" srcset="https://noahkagan.com/wp-content/uploads/noah-billionaire-300x169.jpeg 300w, https://noahkagan.com/wp-content/uploads/noah-billionaire-150x84.jpeg 150w, https://noahkagan.com/wp-content/uploads/noah-billionaire-768x432.jpeg 768w, https://noahkagan.com/wp-content/uploads/noah-billionaire.jpeg 800w" sizes="(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />
<h3>1- There are no employee billionaires</h3>
Every billionaire I’ve met became a billionaire through entrepreneurship.
Why?
Because as an employee, there’s a cap on your salary. The average annual raise is 3%.
But as an entrepreneur? Your only limit is YOU.
You’re in full control of:
<ol>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">What you sell</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">How much you charge</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">And how many people see your offer</li>
</ol>
I’m not here to say that having a job is bad. But the truth is you’re not gonna be a billionaire with only a salary.
Sam Altman, the founder of OpenAI said, “The biggest economic misunderstanding of my childhood was that people got rich from high salaries. You get truly rich by owning things that increase rapidly in value.”
If you want control of your income, start a business.
(<a href="https://ctt.ac/A2nc5" data-wpel-link="external" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">Share this on X/Twitter</a>)
<h3>2- Billionaires create their market</h3>
Whoever creates the market, takes home the billions.
When we started AppSumo, there were ~10 SaaS tools. Now, there are tens of thousands.
A growing market makes business easy. A shrinking market makes business hard.
How do you pick a growing market?
Your belief in yourself has to be higher than the belief you place in others.
In the Summer before 1995, Elon Musk was considering going to Stanford to pursue a PhD studying material science. But as he got closer to enrolling, he began to worry.
At the time, the internet was quickly gaining in popularity and the opportunity to capitalize was not going to wait for him to finish graduate school.
“The internet revolution only comes once in a lifetime,” Elon’s boss, Peter Nicholson told him, “so strike while the iron is hot.”
Elon ended up enrolling at Stanford but then immediately requested a deferral to pursue his startup. Four years later, Elon sold that startup for $307 million.
You have to be okay with looking “foolish” NOW to be right LATER.
What details do you notice that most people don’t?
<h3>3- They are okay with being boring</h3>
You don’t need to be in a sexy market (like tech or AI) to do well.
Larry Janesky became a billionaire with basements. Michael Hudner became very wealthy with shipping containers. The other day I met a kid who got rich selling ninja swords.
The point is:
There are SO many ways to get rich.
You don’t have to pick a miserable business just because everyone else is doing it.
What do you enjoy? What do you have an advantage in?
You’re much more likely to be successful when you follow your energy instead of the crowd.
<h3>4- Their attitude towards money never changes</h3>
When you think of how you’ll meet a billionaire, you probably think of seeing them off the coast of Monaco in a super yacht with a helicopter on the rooftop and them wearing expensive designer clothes.
But that couldn’t be further from the truth.
When I met Paul Orfalea he was wearing short socks and sneakers. When I met Michael Hudner, he was wearing casual slacks. Zuck is notorious for wearing a simple gray t-shirt with jeans. Peter Thiel was using an old iPhone 7 and Hanes socks.
In fact, the billionaires I’ve met live surprisingly simple and aesthetically UN-extreme lives.
They’re less concerned with LOOKING rich and more concerned with BEING rich.
They’re also super frugal. They won’t pay for an overpriced product.
Billionaires RESPECT and PROTECT their money. They don’t fling it around because they realize the blood & sweat that went into getting it.
Money doesn’t change your character, it only reveals it.
<h3>5- Billionaires got rich doing ONE thing</h3>
Money gurus tell you to “diversify” your money.
But the truth is you don’t build wealth by diversifying. You build wealth by doing ONE thing.
Mark Zuckerberg didn’t have side hustles. He built Facebook.
Same with all the other billionaires I’ve met:
Larry Janesky → Basements
John Paul DeJoria → Haircare
Michael Hudner → Shipping Containers
Try a lot of things. Once you find one that works – DOUBLE DOWN!
Diversification is for wealth preservation and protection, not wealth creation.
<h3>6- Billionaires pay the price</h3>
Nothing comes without a cost.
Many of the billionaires I spoke with told me how high the price was to make their money. They sacrificed personal relationships with their spouse and kids.
They also said they’d give anything to have those relationships back.
“You can’t get back the time with family, but you can always make more money.”
Entrepreneurship is NOT just about getting rich or becoming a billionaire.
It’s about creating your dream life. It’s about finding the right path for YOU.
Not everyone wants to or should become a billionaire.
For me, I’ve never wanted to be a mega-billionaire or own a fleet of yachts. I wanted the freedom to work on stuff I love and be with my favorite people.
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="size-medium wp-image-15501 aligncenter" src="https://noahkagan.com/wp-content/uploads/Mountain-of-Nos-37-300x300.png" alt="" width="300" height="300" srcset="https://noahkagan.com/wp-content/uploads/Mountain-of-Nos-37-300x300.png 300w, https://noahkagan.com/wp-content/uploads/Mountain-of-Nos-37-1024x1024.png 1024w, https://noahkagan.com/wp-content/uploads/Mountain-of-Nos-37-150x150.png 150w, https://noahkagan.com/wp-content/uploads/Mountain-of-Nos-37-768x768.png 768w, https://noahkagan.com/wp-content/uploads/Mountain-of-Nos-37.png 1080w" sizes="(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />
Every billionaire I’ve interviewed and met was just a normal person.
They became obsessed with a specific, painful problem. Created a solution that was scalable to the masses. And were willing to pay the price to turn their product into a billion-dollar company.
YOU can become a billionaire.
But you have to start.
Right now. Where you are. And with what you have.
Rooting for you,
Noah <img src="https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/14.0.0/72x72/1f32e.png" alt="🌮" class="wp-smiley" style="height: 1em; max-height: 1em;" />
Ps. Fun fact: The word “honeymoon” is thought to have originated in medieval times. At that time, it was common for newlywed couples to drink mead (a fermented beverage made from honey) for a moon cycle (30 days) after their wedding. This tradition was believed to bring good luck and fertility to the couple.The post <a href="https://noahkagan.com/april-life-updates-and-billionaires/">April Life Updates and Billionaires</a> first appeared on <a href="https://noahkagan.com">Noah Kagan</a>.The post <a href="https://noahkagan.com/april-life-updates-and-billionaires/">April Life Updates and Billionaires</a> appeared first on <a href="https://noahkagan.com">Noah Kagan</a>.
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<title>The ultimate 9-5 escape plan</title>
<link>https://noahkagan.com/the-ultimate-9-5-escape-plan/</link>
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<dc:creator><![CDATA[Jay Yang]]></dc:creator>
<pubDate>Wed, 27 Mar 2024 22:20:19 +0000</pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[Favorite Guides]]></category>
<guid isPermaLink="false">https://noahkagan.com/?p=15496</guid>
<description><![CDATA[This is from THIS episode – Spotify – iTunes Reid Hoffman (founder of LinkedIn) once said “Entrepreneurship is like jumping off a cliff and building a parachute as you go down.” 😅🪂 I don’t know about you, but that sounds stupid and dangerous. It’s much simpler to build a side hustle alongside your day job, […]
The post <a href="https://noahkagan.com/the-ultimate-9-5-escape-plan/">The ultimate 9-5 escape plan</a> first appeared on <a href="https://noahkagan.com">Noah Kagan</a>.
The post <a href="https://noahkagan.com/the-ultimate-9-5-escape-plan/">The ultimate 9-5 escape plan</a> appeared first on <a href="https://noahkagan.com">Noah Kagan</a>.
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<content:encoded><![CDATA[This is from <a href="https://noahkagan.com/escape-plan/" data-wpel-link="internal">THIS</a> episode – <a href="https://open.spotify.com/episode/2sbgRW0BiiQ0QogV3SfG4H" data-wpel-link="external" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">Spotify</a> – <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/lu/podcast/the-ultimate-9-5-escape-plan/id1187402810?i=1000541479959&l=de" data-wpel-link="external" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">iTunes</a>
Reid Hoffman (founder of LinkedIn) once said “Entrepreneurship is like jumping off a cliff and building a parachute as you go down.” <img src="https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/14.0.0/72x72/1f605.png" alt="😅" class="wp-smiley" style="height: 1em; max-height: 1em;" /><img src="https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/14.0.0/72x72/1fa82.png" alt="🪂" class="wp-smiley" style="height: 1em; max-height: 1em;" />
I don’t know about you, but that sounds stupid and dangerous. 
It’s much simpler to build a side hustle alongside your day job, hit your freedom number, and then jump ship if you want.
Here’s how you can do it:
<h3>Step 1: Believe it</h3>
<h4>Write out your Dream Year</h4>
One of the biggest things I notice when I speak with people is they DON’T BELIEVE they can live their dream life.
A few years ago I didn’t think my life could be where I am today. The more you write it out, look at it, and think about it – I promise you – you deserve and can have that life!
You need to get clear on what “freedom” actually means to you. 
On your phone, voice memo, or old-school pen-n-paper write out where you want to be on Dec 31 of this year – the more detailed the better.
When you realize you are the author of your life then you realize you can make it a true story. 
It’s easy to get what you want when you know what you want.
(<a href="https://ctt.ac/cfve6" data-wpel-link="external" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">Share this on X/Twitter</a>)
<h4>Let your Hate, motivate!</h4>
Next, write out everything that irritates you about where you are right now.
<ul>
<li>My boss keeps interrupting me while I eat my tacos</li>
<li>My work doesn’t give me the creative freedom</li>
<li> I hate having to wear business professional clothes (boo Intel!)</li>
<li>The traffic to work SUCKS <img src="https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/14.0.0/72x72/1f624.png" alt="😤" class="wp-smiley" style="height: 1em; max-height: 1em;" /></li>
</ul>
These are all motivational reminders for you to start your side hustle.
<h3>Step 2: Set your Freedom Number</h3>
Your <a href="https://noahkagan.com/mdwbook/" data-wpel-link="internal">Freedom Number</a> is the amount of money you need to be earning on the side to quit your day job comfortably.
My monthly Freedom Number was $3,000. Why? Because when I added up my ideal living expenses, that’s what I got.
<ul>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Housing (rent at my apartment): $1,000</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Food and travel (tacos/steak/wine and working abroad): $1,000</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Savings and investment: $1,000</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Total: $3,000</li>
</ul>
The power is finding out your Freedom Number is LOWER than you realize and also SMALLER than you expected.
It helps show that your dreams are not as far off as you imagine.
<h4>Start with your zone of influence</h4>
A mistake I see people make is trying to start a business in a completely unrelated industry to what they’re familiar with.
They have a job as an accountant but try to start a business making software for Content Creators.
Why make it harder on yourself?
Use your pre-existing skills, knowledge, and network.
<ul>
<li>What do you get paid for in your day job?</li>
<li> What have you gotten paid for in the past?</li>
<li> What hobbies or things have people commented positively on?</li>
<li> Who do you have access to in your network?</li>
</ul>
And if you don’t already have a network or skills – a day job is the perfect place to gain experience, connections, and save money.
<h4>Give up 1 Netflix show a week.</h4>
I hated my job at Intel. But during my nights, lunches, and weekends, I wasn’t worrying about my job whatsoever. It gave me space to work on side hustles.
Block off 1 hour in your calendar each week to change your life.
What can you do during your day job to start planting seeds?
Just because you have a job doesn’t mean you can’t start your business right NOW.
<h3>Step 3: Make your first $1</h3>
The validation stage is about speed. Don’t overthink the design, name, or logo. Just focus on seeing if you can get people to buy your product!
Make it easy: start with your best friends and family members who might be interested.
Collect money upfront: the promise of payment is not validation… that’s a polite rejection. Everyone’s “interested” until they have to pay.
Views rejections as a GIFT: every rejection is an opportunity to take a deep dive into customer problems.
Many struggle to make their first dollar because they are so focused on how to make their first million.
Think NOW, not HOW.
<h4>Test, then invest</h4>
At the start, most people don’t test enough things.
Then when they find something that works, they quit and move on too soon.
The solution? Set a constraint on your experiments.
I find thirty days is more than enough to get results from your marketing experiments.
Find what works and double down on it; find what doesn’t work and kill it.
<h3>Step 4: Be smart with your finances</h3>
<h4>Live a Low-Cost Lifestyle (LCL)</h4>
I saved money by staying in my aunt’s basement <img src="https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/14.0.0/72x72/1f64f.png" alt="🙏" class="wp-smiley" style="height: 1em; max-height: 1em;" />. I even slept on couches for a whole year and rarely ate out.
Most people spend money they don’t have on lifestyles they can’t afford. If you want to build wealth, do the opposite.
If you’re interested in learning more about personal finance, Ramit Sethi’s book I Will Teach You to Be Rich is great for this.
<h3>Step 5: Keep going</h3>
<h4>Persistence beats resistance</h4>
It took me 10 years (!!) to create the company and life that I wanted with <a href="https://appsumo.com/" data-wpel-link="external" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">AppSumo</a>.
It’s cliche, but good things take time.
Creating your own path takes more than just skill – it demands grit.
Obstacles are bound to arise. It’s your persistence and willingness to adapt that will determine your success.
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="size-medium wp-image-15489 aligncenter" src="https://noahkagan.com/wp-content/uploads/Mountain-of-Nos-10-300x300.png" alt="" width="300" height="300" srcset="https://noahkagan.com/wp-content/uploads/Mountain-of-Nos-10-300x300.png 300w, https://noahkagan.com/wp-content/uploads/Mountain-of-Nos-10-1024x1024.png 1024w, https://noahkagan.com/wp-content/uploads/Mountain-of-Nos-10-150x150.png 150w, https://noahkagan.com/wp-content/uploads/Mountain-of-Nos-10-768x768.png 768w, https://noahkagan.com/wp-content/uploads/Mountain-of-Nos-10.png 1080w" sizes="(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />
<h4>Enjoy the journey</h4>
I didn’t watch the movie Titanic until a year ago because I knew the ship crashed and sank.
“Why would I want to watch something where I know the ending?” I thought.
But the movie is actually phenomenal. The whole point was the journey.
The same thing goes with our lives.
In my 20s, I allowed my negative emotions from getting fired from Facebook to make me miserable along the journey.
I was so fixated on proving others wrong that I didn’t allow myself to enjoy the process.
I was always rushing to have everything figured out.
I wished I had just enjoyed being there.
It will be challenging.
But the rewards are worth it.
If you’re serious about breaking free and want to start your dream business this weekend, there’s ONE resource I can’t recommend enough…
<a href="https://noahkagan.com/mdwbook/" data-wpel-link="internal">Million Dollar Weekend</a> is the business book I wish I had when I started my entrepreneurship journey. 
I promise you: Who you are, what you have, and what you know right now are more than enough to get going.
The life and business of your dreams are within reach.
Now, get out there and START!
 
Rooting for you,
Noah <img src="https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/14.0.0/72x72/1f32e.png" alt="🌮" class="wp-smiley" style="height: 1em; max-height: 1em;" />
 
PS. There are 2,640 <a href="https://youtu.be/FRbeL6rEWjY?si=qeGrjKVte46Y7jDB" data-wpel-link="external" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">billionaires</a> in the world. I’ve been fortunate to have worked with/interviewed 25 of them (1%!!) – My latest YouTube video reveals <a href="https://youtu.be/FRbeL6rEWjY?si=qeGrjKVte46Y7jDB" data-wpel-link="external" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">the TOP 6 lessons I’ve learned</a> from them. Check it out! <img src="https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/14.0.0/72x72/1f49a.png" alt="💚" class="wp-smiley" style="height: 1em; max-height: 1em;" />The post <a href="https://noahkagan.com/the-ultimate-9-5-escape-plan/">The ultimate 9-5 escape plan</a> first appeared on <a href="https://noahkagan.com">Noah Kagan</a>.The post <a href="https://noahkagan.com/the-ultimate-9-5-escape-plan/">The ultimate 9-5 escape plan</a> appeared first on <a href="https://noahkagan.com">Noah Kagan</a>.
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<title>Brutally honest career advice to my younger self</title>
<link>https://noahkagan.com/brutally-honest-career-advice-to-my-younger-self/</link>
<comments>https://noahkagan.com/brutally-honest-career-advice-to-my-younger-self/#respond</comments>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[Jay Yang]]></dc:creator>
<pubDate>Wed, 20 Mar 2024 16:18:42 +0000</pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[Book Reports]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Favorite Guides]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Podcast]]></category>
<guid isPermaLink="false">https://noahkagan.com/?p=15484</guid>
<description><![CDATA[I’m 42. The first 10 years of my career were a roller coaster of emotions: Rejected by MSFT Rejected by Google (2x) Fired by FB after 9 months Fired by mint .com after 10 months Built 20+ startups that didn’t work out But I’ve also: Built AppSumo to $100M/year in revenue Grew my YouTube channel […]
The post <a href="https://noahkagan.com/brutally-honest-career-advice-to-my-younger-self/">Brutally honest career advice to my younger self</a> first appeared on <a href="https://noahkagan.com">Noah Kagan</a>.
The post <a href="https://noahkagan.com/brutally-honest-career-advice-to-my-younger-self/">Brutally honest career advice to my younger self</a> appeared first on <a href="https://noahkagan.com">Noah Kagan</a>.
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I’m 42.
The first 10 years of my career were a roller coaster of emotions:
<ul>
<li> Rejected by MSFT</li>
<li> Rejected by Google (2x)</li>
<li> Fired by FB after 9 months</li>
<li> Fired by mint .com after 10 months</li>
<li> Built 20+ startups that didn’t work out</li>
</ul>
But I’ve also:
<ul>
<li>Built AppSumo to $100M/year in revenue</li>
<li>Grew my YouTube channel to 1M+ subscribers</li>
<li>And have interviewed 1% of the world’s billionaires</li>
</ul>
In short… I’ve made A LOT of mistakes. But I’ve also learned a lot.
Today, I want to share a few pieces of brutally honest career advice that I’d give to my younger self (so you can avoid some of my pitfalls).
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="size-medium wp-image-15485 aligncenter" src="https://noahkagan.com/wp-content/uploads/young-noah-1-300x225.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="225" srcset="https://noahkagan.com/wp-content/uploads/young-noah-1-300x225.jpg 300w, https://noahkagan.com/wp-content/uploads/young-noah-1-150x113.jpg 150w, https://noahkagan.com/wp-content/uploads/young-noah-1.jpg 512w" sizes="(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />
<h3>1/ It’s okay to feel lost</h3>
When I was younger, all my friends were becoming accountants, consultants, and bankers… but I knew that wasn’t for me. At the time, I felt lost and confused.
But looking back, I was exactly where I needed to be.
When you’re in your 20s, you’re not supposed to know exactly what you want to do with your career.
Instead of trying to predict your career path, focus on taking daily action.
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="size-medium wp-image-15486 aligncenter" src="https://noahkagan.com/wp-content/uploads/35-300x300.png" alt="" width="300" height="300" srcset="https://noahkagan.com/wp-content/uploads/35-300x300.png 300w, https://noahkagan.com/wp-content/uploads/35-1024x1024.png 1024w, https://noahkagan.com/wp-content/uploads/35-150x150.png 150w, https://noahkagan.com/wp-content/uploads/35-768x768.png 768w, https://noahkagan.com/wp-content/uploads/35.png 1080w" sizes="(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />
<h3>2/ Take more swings</h3>
I tried A LOT of businesses when I was young and broke, but I had a lot of time (Everspeed, CollegeUp, HFG Consulting, Entrepreneur27, etc.).
Early in your career, you can afford to take more risks because you have fewer obligations.
Create your own luck by taking a lot of relentless action.
<ul>
<li>Do free work to get your foot in the door</li>
<li>Fly across the country to meet with an investor</li>
<li> Start the crazy business idea with your roommate</li>
</ul>
Take more swings. You only need ONE to win.
(<a href="https://ctt.ac/rom3X" data-wpel-link="external" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">Share this on X/Twitter</a>)
<h3>3/ Be the hub</h3>
When I graduated from UC Berkeley in 2004, I hosted dinners, beer meetups, and conferences…even when I didn’t know anyone.
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="size-medium wp-image-15487 aligncenter" src="https://noahkagan.com/wp-content/uploads/Young-Noah-2-300x225.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="225" srcset="https://noahkagan.com/wp-content/uploads/Young-Noah-2-300x225.jpg 300w, https://noahkagan.com/wp-content/uploads/Young-Noah-2-150x113.jpg 150w, https://noahkagan.com/wp-content/uploads/Young-Noah-2.jpg 512w" sizes="(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />
Me (in background) + Tim Ferriss at a meetup
The interesting people I helped at the time, like Ramit Sethi, Tim Ferriss, and Ryan Holiday ended up helping me 15 years down the line.
One way to get started right NOW:
Ask the smartest people you know, “Who is ONE person I should meet?’
A coffee or Zoom meeting may be the smartest investment you’ll ever make!
<h3>4/ Document your learning online</h3>
I’ve been writing on my personal blog since 2000 (!!)
It’s led me to connect with amazing people and meet my business partner Chad Boyda.
Creating content is a career cheat code.
Worst case? You learn how to write and promote your work.
Best case? You attract life-changing opportunities.
You also get to look back on yourself and appreciate how far you’ve come. <img src="https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/14.0.0/72x72/1f60c.png" alt="😌" class="wp-smiley" style="height: 1em; max-height: 1em;" />
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="size-medium wp-image-15467 aligncenter" src="https://noahkagan.com/wp-content/uploads/5-things-email-pic-4-300x149.png" alt="" width="300" height="149" srcset="https://noahkagan.com/wp-content/uploads/5-things-email-pic-4-300x149.png 300w, https://noahkagan.com/wp-content/uploads/5-things-email-pic-4-150x74.png 150w, https://noahkagan.com/wp-content/uploads/5-things-email-pic-4.png 512w" sizes="(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />
<h3>5/ Learn copywriting</h3>
When I first started AppSumo, my buddy Neville tried to convince me to let him use “Copywriting” in our emails to help generate more sales.
I was skeptical, and for good reason!
The first line of the email he wrote was “If you get a boner when I whisper the word ‘Garamond’ into your ear…..you might be interested.” <img src="https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/14.0.0/72x72/1f648.png" alt="🙈" class="wp-smiley" style="height: 1em; max-height: 1em;" />
But guess what? The day that Neville’s email was sent out was the first day AppSumo made a $10,000 profit in a single day.
Copywriting is not about hitting a word count or writing a five-paragraph essay.
It’s about capturing attention and persuading action.
You will never be disappointed by improving your communication skills.
Two great resources:
<ol>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><a href="https://morgancrozier.com/boron-letters/" data-wpel-link="external" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">The Boron Letters</a> (It’s free!)</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><a href="https://copywritingcourse.com/" data-wpel-link="external" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">Neville Medhora’s Copywriting Course</a></li>
</ol>
<h3>6/ Master the art of the cold email</h3>
I’ve been sending cold emails since I was a freshman at UC Berkeley.
The best cold emails:
<ul>
<li>Get to the point</li>
<li>Instantly grab attention</li>
<li>Answer “What’s in it for me?”</li>
</ul>
If you don’t get a response? Follow up without being rude.
If you shoot 100 shots, you’re bound to land one hit.
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="size-medium wp-image-15488 aligncenter" src="https://noahkagan.com/wp-content/uploads/Mountain-of-Nos-6-300x300.png" alt="" width="300" height="300" srcset="https://noahkagan.com/wp-content/uploads/Mountain-of-Nos-6-300x300.png 300w, https://noahkagan.com/wp-content/uploads/Mountain-of-Nos-6-1024x1024.png 1024w, https://noahkagan.com/wp-content/uploads/Mountain-of-Nos-6-150x150.png 150w, https://noahkagan.com/wp-content/uploads/Mountain-of-Nos-6-768x768.png 768w, https://noahkagan.com/wp-content/uploads/Mountain-of-Nos-6.png 1080w" sizes="(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />
<h3>7/ Mentors are overrated</h3>
Wanna know the best way to find a mentor? Become someone worth mentoring.
<ul>
<li>Start things</li>
<li>Encounter a problem</li>
<li>Ask for SPECIFIC feedback, not advice</li>
<li>Report back on how you did</li>
<li>Repeat <img src="https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/14.0.0/72x72/1f501.png" alt="🔁" class="wp-smiley" style="height: 1em; max-height: 1em;" /></li>
</ul>
You’ll realize you never needed a “mentor” in the first place.
<h3>8/ Build independent income streams</h3>
When I was young, I thought I was special because I started many businesses in college, had a blog, and worked at Facebook.
The reality was I was dependent on my boss.
Getting fired taught me that EVERYONE is replaceable.
One of my first side hustles (freecallsto.com) only made around $50/month BUT taught me the fundamentals of coding and marketing.
Start more side hustles. You’ll learn more, earn independent income, and maybe even replace your income to go full-time.
<h3>9/ Give way less fucks about other people</h3>
No amount of money, followers, or acknowledgment will quench your thirst for fulfillment if you don’t learn to be proud of yourself.
The truth is the people you’re trying to impress aren’t even thinking about you in the first place.
Instead of trying to prove others wrong, prove yourself right.
<h3>10/ Have more patience that it will work out</h3>
In my 20s, I was impatient to get rich and famous. I beat myself up a ton.
That’s a miserable way to live. You don’t have to be so hard on yourself.
If you’re doing the reps, the results WILL pay off.
Wealth comes from compounded time.
Be impatient with actions and patient with results.
(<a href="https://ctt.ac/iWxAf" data-wpel-link="external" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">Share this on X/Twitter</a>)
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="size-medium wp-image-15489 aligncenter" src="https://noahkagan.com/wp-content/uploads/Mountain-of-Nos-10-300x300.png" alt="" width="300" height="300" srcset="https://noahkagan.com/wp-content/uploads/Mountain-of-Nos-10-300x300.png 300w, https://noahkagan.com/wp-content/uploads/Mountain-of-Nos-10-1024x1024.png 1024w, https://noahkagan.com/wp-content/uploads/Mountain-of-Nos-10-150x150.png 150w, https://noahkagan.com/wp-content/uploads/Mountain-of-Nos-10-768x768.png 768w, https://noahkagan.com/wp-content/uploads/Mountain-of-Nos-10.png 1080w" sizes="(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />
<h3>11/ Practice positive self-talk</h3>
After getting fired from Facebook, it took years to make peace with the voice in my head.
I ignored all the cliche mindset advice because I wasn’t where I wanted to be in life.
But as I’ve gotten older and more mature – I’ve realized how powerful your self-confidence matters for your life and business.
A practice that’s helped:
Any time you say something negative about yourself, also say something positive. (Thanks <a href="http://tynan.com" data-wpel-link="external" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">Tynan</a> for the tip.)
You can be your biggest critic as long as you’re also your biggest cheerleader.
What’s something nice that you can say to yourself right NOW?
<h3>12/ Don’t jump ship too early</h3>
One of my biggest regrets is shutting down CommunityNext (my conference business) when I should have hired someone to keep running it.
Someone else took that idea, ran with it, and sold it for multiple millions of dollars.
Instead of quitting when it gets boring – find someone to run it while you work on the next thing.
<h3>13/ Don’t let work consume your life</h3>
I worked A LOT in my 20s.
I don’t regret it – because it got me to where I am today.
But don’t forget to have fun too!
Your youth is about a diversity of experiences.
Play sports. Travel abroad. Hang out with friends.
Ironically, doing those things will give you more inspiration for your work.
<h3>14/ Peer up the career ladder</h3>
I wish I job shadowed and interviewed more people.
In school, we’re conditioned to fall in love with job titles, without knowing the day-to-day work.
It sounds cool to be a surgeon until you realize you have to deal with blood all day.
Here’s a template you can use:
“Hey, I’m a Senior at X college interested in [specific field]. Can I see what you do for a day?” 
Don’t let an impressive-sounding title distract you from what matters most: doing work you enjoy.
(<a href="https://ctt.ac/es2e8" data-wpel-link="external" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">Share this on X/Twitter</a>)
<h3>15/ Your network DOES matter</h3>
Growing up in the bay was a huge cheat code.
I was surrounded by talented and driven people.
As cliche as it may be, the people in your life DO matter a ton.
If you can’t geographically surround yourself with exceptional people, surround yourself digitally.
Who’s on your WhatsApp? Text groups? Twitter DMs?
And are those people helping you get closer or further from your goals?
<h3>16/ Read more biographies</h3>
A wise friend once told me, “There are million-dollar lessons hidden in $30 books.”
Biographies give you a unique peek into the lives of great people.
Instead of learning from your own mistakes, why not learn from those who have come before you?
Some of my favorites:
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Steve-Jobs-Walter-Isaacson/dp/1451648537" data-wpel-link="external" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">Steve Jobs</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Hard-Drive-Making-Microsoft-Empire/dp/0887306292" data-wpel-link="external" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">Bill Gates</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Art-Happiness-10th-Anniversary-Handbook/dp/1594488894" data-wpel-link="external" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">Dalai Lama</a></li>
</ul>
<h3>17/ Keep a journal</h3>
I’ve kept a private blog since my time at Facebook.
It’s helped me become aware of my thought process and emotions.
Document how you’re thinking about your life as you’re living it.
You don’t even need to share it online.
Plus, it’s cool to see how your thinking evolves.
<h3>18/ You’re gonna be okay</h3>
You’re young.
It’s okay if you don’t have everything figured out.
Zoom out. We’re just a bunch of monkeys floating around on a tiny rock in space.
Hang around optimistic people. Do things that inspire you. Enjoy the party while we’re around.
It will all work out.
 
Rooting for you,
Noah <img src="https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/14.0.0/72x72/1f32e.png" alt="🌮" class="wp-smiley" style="height: 1em; max-height: 1em;" />
 
PS. <a href="https://noahkagan.com/mdwbook/" data-wpel-link="internal">Million Dollar Weekend</a> is the business book I wish I had when I was younger. It contains everything I’ve learned from building eight million-dollar businesses. Let’s build your <a href="https://noahkagan.com/mdwbook/" data-wpel-link="internal">dream business</a> this weekend! <img src="https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/14.0.0/72x72/1f49a.png" alt="💚" class="wp-smiley" style="height: 1em; max-height: 1em;" />The post <a href="https://noahkagan.com/brutally-honest-career-advice-to-my-younger-self/">Brutally honest career advice to my younger self</a> first appeared on <a href="https://noahkagan.com">Noah Kagan</a>.The post <a href="https://noahkagan.com/brutally-honest-career-advice-to-my-younger-self/">Brutally honest career advice to my younger self</a> appeared first on <a href="https://noahkagan.com">Noah Kagan</a>.
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<title>How to get rich as an introvert</title>
<link>https://noahkagan.com/how-to-get-rich-as-an-introvert/</link>
<comments>https://noahkagan.com/how-to-get-rich-as-an-introvert/#comments</comments>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[Jay Yang]]></dc:creator>
<pubDate>Thu, 14 Mar 2024 12:02:52 +0000</pubDate>
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<description><![CDATA[“I get all tense, then I start to stutter, and then I forget what I’m supposed to say,” she said. I was sitting on stage at the SXSW event when a woman named Robyn said she was afraid of public speaking. I asked if she’d come on stage. “Okay,” she said. She was shaking. I […]
The post <a href="https://noahkagan.com/how-to-get-rich-as-an-introvert/">How to get rich as an introvert</a> first appeared on <a href="https://noahkagan.com">Noah Kagan</a>.
The post <a href="https://noahkagan.com/how-to-get-rich-as-an-introvert/">How to get rich as an introvert</a> appeared first on <a href="https://noahkagan.com">Noah Kagan</a>.
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“I get all tense, then I start to stutter, and then I forget what I’m supposed to say,” she said.
I was sitting on stage at the SXSW event when a woman named Robyn said she was afraid of public speaking.
I asked if she’d come on stage.
“Okay,” she said.
She was shaking.
I gave her a script to read.
2 minutes later… She got a standing ovation. She CRUSHED it!
==
One thing that stood out to me at the SXSW event was how many people thought you have to be loud or be an extrovert to be successful.
But that’s not true!!
So today, I’m going to break down how you can get rich (even if you’re an introvert).
<h3>What even is an introvert?</h3>
Before we start, let’s define what being an ‘introvert’ actually means.
Many people believe introversion is about being shy, awkward, or unconfident.
But that’s not the case at all.
Introversion is about where you get your energy from.
<img src="https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/14.0.0/72x72/1f4c9.png" alt="📉" class="wp-smiley" style="height: 1em; max-height: 1em;" />For introverts, every social interaction depletes their energy level.
<img src="https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/14.0.0/72x72/1f4c8.png" alt="📈" class="wp-smiley" style="height: 1em; max-height: 1em;" /> For extroverts, every social interaction increases their energy level.
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class=" wp-image-15476 aligncenter" src="https://noahkagan.com/wp-content/uploads/Mountain-of-Nos-23-300x300.png" alt="" width="350" height="350" srcset="https://noahkagan.com/wp-content/uploads/Mountain-of-Nos-23-300x300.png 300w, https://noahkagan.com/wp-content/uploads/Mountain-of-Nos-23-1024x1024.png 1024w, https://noahkagan.com/wp-content/uploads/Mountain-of-Nos-23-150x150.png 150w, https://noahkagan.com/wp-content/uploads/Mountain-of-Nos-23-768x768.png 768w, https://noahkagan.com/wp-content/uploads/Mountain-of-Nos-23.png 1080w" sizes="(max-width: 350px) 100vw, 350px" />
The secret?
You can be both an introvert and extrovert in different contexts.
For example, when I spoke at the SXSW event in front of 200 audience members… I LOVED IT.
But when I stayed afterward to sign autographs for <a href="https://noahkagan.com/mdwbook/" data-wpel-link="internal">Million Dollar Weekend</a>… I left feeling kinda drained.
When people use ‘introversion’ as an excuse – it’s usually a mask for a deeper fear.
They’re mistaking introversion for fear of starting or fear of asking.
(<a href="https://ctt.ac/10nNp" data-wpel-link="external" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">Share this on X/Twitter</a>)
But some of the world’s richest people are introverts.
Mark Zuckerberg, Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos…
While talking to people and developing relationships are crucial to any entrepreneur – Introversion is NOT a disadvantage.
In fact, when leveraged correctly, it can be an advantage.
<h3>1- You Don’t Need to Be Extroverted to Succeed</h3>
The internet gives ANYONE the chance to have the same broadcasting power as a massive media brand.
For example, I recently came across a 21-year-old kid from Singapore making $1M+/year selling Notion templates with a faceless brand.
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class=" wp-image-15477 aligncenter" src="https://noahkagan.com/wp-content/uploads/Easlo-300x213.png" alt="" width="351" height="249" srcset="https://noahkagan.com/wp-content/uploads/Easlo-300x213.png 300w, https://noahkagan.com/wp-content/uploads/Easlo-150x107.png 150w, https://noahkagan.com/wp-content/uploads/Easlo.png 512w" sizes="(max-width: 351px) 100vw, 351px" />
I had <a href="https://noahkagan.com/dan-koe/" data-wpel-link="internal">Dan Koe</a> on my podcast. He’s making $4M+/year with writing and education products.
I also had <a href="https://noahkagan.com/brett-williams/" data-wpel-link="internal">Brett from Design Joy</a> on the pod. He runs a $2M+/year solo design subscription agency.
The point is: You can get rich in MANY ways as an introvert.
You can create a profitable business behind a laptop without needing to show your face, manage employees, or even share your real name.
<h3>2- Partner With Extroverts</h3>
Some of the most successful companies in the world were started by people with complementary skill sets.
<ul>
<li> Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak at Apple</li>
<li> Gates and Allen at Microsoft</li>
<li>Chad and me at <a href="https://appsumo.com/" data-wpel-link="external" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">AppSumo</a> <img src="https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/14.0.0/72x72/1f609.png" alt="😉" class="wp-smiley" style="height: 1em; max-height: 1em;" /></li>
</ul>
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class=" wp-image-15478 aligncenter" src="https://noahkagan.com/wp-content/uploads/Chad-and-Noah-300x225.jpeg" alt="" width="351" height="263" srcset="https://noahkagan.com/wp-content/uploads/Chad-and-Noah-300x225.jpeg 300w, https://noahkagan.com/wp-content/uploads/Chad-and-Noah-150x113.jpeg 150w, https://noahkagan.com/wp-content/uploads/Chad-and-Noah.jpeg 512w" sizes="(max-width: 351px) 100vw, 351px" />
Surround yourself with people who complement your strengths.
For example, I’m great at promoting and marketing, but in the past have struggled with consistency and sticking with things.
So I’ve surrounded myself with people who move forward in the things I’m not the best at.
If you’re not the most outgoing person, find someone who is.
<h3>3- Optimize For Introversion</h3>
When you do have to do more ‘extroverted’ things, create rules to optimize for your introversion.
3 tips I use:
<ol>
<li> Schedule breaks</li>
</ol>
I rarely have hour-long meetings. Every meeting is 30-45 minutes so I can block off 15 minutes between meetings to be by myself and recharge.
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class=" wp-image-15479 aligncenter" src="https://noahkagan.com/wp-content/uploads/Noah-Calendar-300x163.png" alt="" width="350" height="190" srcset="https://noahkagan.com/wp-content/uploads/Noah-Calendar-300x163.png 300w, https://noahkagan.com/wp-content/uploads/Noah-Calendar-150x82.png 150w, https://noahkagan.com/wp-content/uploads/Noah-Calendar.png 512w" sizes="(max-width: 350px) 100vw, 350px" />
<ol start="2">
<li> Take a day off</li>
</ol>
I take Saturdays off to rest, recharge, and spend time with family. I don’t check social media, Slack, or my email.
<ol start="3">
<li> Create personal rules </li>
</ol>
Dharmesh Shah (founder of HubSpot) says he is “phone phobic” – I use this regularly to avoid phone calls or having to talk to people.
Few people give you a hard time when you say you have a personal rule.
“I have a personal rule that I don’t do weekly Zoom calls with clients. But I’ll write you a weekly report and we can chat async.”
Set clear boundaries. Then communicate them to others.
<h3>4- Build Relationships With Other Introverts</h3>
Business gurus like to say that they became successful all by themselves.
But the truth is great entrepreneurs have great entrepreneurial communities.
There’s no such thing as self-made.
Everyone is network-made.
Don’t let introversion be an excuse for not developing key relationships.
With that being said, when you do communicate with others – have a tight filter.
<ul>
<li> Text before you call</li>
<li>Call before you Zoom</li>
<li>Zoom before you meet in person.</li>
</ul>
And don’t take meetings unless you absolutely want to.
Just because someone asks for your time doesn’t mean they’re entitled to it.
(<a href="https://ctt.ac/I4TAw" data-wpel-link="external" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">Share this on X/Twitter</a>)
<h3>5- Extroversion Is A Skill</h3>
Remember Robyn?
After her brief speech, she realized that public speaking wasn’t as scary as she initially thought it was.
The same goes for ANY social interaction.
Most of the friction happens before any interaction actually occurs.
Two tips to get over the initial discomfort:
<ol>
<li> Start Small</li>
</ol>
Interacting with people is a skill.
And like any skill, it takes lots and lots of reps.
Don’t expect to be perfect at the start. Just focus on taking the smallest step in the right direction.
<ul>
<li>Instead of hosting an event → host a small dinner with close friends.</li>
<li>Instead of getting on stage in front of 100 people → talk to 1 person.</li>
<li>Instead of asking someone on a date → give a compliment to a stranger.</li>
</ul>
You can’t improve what you don’t start. Keep starting! <img src="https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/14.0.0/72x72/1f49a.png" alt="💚" class="wp-smiley" style="height: 1em; max-height: 1em;" />
<ol start="2">
<li> Follow the Law of 100</li>
</ol>
Before you judge your results, focus on talking to 100 people.
Slowly, with each rep, your confidence grows.
My team created a free tool (<a href="http://lawof100.com" data-wpel-link="external" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">lawof100.com</a>) to help you stay accountable.
<h3>Do It Your Way</h3>
Now you may be thinking, “Easy for you to say, Noah. You’re an extrovert.”
And I understand why you may think that.
I knock on doors and talk to strangers for my YouTube videos. I speak in front of hundreds of people. I regularly attend entrepreneurial conferences and meetups.
But behind the 1% that you see on social media is someone who still gets nervous before walking up to strangers. Someone who despises long drawn-out Zoom meetings. And someone who would rather curl up on the couch with mi novia than go to another conference.
Getting outside of yourself is a SKILL that you improve at with time and practice.
The point is:
It’s possible to be successful as an introvert.
It’s possible to become a confident, charismatic speaker.
It’s possible to build the business of your dreams YOUR way.
But you have to start NOW.
 
Rooting for you,
Noah <img src="https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/14.0.0/72x72/1f32e.png" alt="🌮" class="wp-smiley" style="height: 1em; max-height: 1em;" />
PS. If you want to overcome your fear of starting, you’ll love <a href="https://noahkagan.com/mdwbook/" data-wpel-link="internal">Million Dollar Weekend</a>. I share actionable strategies like The Coffee Challenge and The Dollar Challenge. Let’s build your <a href="https://noahkagan.com/mdwbook/" data-wpel-link="internal">dream business</a> this weekend!The post <a href="https://noahkagan.com/how-to-get-rich-as-an-introvert/">How to get rich as an introvert</a> first appeared on <a href="https://noahkagan.com">Noah Kagan</a>.The post <a href="https://noahkagan.com/how-to-get-rich-as-an-introvert/">How to get rich as an introvert</a> appeared first on <a href="https://noahkagan.com">Noah Kagan</a>.
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<title>My $100m Schedule – How I Plan My Week</title>
<link>https://noahkagan.com/my-100m-schedule/</link>
<comments>https://noahkagan.com/my-100m-schedule/#comments</comments>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[Jenn]]></dc:creator>
<pubDate>Sat, 09 Mar 2024 01:51:53 +0000</pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[Podcast]]></category>
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<description><![CDATA[📚 Get the NYT bestseller – milliondollarweekend.com – Available Everywhere! In this episode, Noah answers a question he frequently receives about managing the complexities of running a business, writing a book, and maintaining a long-distance relationship. So here are some great life hacks and organizational strategies to navigate this complicated balancing act. From clarifying priorities […]
The post <a href="https://noahkagan.com/my-100m-schedule/">My $100m Schedule – How I Plan My Week</a> first appeared on <a href="https://noahkagan.com">Noah Kagan</a>.
The post <a href="https://noahkagan.com/my-100m-schedule/">My $100m Schedule – How I Plan My Week</a> appeared first on <a href="https://noahkagan.com">Noah Kagan</a>.
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In this episode, Noah answers a question he frequently receives about managing the complexities of running a business, writing a book, and maintaining a long-distance relationship.
So here are some great life hacks and organizational strategies to navigate this complicated balancing act. From clarifying priorities and color-coding calendars to hiring “CEOs” for each project. See how Noah plans his weekly, monthly, and yearly reviews, coupled with accountability partners for staying on track.
All the practices, habits, and mindset that will help your efficiency and effectiveness in a multifaceted life.
In this episode, you’ll enjoy 3 BIG things: 
<ol>
<li dir="ltr">Priorities: Why focusing on fewer key priorities increases the likelihood of accomplishment. Identify your top three priorities and align your behavior accordingly.</li>
<li dir="ltr">Time Management: How to color code your calendar to visualize how your time aligns with your priorities.</li>
<li dir="ltr">Reflection & Action: How spending a little extra time organizing sets you up for that flawless execution. Less about perfection, more about becoming a consistent organized thinker.</li>
</ol>
And if you enjoy listening to the podcast, I would appreciate it if you left a review on Apple Podcasts to help more people learn about it. I might shout you out in the next episode!
Check Out:
<img src="https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/14.0.0/72x72/1f32e.png" alt="🌮" class="wp-smiley" style="height: 1em; max-height: 1em;" /> Wanna save money on software? Of course you do!! Find what you need on AppSumo
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</div>The post <a href="https://noahkagan.com/my-100m-schedule/">My $100m Schedule – How I Plan My Week</a> first appeared on <a href="https://noahkagan.com">Noah Kagan</a>.The post <a href="https://noahkagan.com/my-100m-schedule/">My $100m Schedule – How I Plan My Week</a> appeared first on <a href="https://noahkagan.com">Noah Kagan</a>.
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