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The Tim Ferriss Show
#694: Sam Corcos, Co-Founder of Levels — The Ultimate Guide to Virtual Assistants, 10x Delegation, and Winning Freedom by Letting Go (Plus: Creating Leverage with Tools, Systems, and Processes)
Sep 20, 2023
Sam Corcos, CEO and Co-founder of Levels, discusses topics such as virtual assistants, delegation, recording meetings, sourcing virtual assistants, the role of a chief of staff, 'news detox', transitioning from a to-do list to a calendar, reducing stress, effective communication, exploring religion, continuous glucose monitoring, clothing choices for travel, carrying the Constitution, and expressing gratitude.
03:01:32
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Quick takeaways
- Effective onboarding process includes setting expectations, cultural assimilation, and active participation.
- Recording workflow tasks enables effective delegation, training, and fostering proactive behavior.
- Hiring proactive executive assistants through agencies or platforms like Upwork ensures effective delegation and iterative improvements.
- Adopting a 'new sobriety' approach by reducing news consumption and managing social media improves focus and productivity.
- Lowering the perceived risk of delegation by using tools like Loom significantly increases confidence in delegating tasks.
- Leveraging remote work opportunities and embracing the concept of 'everything is content' enhances productivity and efficiency.
Deep dives
Importance of Clear Onboarding Process and Cultural Assimilation
During the onboarding process, it is crucial to provide a clear and well-guided experience for new employees. This includes setting expectations, assigning tasks, and incorporating time for cultural assimilation. New hires should dedicate time to reading company memos, understanding the transparency and unique aspects of the organization, and actively participating in the onboarding process. This helps in reducing the friction and providing a smooth transition into the company culture.
Utilizing Workflow Recording and Playback to Enhance Delegation
Recording workflow tasks using tools like Loom provides an opportunity to delegate effectively and train employees. By recording oneself completing tasks and having the employee play it back, it helps in understanding expectations, reducing workload, and fostering proactive behavior. This technique allows employees to learn critical processes, replicate them with accuracy, and adopt a problem-solving mindset.
Importance of Proactive EA's and Semiautomation
Hiring proactive executive assistants (EA's) who actively reduce workload and generate solutions is crucial for effective delegation. Sourcing them through agencies or platforms like Upwork provides options for finding suitable candidates. Semiautomation, such as having EA's propose draft responses for social media interactions, ensures responsiveness without compromising control. Feedback loops and iterative improvements refine the process over time, increasing efficiency and reducing friction.
Benefits of New Sobriety and Low Information Diet
Adopting a 'new sobriety' approach by eliminating news consumption and reducing information inputs has multiple benefits. News sobriety reduces anxiety and improves focus, allowing individuals to avoid the distractions and detrimental impact caused by excessive news consumption. Friction in accessing social media and implementing feedback mechanisms for engagement helps manage information overload, foster deep work, and prioritize important tasks.
Utilizing Delegation to Reduce Perceived Risk
One of the key recommendations for successful delegation is to reduce the perceived risk associated with it. By lowering the threshold for how much work one thinks they need to put into it, individuals can feel more confident in delegating tasks to others. The use of tools like Loom, which allow for easy workflow recordings, can significantly lower the perceived risk. By simply recording tasks one would do anyway and sharing them with their assistant, individuals have found that many tasks can be effectively delegated with minimal effort and cost.
Unlocking Leverage Through Remote Work
The shift towards remote work creates new opportunities for leveraging tasks and increasing productivity. The concept of 'everything is content' emphasizes the power of remote work, where even typing at the keyboard becomes content that can be shared or utilized. Leveraging remote work style with the right tools enables individuals to increase their efficiency and output. This shift may require adjustments for those who are not yet fully comfortable with remote work, but exploring the possibilities and embracing the concept of everything is content can lead to significant leverage and productivity gains.
Transitioning from To-Do Lists to Calendar Management
Making the transition from to-do lists to calendar management can significantly improve time management and productivity. Rather than relying on an ever-growing to-do list, individuals are encouraged to block off time in their calendar for specific tasks. By scheduling tasks on the calendar, individuals gain a better understanding of the finite nature of time and are better able to prioritize and allocate their time effectively. Implementing this approach involves setting realistic expectations, creating slack time for unplanned tasks, and honing the skill of estimating task durations.
Using Hot Keys and Snippets for Increased Efficiency
Harnessing the power of hot keys and snippets can greatly enhance productivity and reduce time spent on repetitive tasks. Hot keys, or keyboard shortcuts, allow for quick access to commonly used functions and actions. Utilizing snippets allows individuals to create pre-drafted messages or templates that can be easily inserted in emails or other documents. By investing a small amount of time in learning and utilizing hot keys and snippets, individuals can significantly increase their efficiency and accomplish tasks more quickly.
The Impact of User Manual Ingredients
One of the key ingredients in the user manual discussed in the podcast is providing background information about the individual. This includes their hobbies, upbringing, and other interesting details. It also emphasizes the importance of understanding communication patterns and preferences. For example, some individuals may prefer minimal interruptions while working, while others may be more responsive to text messages. Knowing how to interact with different people is found to be beneficial in improving communication.
Misconceptions About Work Discipline
The podcast episode highlights a misconception about work discipline and the need for external structures. The speaker explains that their default behavior is not disciplined and they rely on external structures, such as scheduling early morning meetings, to maintain discipline. The discussion revolves around recognizing personal limitations and creating systems to enforce desired behaviors. It emphasizes the importance of understanding one's own needs and finding strategies to support productivity, whether it involves reducing friction or increasing accountability.
The Role of Memos in Decision Making
The podcast explores the role of memos in decision making and the importance of long-form written communication. It suggests that writing is a form of thought and that the act of writing out ideas helps to clarify and solidify thinking. The memo format is seen as a valuable artifact that captures thoughts, strategies, and decisions. It is considered an effective way to communicate ideas, gain buy-in, and establish trust with colleagues. Memos are described as a means of presenting well-thought-out strategies and demonstrating one's ability to take on responsibilities effectively.
The Value of Network Theory
The podcast delves into the concept of network theory and its relevance in understanding human relationships. It highlights the importance of weak ties in expanding networks and creating opportunities. The discussion emphasizes the value of connecting with acquaintances and explores the idea of eigenvector centrality in building a strong network. The speaker shares personal experiences of serendipitous encounters and how expanding networks can lead to unexpected benefits. Network theory is seen as a practical tool for optimizing professional relationships and identifying opportunities for collaboration and growth.
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Sam Corcos (@samcorcos) is the CEO and Co-founder of Levels, an a16z-backed startup that shows you how food affects your health using continuous glucose monitors and other biosensors.
Please enjoy!
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[05:08] Delegation implementation and common mistakes.
[11:07] Recommended reading for delegators, delegatees, and all humans.
[13:26] Building a company culture that treats people like adults.
[15:01] Tools for performance and communication accountability.
[20:39] Why Sam considers Loom the “most important” tool in the kit.
[24:18] Friday Forum.
[27:17] Acclimating the recording-averse to Loom.
[30:40] Organizing Loom recordings for later search and use.
[36:35] Common challenges of sourcing and properly utilizing EAs/chiefs of staff.
[43:19] Novelty-seeking and board games.
[44:35] Vetting, pairing, and onboarding EAs and chiefs of staff.
[48:38] News and social media sobriety.
[55:20] Why does new employee onboarding take a month at Levels?
[1:00:59] What most delegators wish they’d known as newbs.
[1:04:57] Loom security and privacy concerns.
[1:08:10] From to-do list to calendar.
[1:13:17] How Sam skips the to-do list entirely.
[1:16:49] General schedule and repeating items.
[1:18:22] Scheduling stress reduction.
[1:21:59] Selecting books and hosting themed salon dinners.
[1:37:03] Calendly and related social hurdles.
[1:38:42] Using email proactively.
[1:41:23] The underrated power of hotkeys and shortcuts.
[1:44:42] Scheduling spontaneity.
[1:48:23] Calendar course correction.
[1:49:59] How Sam utilizes multiple EAs.
[1:51:58] Improvement growth for intermediate delegators.
[1:58:56] The Working with Sam user manual.
[2:04:20] Memo culture over meeting culture.
[2:11:55] Fighting organizational entropy.
[2:14:12] Raised secularly, what does Sam get out of theology?
[2:22:54] The perils of postmodernism.
[2:26:35] Network theory and relationship management.
[2:39:33] The investor-swaying juice cart moment.
[2:41:22] Metabolic health and the Levels mission.
[2:45:29] Who is Levels hiring right now?
[2:46:37] Physical over philosophical minimalism.
[2:51:37] Why Sam has a travel-sized copy of the US Constitution.
[2:55:21] Parting thoughts.
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For show notes and past guests on The Tim Ferriss Show, please visit tim.blog/podcast.
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Past guests on The Tim Ferriss Show include Jerry Seinfeld, Hugh Jackman, Dr. Jane Goodall, LeBron James, Kevin Hart, Doris Kearns Goodwin, Jamie Foxx, Matthew McConaughey, Esther Perel, Elizabeth Gilbert, Terry Crews, Sia, Yuval Noah Harari, Malcolm Gladwell, Madeleine Albright, Cheryl Strayed, Jim Collins, Mary Karr, Maria Popova, Sam Harris, Michael Phelps, Bob Iger, Edward Norton, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Neil Strauss, Ken Burns, Maria Sharapova, Marc Andreessen, Neil Gaiman, Neil de Grasse Tyson, Jocko Willink, Daniel Ek, Kelly Slater, Dr. Peter Attia, Seth Godin, Howard Marks, Dr. Brené Brown, Eric Schmidt, Michael Lewis, Joe Gebbia, Michael Pollan, Dr. Jordan Peterson, Vince Vaughn, Brian Koppelman, Ramit Sethi, Dax Shepard, Tony Robbins, Jim Dethmer, Dan Harris, Ray Dalio, Naval Ravikant, Vitalik Buterin, Elizabeth Lesser, Amanda Palmer, Katie Haun, Sir Richard Branson, Chuck Palahniuk, Arianna Huffington, Reid Hoffman, Bill Burr, Whitney Cummings, Rick Rubin, Dr. Vivek Murthy, Darren Aronofsky, Margaret Atwood, Mark Zuckerberg, Peter Thiel, Dr. Gabor Maté, Anne Lamott, Sarah Silverman, Dr. Andrew Huberman, and many more.
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