565: Noah Kagan - The Art of Asking For What You Want, Launching a Business, Handling Rejection, Working For Mark Zuckerberg, and Not Living a 'What-If' Life

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Jan 29, 2024

Entrepreneur and former employee of Mark Zuckerberg, Noah Kagan, shares his insights on the art of asking, launching a business, handling rejection, and not living a 'what-if' life. He emphasizes the importance of focusing on one big goal and shares his philosophy on interviewing. The podcast also discusses the Million Dollar Weekend process for launching a business and achieving financial independence.

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ANECDOTE

Parental Lessons on Fearlessness

Noah learned fearlessness and persistence from his parents' contrasting examples.
His dad's fearless asking and mom's disciplined grind inspired his entrepreneurial mindset.

INSIGHT

Entrepreneurship Is Less Risky

Entrepreneurship isn't risky compared to working a job you hate.
Losing your job is less controllable than building a side hustle for freedom.

ADVICE

Start With a Dream

Have a dream or fantasy to spark motivation for starting a business.
Use your fantasies to envision a better future and take steps toward it.

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Full show notes at www.LearningLeader.com

“Rejection is a test if you really want something. The upside of asking is unlimited.”
- "People are afraid of asking. The people who make it happen are willing to ask, be rejected, and keep going."
One of the biggest lessons learned from working with Mark Zuckerberg? Pick one goal. Then focus relentlessly on reaching it. His was 1 billion users on Facebook. This is how Noah has grown App Sumo to $80m in revenue. Focus on one big goal and the system implemented to make it happen.
Noah's parental influence:
- Fearlessness - Ask for everything. Set rejection goals. You learn that selling copiers door to door.
- His mom is very disciplined. Always working out in the gym. She follows through. She's persistent. She grinds. His mom also hated her job.
"I don't want to live a 'what-if' life"
"Are we getting what we get or are we getting what we want?"
The law of 100 -- Do the thing 100 times before you quit.
Get going, get started. It's about now, not how.
Create an exciting vision: "What are we looking forward to?"
Million Dollar Weekend:
- Start it
- Build it
- Grow it
Noah's philosophy on interviewing:
- 1) Talk with people you're genuinely interested in
- 2) Tell them how they’ve positively impacted your life. People love genuine compliments. And they loved to hear that they’ve helped others.
- 3) Tell them what's in it for them. Create questions that make your guests excited to answer (set them up to tell interesting stories)
Entrepreneurship is not risky. Risky is spending your life at a job you hate, with people you don’t like, working on problems you don’t care about.
Freedom is about gaining control of your schedule. Money is the tool, not the goal.
This trip was one of my highlights of the fall. Nothing like biking across America. So much good time to think and reflect. Reminds me that whenever you’re in a funk, just get moving. (Helps to be surrounded by beautiful landscapes)
The future of big business is small teams. One person. No employees. Everything automated. Solopreneurs are the future.
Acknowledgements:
- Adam Gilbert for our bike ride ten-plus years ago where I shared a dream to put my knowledge into a book for other people. And for always always being my guardian angel.
- Tahl Raz - I dreamed for years of the chance to work with you on a book. Thank you for taking a chance on me. Somehow you were magically able to take all my adventures/theories/ideas/antics and put them together in a helpful narrative better than I could have ever dreamed. Thank you! Also for being a mutual lover of schvitzing.