This post is dedicated to my son Adam; as well as to all of you growing up, being curious and creative, no matter what your age is.
Keep that curiosity, don’t ever allow anyone to kill it in you. Your mind is set to try out new things, new ways and approaches. Keep it that way.
Run your own projects, don’t let anyone explain to you 100 million ways on why the thing you’re working on will not work. Things will work out for you if you try long enough.
Realize soon that grit, dedication and hard work alone will not get you far enough. Socialize, collaborate with others.
But choose wisely with whom you collaborate, whom you hire, or whom you work for. Avoid people who soak energy from you and do not give any of it back to you. If you doubt on the first glimpse someone is not compatible with your way of life and values, the way of treating people, cultures and doing business, then your gut is most likely right. Listen to your instincts. There’s always someone around who’s waiting to stab you in the back.
If that happens, learn from it, forgive, but never forget. Lesson’s learned, move on. Life is short to be bitter about it. And the world is wonderful and full of opportunities.
Build and ship things. Change the status quo. The best businesses were those you never started. The best blog posts were those you did not write. The best photographs were those that only existed in your head. The best app was the one you never released. The person that does not seem approachable to you is no more than a conversation away, or seven degrees of separation away from you. Go and speak with people. Connect.
If nothing changes, nothing will ever change.
Don’t let that happen to you.
