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Why Keeping Wrong People Kills Teams

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  In 2001, Netflix faced a moment that would redefine how we think about team building. After the dot-com crash forced them to lay off 30% of their workforce, Reed Hastings braced himself for the worst. He expected devastation, polished résumés, and empty hallways. Instead, he walked into the most vibrant office he had ever seen. The Unexpected Result The layoffs had removed the wrong people. The ones who did not fit the culture, who slowed the team down, or who were just there for a paycheck. What could have created fear instead created clarity and momentum. The Real Damage Every leader faces this moment eventually. Keeping the wrong people is far more damaging than losing them. They drain energy, dilute culture, and make your best people question why they are still there. A Simple Test Here is a simple exercise I use with the CEOs I coach: List every direct report. Ask yourself: if this person gave 2 weeks’ notice, would I fight to keep them? If the answer is anything less tha...
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The $150,000 Lesson That Changed Everything

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  I paid Tony Robbins $150,000 for coaching. His advice changed how I build companies. A few years ago, I went to Tony’s Business Mastery program while I was running AppSumo. I walked away with dozens of insights, but one has stayed with me ever since. The Old Way Before that experience, I believed growth came from building more. We kept adding products, features, and people—thinking more equals better. But each launch felt heavier than the last. Momentum started slowing down. One Simple Shift Then Tony said something that completely changed my perspective: Love your customer more than you love your product . If you do that, you will always see where the market is going before others. Think about it. We have gone from cassette tapes to Walkmans to iPods to smartphones. The customer stayed the same. The product didn’t. What Actually Worked At AppSumo, every major leap came from focusing on one thing: the entrepreneur on the other side of the screen. From selling deals to building to...
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What I Wish I Had Done Sooner as CEO

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  I learned these lessons the hard way while scaling my company from 7 figures to over $80 million. Some decisions shouldn’t wait until you feel ready. Here are the things I wish I had done sooner as CEO. Strategic Connections I should have started hosting dinners with high-level founders much earlier. The ideas, perspective, and relationships from those conversations proved to be incredibly valuable. Personal Accountability Hiring a coach sooner would have accelerated everything. Having someone to challenge my thinking and hold me accountable pushed me to grow faster as a leader. Revenue Focus I waited too long to bring in a Head of Sales . That single hire transformed our growth engine and allowed me to step back and focus on high-level strategy. Compensation Structure Aligning compensation with outcomes should have been a priority from day one. When your team is directly rewarded for results, performance naturally improves. Energy Management One of the most impactful rules I im...
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