​
Teaming up with Tegus!
I used to do business research with a billion chrome tabs.
Now, I start with Tegus.
They have a 30,000 expert interview database with former execs and employees from all the epic companies.
Who is this a no brainer for?
An investor and corp dev team looking for an edge... You can grab a free trial here.
| Try Tegus |
​
Hey friend,
Outside of a few festivities, I locked myself in my hilariously small Soho apartment over New Year's weekend.
I thought thoughts, drank Keurig coffee, and uncovered 3 key insights from 2022 that I wish someone forced down my throat earlier.
So let me be that sweet medicine (that hopefully tastes like a root beer float during a scalding summer in Sedona)
Here they are with a reflection question for you to think about...
1) Playing a different game
I'm friends with solopreneurs like Dickie Bush, Trung Phan, and Sahil Bloom.
They live awesome lifestyles. But I have no ambition to build a 1-man-media business.
So why do I still feel "so far behind" as they continue to build larger and larger audiences?
The answer is that it's so damn easy to forget the game you play... and get sucked into playing someone else's game.
- Don't envy the bodybuilder if you don't put in 4 hours at the gym everyday
- Don't envy the creator with 1 million followers if you don't do it full-time
- Don't envy wit NYT best-selling author if you aren't a full-time writer
QUESTION: What game am I playing? Am I builder, investor, creator, operator, or something else?
Understand this before you scroll twitter and start reacting to others.
It's super easy to get sucked into the shiny object of social media engagement which pulls you from winning your own game.
2) Imaginary monsters under the bed
On August 23, 2022, I called my boss at Goldman to tell her I was leaving.
That call scared the sh*t out of me. Why? Because it marked the point of no return.
I was leaving the ivory tower for an unknown startup with 0 job security.
Only 114 days later, I laugh thinking how anxious I felt over this "momentous decision".
But in reality, there were no imaginary monsters under your bed. I was leaving a career I didn't want to pursue the highest leverage learning opportunity.
The bigger risk was gluing my feet to the ground at Goldman and forgetting about my operator ambitions.
Most of the time, that "big scary decision" tagged with what ifs and scary monsters is a made up conundrum in your own head.
QUESTION: Am I frozen because of imaginary monsters under the bed?
3) Miserable Leisure
In reflecting on 2022, I started with this list:
I hate "miserable leisure".
Let me explain:
I hate this. Not because I need constant productivity.
It's because I murdered time and didn't even enjoy the relaxation.
It was mindless, miserable doom scrolling.
Instead, I easily could plan an activity with a friend, pick my favorite tv show to binge with my phone locked in a drawer, or go walk around NYC.
Those types of leisure leave you fulfilled and recharged... not miserable and anxious.
QUESTION: What makes you miserable? And how can you avoid it like the plague in 2023?
That's all I got my friends.
See you soon,
​Chris Hladczuk​
​
​