Sam Corcos, co-founder and CEO of Levels, discusses how CEOs and founders should spend their time, emphasizing efficiency, delegation, and tracking time. They explore the importance of being hands-on in software development, maintaining knowledge in different business areas, and prioritizing interpersonal interactions and unblocking. The chapter also delves into the mental model for prioritizing time and focus as a CEO or founder.
Tracking time and leveraging executive assistance are crucial for CEOs to effectively manage and delegate tasks.
Analyzing time tracking data provides insights to prioritize and make informed decisions about time allocation as a CEO.
Deep dives
Spending Time as a CEO
Sam Corcos, CEO of Levels, shares his insights on how to spend time as a CEO. He emphasizes the importance of tracking time and leveraging executive assistance to delegate tasks. He highlights the need for CEOs to be 80% good at everything and fill gaps within the company. As the CEO, he adapts his time allocation based on the priorities of the business, focusing on software development, growth, recruiting, and other key areas. He explains the importance of being a decision-maker and unblocking tasks to ensure the smooth functioning of the company. Finally, he discusses the surprises he discovered through analyzing his time tracking data, such as realizing how much time he actually spent on certain tasks.
The Value of Tracking Time
Sam Corcos discusses the value of tracking time and having empirical records of how time is spent. He shares how tracking time allows for assessing the quality and effectiveness of team members' work. He gives examples of how misconceptions about time allocation, such as spending more time on recruiting than actually recorded, can be corrected through tracking. He emphasizes the importance of having feedback loops and measuring time to ensure alignment with stated priorities. He also explains how tracking time helps prioritize and make informed decisions about time allocation based on actual data rather than perception.
Strategies for Time Allocation
Sam Corcos lays out his strategies for prioritizing time allocation as a CEO. He highlights the need for being proactive by putting action items on the calendar and blocking off time for each task. He emphasizes that being a decision-maker and unblocking tasks is a top priority. He discusses the importance of network interactions that don't have an immediate agenda and the bucket of information processing, which includes internal communication and email management. Furthermore, he shares his mental model for prioritizing time, which involves aligning with the top company priorities, dedicating time for strategic thinking, and having regular think weeks.
Episode 62: Alex Lieberman (@businessbarista) chats with Sam Corcos, co-founder and CEO of Levels, a health tech company focused on metabolic health using continuous glucose optimizer. In this episode, they break down how CEOs and founders should be spending their time, maximizing their productivity and ensuring they are spending their time wisely and efficiently.