week 130: first principles > shiny objects

what would never change

thank you to over 11,000 of you who tune in weekly and share this with your friends and family. it means the world to me to have you along for the ride as we navigate the journey of building a zero-to-10-million-dollar business (we recently crossed $6m) and beyond.

i also love adding a personal note at the end of these, and i’m so grateful for the space you give me to do that without judgment.

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i am getting really excited about the new focus on creating courses and helping thousands of go-to-market leaders transform their businesses.

in fact, i am releasing a new course on how companies can go-to-market based on my WSJ bestselling book MOVE, almost four years after its launch.

funny enough, we sell more copies of it now than we did four years ago… go figure that!

you can read more about it (this note isn’t about course promotion, but if you're interested, check it out here).

but here’s the really interesting learning:

while we’ve been in search of product-market fit for years, the real gold was right under our noses—our books.

people love reading our books, sharing them, and applying the principles.

then they send us pictures, ask for office hours, and want to dive deeper into the content.

yet, my co-author and i kept focusing on new business lines when, all along, this was the best way to create impact.

this made me realize the 10 first principles of business:

1. solve real problems—no value, no business.

2. match demand with supply—without demand, nothing else matters.

3. profit = revenue - costs—if it doesn’t make money, it’s a hobby.

4. distribution is king—great products fail without reach.

5. leverage scales success—use people, tech, and systems to multiply impact.

6. cash flow keeps you alive—run out, and you’re done.

7. competitive advantage wins—be different or be cheaper.

8. customers decide your fate—serve them or lose them.

9. test, learn, adapt—assumptions kill businesses.

10. adapt or die—the market doesn’t wait for you.

everything else is just shiny objects that come and go. if you can stay focused on first principles, you will find your gold.

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on a personal note, i’m thinking about new ways to engage my family.

kids are growing up. what worked before no longer works the same way.

which made me think of 10 life contradictions:

1. kindness can look like caving in.

2. love can look like being a pushover.

3. patience can look like procrastination.

4. confidence can look like arrogance.

5. honesty can look like cruelty.

6. strength can look like coldness.

7. boundaries can look like rejection.

8. success can look like loneliness.

9. help can look like control.

10. healing can look like distance.

but what remains true are the first principles that are rooted in our family mission statement:

Vajre’s always make it through with God’s love, grace, and trust.

we don’t always adhere to it all the time, but that is our north star.

i know that if we stick to these first principle mission statement and fight the good fight , no matter what happens in life, my kids, my wife, and i will be just fine—in the long run.

leader point: in business and in life, keep first principles, first.

love,
sangram