Sean Johnson 🔥
@intentionally
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CEO of @hiremadison . Kellogg professor. Company builder. Investor w/ multiple exits. Occasional coach. Amateur chef. Founding Partner at Manifold.
Evanston, IL
Joined March 2007
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How to grow ANY boutique professional services firm:
This is the framework we use at Madison to help our clients grow. It's gone through several iterations, and I'm sure will continue to evolve over time:
✅ Get VERY clear on your Point of View. Who you serve, what you believe
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The best career tip:
Start writing. Publicly.
No one will notice at first. Which is good. You’ll build the habit. You’ll find your voice.
You’ll build a platform slowly, brick by brick. Over 5-10 years, you’ll build an asset very few have.
The opportunities will shock you.
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The secret is knowing that nobody else has it all together either.
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How to use note taking to utterly transform your career (a thread):
1) Spend 30 minutes a day reading. Highlight important passages.
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Men, read
#YesAllWomen
. Ignore your defensiveness. Take a breath. Keep reading. Let it wake you up. Look for the log in your eye.
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Want to become a better product designer or manager?
Every Friday, go on
@ProductHunt
. Look at the top 10.
Study their marketing pages.
Their registration process.
Their onboarding.
Their core features.
Keep a notebook with patterns.
In 6 months you’ll be dangerous.
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The Definitive Guide to Product Market Fit. Based on my course at Kellogg. 193 annotated slides. 9 principles. Dozens of examples.
For a PDF copy, like the post and reply "Product" in the comments and I'll send it your way. Hope it's helpful.
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This is the Magic Castle Hotel, considered by many to be the best hotel in Los Angeles.
It looks like an average apartment complex with a small pool.
And yet it has over 3500 glowing reviews on TripAdvisor and is routinely booked months in advance.
How did they do it? 🧵
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Probably the first time ever reading a book twice in 3 months. It’s that good.
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Starting tomorrow spending a month in an RV.
With 4 people and a dog.
While working.
And homeschooling.
What could possibly go wrong?
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I love this story from my friend
@dianakander
's latest book so much.
Knapheide sells truck beds. They're in Quincy, IL. Been around 175 years.
And they spend most of their marketing budget on 2 private jets.
But the company's executives don't fly on the jets. Clients do.
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This is
@goforward
, my doctor's office. It's unlike any other healthcare experience I've had.
There's no waiting room. As soon as you walk in, someone greets you. They know you're coming.
If that's ALL they did, they'd have plenty of business.
But it's just the beginning.
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Spent the weekend reading about Israel-Palestine, being woefully ignorant. I'm still definitely ignorant (where I'm in error, feel free to correct me), but a few things stood out to me:
--
The original proposal was to give Israel 1/3 of the land and Palestine 2/3 of the land,
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Best overview of
@bryan_johnson
’s blueprint I’ve seen, with 2 normal dudes trying it for a month. Both saw huge wins.
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A very small pocket of Twitter is obsessed with note taking.
There's a reason. It's incredibly powerful. My notes are perhaps my most valuable career asset.
Some folks wonder whether it's still relevant in the age of GPT. I tend to think it is.
Here's why, and how to do it.
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There’s a great book called The Discipline of Market Leaders. It argued there are 3 ways to win:
1) Have the best product.
2) Be most operationally efficient.
3) Excel at customer intimacy.
All 3 are viable. The first two can be hard to pull off. But EVERYONE can do
#3
.
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These bananas in Korea are deliberately packaged by ripeness, so you can start on the left and work your way right.
There are opportunities to innovate EVERYWHERE around you.
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This is
@GalianoTiramani
& his father Paolo.
They have raised +$100 million via crowdfunding to build a FOLDABLE house.
- Built on an assembly line in hours.
- Installed on-site in an hour.
- Costs only $50,000.
- Customers include the DOD and
@elonmusk
🤯
How did they do it?
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My dad used to tell me:
“9 out of 10 businesses fail. Which means you have to start 10 businesses.”
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If you’re looking for a gift for a 6-10 year old this year, may I humbly suggest:
A label maker.
We gave our kids one. They loved it. We gave our nephew one. He loved it. A friend said they gave their kids one. They loved it.
Plus stuff like this starts to randomly appear.
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P.S. To read more about why this process works, read this article by
@fortelabs
on the Slipbox methodology.
There are a number of Zettelkasten-systems that have attempted to recreate it. I use bear because it's effective enough, and it's pretty.
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Hear me out:
Run your family like a business:
- Family vision/values.
- Annual planning meetings.
- Monthly budget / goal check ins.
- SOPs for weekly tasks.
- 1:1s once a month w spouse on how to improve communication.
- Date night every other week (culture building).
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I’m not sure I’ve seen a better example of founder-led marketing than
@AmandaMGoetz
.
Uses personal narrative to build authenticity. Masterful use of organic channels. Highly coordinated launches.
Not an investor. Just a fan. Should follow her and take notes.
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Your goal should be to leave work feeling like you just had a great workout. Disconnect and relax knowing you actually earned it.
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Last week
#YesAllWomen
broke my heart. My first small attempt to stop being a part of the problem =>
http://t.co/dIpKDXWiuM
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One of the most useful pieces of advice I learned early in my career (from
@tom_peters
):
1) AGGRESSIVELY seek out crappy projects no one else wants.
2) Transform them into something more strategic. Make them awesome.
3) Repeat.
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Second book of the year, this one by
@jeff_haden
.
Nutshell: you can’t “motivate yourself” to accomplish goals. Instead, do the work.
Progress each day makes you feel good. Which creates momentum and increases motivation.
It’s a virtuous cycle. But it starts with the work.
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1: Lots of follow-up questions from folks, specifically on what to write about, where, and how to start.
My opinions (others surely will disagree):
The best career tip:
Start writing. Publicly.
No one will notice at first. Which is good. You’ll build the habit. You’ll find your voice.
You’ll build a platform slowly, brick by brick. Over 5-10 years, you’ll build an asset very few have.
The opportunities will shock you.
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A roadmap for greater happiness:
- Check the news only once a day.
- Check your phone at most 10 times per day.
- Sleep. Exercise.
- Don’t overcommit.
- Tell people you love them.
- Read more books.
- Give stuff away.
- Take walks. Notice stuff. Breathe.
What else?
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35 years old today. Still feel like I'm making everything up as I go. But blessed beyond my wildest expectations.
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My dad’s career advice is still my favorite ever.
1) show up on time.
2) do what you say you’ll do.
3) say please and thank you.
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You have a body - you are not your body. You have a business - you are not your business. So what are you? Life is about figuring that out.
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Write every day.
Even if it’s only 100 words.
Even if you never publish it.
You’ll get better. You’ll learn to not be afraid of the blank screen. You’ll build a streak.
Momentum begets momentum.
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I've met several billionaires in my life. Patterns:
- They're all extremely charming.
- None of them try to sound smarter than everyone else.
- They all find the best experts they can.
- They all have a gift for asking the most important questions.
- They're all super decisive.
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If the last four years have taught me anything, it’s that I need to prioritize teaching my kids:
- Cognitive bias
- Logic
- Probabalistic thinking
- Digital literacy
- Resilience
- Aggressive character development
What would you add?
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How
@elonmusk
thinks about teaching kids to think, and how that led to the creation of
@synthesischool
.
Podcast:
Video:
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May 2016 be the year we realize there is more joy in the pursuit of the goal than in reaching it, and that we pursue it with all we have.
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My dad used to tell me “Your 20s and 30s are for learning. Your 40s and 50s are for earning.”
You’ve got plenty of time. Be kind to yourself. Be patient. Work hard. Focus on getting better. Things will come.
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I turned 40 today.
My kids gave me handwritten letters and cupcakes. My wife got me an
@eightsleep
.
My neighbors gave me hilarious gifts mocking my mild OCD.
Then everything blew up.
Tonight my kids gave me huge hugs and said I’m the best daddy ever.
Life is complicated.
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Had a blast talking candidly with John about my career journey, setting goals, advice for MBAs and more. Have a listen!
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"It never ceases to amaze me: we all love ourselves more than other people, but care more about their opinion than our own."
~ Marcus Aurelius
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How to 10x (no joke) your effectiveness at work:
• Before you start anything, be crystal clear on outcome. What does success look like specifically?
• Identify the very next physical action that moves it forward.
• Obsess over mastering how to focus on one thing at a time.
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Don’t spend money on things that signal status. Invest it in things that will materially improve the quality of your life.
- The best bed you can afford.
- Clothes that make you feel good.
- Books.
- Gym or trainer.
- Quality food.
- Experiences with friends.
What else?
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1) There is a solution to the “hustle porn” debate.
Don’t focus on hours. Pay attention to level of intensity and focus during the hours you do work.
Here’s how:
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Tonight I'm going to convince 180 Kellogg students building a platform is the best thing you can do for your career (or your startup).
Examples I'm referencing:
-
@Austen
-
@david_perell
-
@mkobach
-
@AmandaMGoetz
-
@sidharthajha
-
@bubjacks
Who else should I include?
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I'm creating a book about how to make the best lemonade stand ever.
If you're interested in teaching kids entrepreneurship, would love to get your feedback on the early version.
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Your first 90 days in your job are the most important.
- Listen more than you talk.
- Demonstrate a bias for action.
- Build rapport with everyone.
- Get a reputation for execution.
Your team will construct a semi-permanent image of you early. Make it a good one.
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2) Add them to a note-taking system (I use Bear). One idea per note. Re-phrase your highlights in your own words. Reference the source so you can track it down later.
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Simple practices for a peaceful life:
- Schedule 50 minute meetings.
- 15 minute buffers for going anywhere.
- 1-3 priorities per day. No more.
- Single task. Go slow.
- Walk on conference calls.
- Sleep. Water. Exercise.
- Read fiction before bed. On paper.
- Learn to forgive.
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My plan to limit cardiovascular disease / diabetes risk:
- 1 HIIT / week
- 2-3x strength workouts
- No alcohol except date night
- Limit stress (NSDR, L-theanine, etc.)
- Floss
- 8 hours sleep
- 10k steps. Long walk post dinner
- 40g Fiber
- Limit sugar
- Lipids/HbA1c 4x/year
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This is
@GrantLaFontaine
and his cofounder
@loganhead13
.
They have built social commerce startup
@Whatnot
into arguably the fastest growing marketplace ever, succeeding at social selling where many more well-funded companies failed.
How did they do it?
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How to make friends as an adult:
1) Go outside. Attend networking events. Drop your kids off at school. Join a rec league. Say yes to invites from friends, and actually talk to the other people.
It’s possible to make friends entirely online, but very hard. Get offline.
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Do something hard. Alone. That takes years to master.
Don’t tell anyone about it.
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"Making things with a commitment to quality will lead to a good life."
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The four essential elements of an effective Personal Operating System:
- Task management system
- Relationship management system
- Knowledge management system
- Financial management system
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How anyone can become a polymath:
- Spend 3 months reading everything you can about a topic.
- Take notes. In your own words. Link notes with tags to find themes. Review quarterly.
- Write your unified theory.
- Present to your team or a meetup to cement learning.
- Repeat.
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Next week I'm flying out to CA to see a man I've admired for years.
I have a "meet cool people" budget. I offer to fly out and meet folks at a time convenient for them and buy them dinner.
Hit rate is probably 30%. But those meetings are routinely highlights of the year.
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Note taking is probably THE best career developent skill that almost nobody does.
Bold claim.
But if you do this consistently I promise your life will transform.
My current process:
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How to be great, per
@Chef_Keller
:
1) Clean and organize your workstation every night.
2) Let that translate into everything you do.
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Call it unauthentic. Call it whatever.
But I will not dump on or make fun of anyone’s startup, anyone’s article, anyone’s presentation, anyone’s idea. Even if I don’t always agree.
It’s hard to put yourself out there.
You have enough critics.
I want to be the cheerleader.
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Personal Management 101:
In the morning write down your plan for the day.
At most 3 things.
Each should be able to be done in 90 minutes or less. If it’s bigger, break it up.
Turn off all distractions until you finish the first one.
Take a break. Check email. Walk.
Repeat.
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Neuroscience says it takes at least 15 seconds of focused contemplation of joy for it to imprint. Gratitude takes deliberate practice.
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One (pathetically small) idea.
My classes have always been MAYBE 2% black. That sucks.
I’m going to make an entrepreneurial marketing boot camp in the next 2 weeks.
It won’t be for sale. It will be just for black entrepreneurs and marketers.
DM me. I’ll give it to you free.
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The arc of the universe still bends toward justice. There will be setbacks. But stay strong. Know you're on the right side of history.
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This is
@LaurenBerson
. A former partner at
@a16z
, she is tackling one of the biggest problems in healthcare - navigating infertility.
1 in 6 adults struggle with infertility. Yet it is one of the most opaque and haphazard healthcare journeys imaginable.
First, the problems 🧵:
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@david_perell
Check out Takaido. The object of the game is to have had the most interesting and diverse experiences. You benefit from going slow.
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3) Use tags and links.
Don't use tags for categorization, but as a way to link concepts related to your work.
An article on goals could be about managing team, or designing products, or influencing policy. It depends on your context.
Use links to connect to other notes.
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I make my students check in on Twitter. Some of them hate it. Why?
Twitter is - hands down - the best site for sharing thought leadership, building a personal brand, growing your your network, finding that next client/job/employee.
No site has had a bigger impact on my career.
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Have a friend who got laid off unexpectedly.
Had two job offers within 24 hours.
Clear positioning + a stellar portfolio + a strong network = job security in any market.
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When we decided to homeschool for covid, the ONE THING I wanted to teach my kids was entrepreneurship.
Starting in March, I began working with them on a 🍋 stand.
Today was their first day in business.
In 90 minutes they made $100.
In case you want to try it, my curriculum:
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How to use your weekend to actually improve your life.
- Sleep in. But really.
- Coffee. Book or paper. 2 hours.
- Work out.
- Weekly review.
- Straighten up - always be Kondo’ing.
- Limit social.
- Call old friends.
- Cook something slow.
- Glass of wine. Focus on your partner.
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Twitter can be THE primary channel for user acquisition. And it’s free.
It takes a strong leader, willing to put themselves out there, committed to radical transparency.
Some great examples:
- Gumroad
@shl
- Lambda
@Austen
- (happening now) Elliot
@sir_gee_ohhhhh
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Things to model for your kids:
- Focus
- Generosity
- Action-orientation
- Delayed gratification
- Peacefulness
- Optimism
- Rational thinking
- Self-care
- Empathy
What else?
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Hurry and speed are NOT the same thing.
Speed is a pace of action. Hurry is a feeling or attitude.
One can move with far less speed than another, yet feel more hurried.
Focus on disciplines that increase speed.
Focus on other disciplines that decrease hurry.
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My wife and I decided to:
- Keep paying piano teacher, dog walker and housekeeper.
- Upgrade to family plan at my wife’s CrossFit gym.
- Send💰to our favorite local places (money, not gift cards).
We’re super lucky to be able to WFH. Feels appropriate to help those who can’t.
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@m_svillar
John Russel, Harley Davidson:
“What we sell is the ability for a 43-year-old accountant to dress in black leather, ride through small towns and have people be afraid of him.”
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Devoured this book by
@michaelbierut
- add me on snapchat (intentional.ly) to see my favorite passages and notes.
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Most organizations absolutely suck at documenting systems. It's constantly important, never urgent.
Be the person to spearhead that initiative. Document one SOP per day.
In a year, your company will be much more effective. And leadership will know you're someone to watch.
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A modern curriculum for kids:
- Logic
- Probabilistic thinking
- Capital allocation
- Design thinking
- Coding
- Writing
- Personal management (GTD)
- Character development
- Entrepreneurship
What else?
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How to be more effective than 95% of your peers:
Religiously take notes in meetings, with an emphasis on next steps, done by whom, by when, circulated immediately after.
That’s it. That’s all you have to do.
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Met a woman w an INCREDIBLE network. People adore her.
I asked how she did it.
“15 years ago, I bought note cards with bright yellow envelopes.
Every day, I write a card to someone.
I’ve sent +10,000 of them. Always w the yellow envelope.”
Gratitude + consistency + branding.
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It takes time, but eventually (1000 notes or so) you'll reach a critical mass. The ideas and connections start to become exponential.
Net result: You've built a unique lattice work of mental models, and structured reminders to cement learning.
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Nothing better than a 3 hour dinner with a bunch of people you admire the hell out of.
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A disciplined person is not someone who wakes up early. Or who gets to inbox zero. Or who fasts every day.
A disciplined person is someone who is able to do what needs to be done when it needs to be done.
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One thing to keep in mind during the great resignation.
Don't burn those bridges.
Wish them well, support them however you can, check in 90 days later to see how it's going.
We've had several boomerangs who realized they actually liked being here more than they thought.
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The day you stop being curious is the day your career dies ->
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Much of creativity is taking disparate ideas and putting them together. So here’s how to be more creative:
1) Read widely outside your field.
2) Take good notes.
3) Review them regularly.
4) Practice combining them in new ways.
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4) Once a week, spend an hour reading your notes.
Follow the tags and links.
Remind yourself about the connections.
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My dad used to work in oil. Apparently refineries are paying 100k out of college. Can’t find anyone.
My stepdad works in manufacturing. Can make 100k w 5 years experience. Can’t find anyone.
We need to re-brand “blue collar.”
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Why write?
- It clarifies thinking
- It improves idea retention
- It increases confidence
- It builds trust
- It moves products
- It creates influence
It can change your life.
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Going to try to use this as an opportunity to feel grateful:
- More time with my kids
- More time w my wife
- More time w my dog
- A warm comfortable home
- More focused work blocks
- 90 minutes of commute to spend reading or exercising instead
- Stocked up on wine
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You're now dangerous in meetings. You see things others don't. You're the resident expert in your area of interest.
Also, if you start sharing those ideas through writing or speaking, the articles write themselves.
Your notes will be your most prized professional possession.
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Most people don’t use their weekends to actually recharge. Some suggestions:
- Sleep in.
- Good coffee and abook.
- Work out.
- Weekly review. Close open loops.
- Purge stuff you don’t need.
- No social media.
- Cook something slow.
- 3 hour dinner with friends.
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I’ve been doing “man school” with my son for about 2 months. One thing he really wanted to learn was cooking.
Today we’re doing a Passover-style brisket. Covering:
- basic knife skills
- mise en place
- how to braise
- balancing flavors
- refining sauces
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