Business Tips
Mainstream business advice, while better than mainstream relationship advice (partly because there isn’t an entire gender actively seeking to curtail it in favor of a diametric imperative), still falls prey to being repetitive and overly generic (or far too specific). In accord with the tradition of trying to give you advice you probably wouldn’t get from hitting the “I’m feeling lucky” button on a Google search, I highlight below 3 lessons I’ve learned specifically from DOING rather than KNOWING.
(1) Adhere to natural geometry
Despite the complexities associated with the modern metropolis, social stratas have, for the most part, been organized in pyramids. Advances in communicative abilities (from social networking to weapons that make regulation more cost-efficient) only expand the scale at which societies are organized, but this fundamental layout remains the same. What does this have to do with your small business?
Don’t start it with 3 “equal” partners. If you have an idea, run with it. Bring the others along but maintain a mutual understanding that you are the controlling partner. Don’t seek out partners JUST to have them. If someone’s your equal, you won’t be able to fire them without a fair amount of sand bagging. The internal conflict resulting from a lack of clear leadership, and an unequal work ethic + a demand for equal payouts will tear you a new asshole. On the other hand, don’t opt to work by yourself or you limit your potential for growth and new ideas. Start something, and then delegate authority after you have assessed a persons’ value and are sure that they will cover their own costs to a profitable degree. Find leaders who are willing to follow you, not followers who want to lead you. And never grant someone control without properly gauging their motive and work ethic.
In every project, there must be ONE person with the authority to say, “I know we’ve been working on this for a year, but it sucks balls. We’re going to have to start from scratch again.”
(2) Prefer knowledge over how to make money than how to control it
It sounds kind of cryptic, but the idea is simple. Before tasting success, everything I ever learned about finance seemed to be of use. In your first few business ventures, you’ll have to micro manage everything yourself, making minute skills like bookkeeping of paramount importance. But once you start generating profit, these skills become less and less important. At one point, I firmly remember thinking “should I review accounting principles… or just pay an accountant?” followed by, “holy shit… everything I ever learned about finance is now useless because I have money.”
Edison summarized it best, “I can hire a mathematician, but a mathematician cannot hire me.” Be a businessman FIRST, and everything else later. A person with a vision but no skills has more potential than a person with a myriad of skills but no vision. It is better to be resourceful than to have resources.
(3) Why am I doing this?
Going back to the accounting example above, unless you understand why it’s important to keep meticulous notes that clearly illustrate WHERE your money is going, you will fail to reap its benefits. More likely you’ll see it as a chore to avoid getting your asshole taxed. But in reality, it will help you understand EXACTLY where your business is inefficient and how it can be improved. Your business is like a wife, every now and then, you’ll have to trim the fat off of that shit, or watch it bloat into a plumpy corpse of debt. They say Rockafeller owes the majority of his success to having the soul of a bookkeeper which always kept him inclined to pour over his numbers.
The importance of understanding WHY you’re doing something extends to every facet of your business. Take hiring a lawyer for example, most business owners assume you should hire one just to have one; and end up (if they’re successful) hiring some overpaid junior suit from a tier 1 firm who doesn’t carry much more than a brand name. Unless you NEED that, opt for a mid-size firm with a good reputation, known to give its clients a proper amount of attention. You need to be in rhythm with your business; what does it NEED, why ARE you doing _________? Is it helping?
I’ve been talking to an older man theese last weeks.
He’s a higly regarded pschychologis and neurologist. Some of the topics we’ve been discussing is the subconsious mind. Alot of our insecurites and shortcomings come due to the fact that the subconsious mind have picked up things that other people think is wrong, i.e – our subconsious mind picks up Insecurites.
The thing is that alot of the theory he’s been explaining to me confirms alot of game theory, and it has also led me to the thought that when it comes to the journey towards being an “Alpha” The most importaint thing is do is not necessarily to learn how to speak in a more firm way or adopting new bodylanguage, of course that helps – But I think that the more importaint thing is to squeese out insecurites that lies within your subconsiousmind, this can be done in alot of ways, for example by challenging yourself constantly within your areas of insecurity, doing and saying whatever the fuck you think people will hate and humiliate you for, by simply diving off a clif even though you were scared shitless and thought that you would die/couldn’t do it. If you kill off your insecurities I think you can sit back and let your Alpha persona evolve naturally. When you loose your inhibitions and insecurites caused by outer factors I think that open bodylanguage, slow speech etc will come naturally.
Anyways, isn’t the way of becoming alpha simply going out – challenging yourself, crushing insecurites and in general doing your thing regardless of what people think?
Cheers – J.
Great post
Yo shark can u please do a post On the finance industry and some outside source that you can use to have a greater knowledge in the finance world instead of waiting your class room to teach you….!Just couple books , websites or anything that can somehow give us a great insight in the financial market. I am an undergrad finance major so your help will be really appreciate it once again…!
the other day this chick told me “I DONT GIVE A FUCK” this was so new since all the chicks i met in my life was nice mouth never said shit like that, i WAS STUNNED WIDE OPEN COULDNT SAY SHIT THANKYOU COME AGAIN.
Hi shark, any thoughts on swinging? If your gf seems interested in experimenting new things sexually (despite us having a great sex life), is that necessarily a sign of low interest? Thanks
Hey Shark,
I’ve been reading your blog for quite a while now, read your e-book.
Absorbed every bit of information as I could and actually questioned it without being naive.
Your e-book was actually worth it, thanks; it put a lot of thoughts into words for me.
I’m in need of some advice and tips.
My situation is kind of interesting.
I was born in Romania, my parents didn’t really have time for me as a kid, they were always away on business; they worked together. We had a store franchise, everything went great although of course it was a lot of work for my parents.
At a point, my father motivated us to emigrate to the United States. He went there first and started a transportation company.
When he had about 5 trucks and trailers, he brought us there as well. I was maybe 3-5 years old when we moved, don’t remember much.
We moved somewhere near San Diego, California. The store franchise back in Romania was given by my father to his sister (fuck). It was a mistake of course, she sold everything and didn’t give us a penny.
So I started school at 7 years of age. Moved a lot because my mother couldn’t adapt to ONE place.
I’ve been all over the USA… NYC, LA, Las Vegas, Washington DC, you name it.
I did well in school. I guess I was really quiet, a “loner”, didn’t really fit in and didn’t care to try.
I remember though that about every hot girl in school had a crush on me, also kept hearing gossip at almost every school I went. I learned how to play the violin, guitar and piano in middle school. (I think it’s called elementary).
I was like the hot European guy who doesn’t give a fuck about any American pussy, negs the fuck out of em’; is rich, maybe spoiled but doesn’t show it (I was not spoiled) and rode in daddy’s Jag. My views were mainly on business and financial ideas. I remember the first gf i’ve ever had was by accident, because I tried avoiding having the school cheerleading captain as a girlfriend (long story). Turned out they had a bitch fight and one ended up crying in the bathroom (avoided both of them after that).
Anyway, in 7th grade/year we wanted to move to the United Kingdom. I thought Birmingham was cool, didn’t care really about moving. I liked the adventure of moving, went to about 4-5 different schools in the US. So it wasn’t really a new experience.
The same thing happened in Birmingham.
Had the biggest house in the neighborhood, had a jaw dropping Chevrolet Explorer and Mercedes shipped from America to England including all our American collection of furniture.
Kind of the worst year of school for me, avoided going with the Cheve to school.
The English weren’t really that friendly with me, I guess it’s because I mind-fucked all their screwable chicks that year.
Joined the school basketball team, the second best school in the area.
So when I left the US, I had just finished the 7th grade/year.
Then when I arrived at Birmingham, they said that it’s equivelant to the 9th grade/year in England.
So I actually skipped 8th grade/year.
In England, we didn’t start any business. We actually spent a LOT of money and had no income.
After spending most of our money, the tables had turned.
We decided to move back to Romania.
So I had finished the 9th grade/year in the UK, and normally when a student comes from another country to Romania and tries to enroll at a school here, he/she’s put in a grade/year lower, equivelant to their studies.
(The Romanian Curriculum is a lot more vast and complex than in the US or UK.
The stuff they teach here in the 10th – 11th grade/year is equivelant to College or University stuff in other countries, especially in Mathematics).
The children here all start school at the same time as in the US though, but it’s just harder, they also finish 12 years of school, same as in the US.
When I sent the papers to the Ministry of Education, it took about 3 years to respond, we called and coincidentally the lady was looking over my papers at the exact same time, heard our situation and said that it’s almost christmas, so just be happy and continue onto the 10th grade/year. (She was actually supposed to put me into a few years lower even though we requested the 10th grade/year.)
We have 2 houses here that we’re renovating, some land properties as well.
So 3 years have passed since then, I just finished the 12th grade/year here and took my Baccalaureate exams. (It was really hard catching up to my peers)
I finished high school at 16 years of age. when everyone else in my class were 18-19 years old.
I analyzed my situation, and I think that it’s best that I move back to the US and start a business.(oh, I’m not an only child, had a sister born in California while we were there)
(a year passed since I finished HS) I’m turning 18 this summer. As I said the tables have turned, we spent most of our money in England, had just been able recently to get back up
enough to renovate and construct these 2 houses.
I’m thinking of going as an International student, registering to a city college because it’s cheaper, get married(not really going for college, but for marriage and a business idea).
The thing is, if I don’t get married within my college/univ. period, I’ll be deported back to Romania.
I want to move back and start a business. Then expand and maybe go into Agriculture after buying some land in the US.
All of this I will accomplish on my own, I’ll only have my dad for a little financial help and advice.
I’m considering paying a girl to marry me if I can, have an open relationship with her (or official, whatever), until I can move on (or stick with her if we get along).
I think I’ll throw up in the plane toward the US. I don’t want my parents to know that I feel this much pressure, i’m sure my dad knows how I feel anyway.
It really is a lot of pressure. Starting from scratch, attending college, marrying a girl without being desperate (but actually be) to not let her take advantage of you (or paying her).
How would you play the getting married part out? Do you have any pointers on getting married for papers? I don’t know if I should just be straight forward or… It’s just too complicated for my 18 year old brain to handle at one time.
I’m just going to let the chips fall where they may and be my best self.
How would you approach this?
I’ve never had any problems with women, had a more profound look upon life. It’s like a masculine character and outlook on life is unavoidable for me.
I’d say my dad’s a super alpha. Doesn’t cheat on my mother, usually flirts if the woman has a hot daughter for me…
I’ve dated recently only 20-23 year old girls. I have because I can, people say that i’m very mature for my age, look mature too, wear stylish clothes, classical, original, different. I’m still 17 years old.
This situation is very stressful for me, It’ll be a different situation in the US, i’ll be starting from scratch, no reputation, nothing.
Shark, I don’t need a savior, I’m very political, I also know about religion.
All I need is a good piece of advice, I don’t know, maybe a little bit of help with my self-esteem. (In your own way)
I’m not really good with words, more of a body language type of guy and with my tone of voice.
What do you think?
It took about 3 months for the papers to be approved***** sorry, kinda stressed out…
You going to email me or what? Use a dumby email… Lets talk money