Sivers didn’t stay out wanting to be an entrepreneur.
He was a musician and simply starting by solving his own problem of selling his music, a pain shared by his peers.
He created CS Baby, which finally sold for $22 million.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Don’t be on your deathbed having squandered your life. Know your personal philosophy and chase your dream. Don’t waste time on insignificant distractions. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
When you create a little business, you’re in control. Make it amazing for yourself and it will naturally be an amazing experience for your customers. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Start simple: The best types of business plans only take 2 mins to 2 hours. Common sense should tell you if it\u2019s got legs. The rest are details.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Your idea shouldn\u2019t feel revolutionary. If it does, you might forget the cardinal rule of giving your customers the best experience. When you\u2019re onto something with potential, it shouldn\u2019t be a revolution, but rather, uncommon sense.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Persistence is misunderstood. Don\u2019t continue to follow an approach that isn\u2019t working. Success is derived from persistently improving and inventing. If people are providing great feedback and saying they\u2019d pay you for the product or service, you should probably persist. Anything less and it\u2019s probably not worth it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Consider every event invitation and project request against this criteria. If you\u2019re not truly excited by it, simply say no. We\u2019re all overworked and focusing on less is the antidote.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Steve Blank, serial entrepreneur, says that “no business plan survives the first contact with customers”. Be prepared that your business might morph and won\u2019t resemble your initial vision.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
By not having money to waste, you don\u2019t waste money. Lacking resources to hire a developer, Derek taught himself to code. Necessity is a great teacher. Every decision should be in the best interest of your customers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
While others are busy imagining their grand vision, you can start making progress, however small. Even 1% improvement puts you in the game.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ideas are just a multiplier of execution. They mean nothing unless you start taking action. Multiply ideas and execution to make a great business.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As your business grows, people try to sell you unnecessary services by playing on your fears e.g. protecting you from lawsuits. Ignore them and focus on your mission.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Building your business around many customers allows you to cater to the majority rather than pander to the few. If one customer isn\u2019t a good fit, you can part ways amicably.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Don\u2019t try to be everything to everyone, or you\u2019ll be nothing to no-one. When your target market knows that you represent them alone, they\u2019ll experience even greater value.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
When you\u2019ve ever asked for customer feedback, has anyone ever said, \u201cPlease fill your site with more advertising?” Exactly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
You can never predict the future of your business – make 10 radically different plans to meet with any potential scenario.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Derek never had a grand vision for how his world or industry would look in 20 years, so don\u2019t worry if you don\u2019t.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Never forget your why. Are you helping people, making them happy and are you profitable? That should be enough.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Focus on what’s important. Grade yourself and performance by pre-considered metrics to avoid being led astray by what people think you should do.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Rule number one. It\u2019s all about solving their problem. But the well-meaning vision of solving the problem once and for all obviates the need for the business, so the problem has to remain and continue to be solved.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
We can sense people who are in it for the wrong reasons. Act from a place of trust, love and passion, This will trigger the law of reciprocity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If you have one terrible customer, don\u2019t blame the rest of your loyal customers for their behaviour. You can\u2019t prevent these incidents, so simply shrug and move on.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In our technological wonderland, it\u2019s easy to treat customers like the zeros and ones that Neo sees in the Matrix, abstract and without meaning. Remember these representations for the real people they are.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Spend time making your message clear. Eliminate necessary fluff or feel the pain of being ignored and misunderstood.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It\u2019s tempting to think that massive action plans catapult your business when it\u2019s often the tiny details. Something as simple as a thoughtful email can excite your customers into marketing your message.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Derek customised his \u2018From\u2019 email field to say \u201cCD Baby loves Susan\u201d. In return, customers loved CD Baby for brightening their day. Even if you have grand visions, you never need to act like a big boring corporation – it\u2019s often about the fun little touches, the human elements.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It\u2019s hard to tell whether new employees are a good fit unless they have a trial, so Sivers would hire lightly and fire lightly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It\u2019s often better to be somewhat naive about the norms of the world. Rather than follow the crowd, decide for yourself the best way to proceed, and proceed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Don\u2019t be the type of small business that\u2019s overwhelmed with its quick success. Design your current systems to handle twice their current load, sending a strong signal of attraction to new customers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The whole point of doing anything is being happy, which largely involves the joy of learning and doing. While you may leave money on the table by not using certain tactics to grow faster, it\u2019s ok to do things yourself and enjoy it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Derek had previously promised his customers something which was outside of his control and was subsequently called out by Jobs in a keynote speech. Offer only what\u2019s in your control.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Many of us fall into the self-employment trap, tasting the illusion of freedom, but soon realising it\u2019s contingent on our continued presence. To be a true business owner, we must create a well-oiled machine which doesn\u2019t care if we\u2019re there or not.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The real reason we do anything is happiness. Money is just a means to an end, and after a certain point, might just make you miserable. You may be happier with a $1 million business vs a $1 billion business.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
An essential lesson when delegating.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Again, delegate, don\u2019t abdicate. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
After a time, Derek knew he was done with the business. He\u2019s a man who lives simply and realised he\u2019d accumulated enough. You too, will know.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Prizing his freedom, Derek revels in the ability to own less and explore the world. Visit his website to check out more of his backstory.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
So too, you should know what excites and drains you and ignore the detractors. Rather than impressing an invisible jury, above all, do what makes you happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
For some great life and business wisdom, you can’t go wrong with the book.
Derek is a much-needed voice for simple living<\/a> and focusing on the essentials of a good existence: getting curious, taking action and having fun.
His blog is a reflection of this: Highly recommended<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n