We’ve been taught that if we want more — money, achievement, vitality, joy, peace of mind — we need to do more, to add more to our ever-growing to-do list. But what if we’ve been taught wrong? What if the answer to getting more of what we want isn’t addition at all, but subtraction?
As it turns out, evidence supports that if we want to ramp up our productivity and happiness, we should actually be doing less. David Rock, author of Your Brain at Work, found that we’re truly focused on our work a mere six hours per week, which starkly contrasts our collective buy-in to the 40-hour workweek. When you stop doing the things that make you feel busy but aren’t getting you results (and are draining you of energy), then you end up with more than enough time for what matters and a sense of peace and spaciousness that constant activity has kept outside your reach.

It happens all the time. A founder surrounds him or herself with a skilled group of advisors — maybe one or two from investors, a trusted mentor from their past, perhaps someone influential who can open doors. But as the company grows and pivots, it becomes clear this is not the best team to create long-term value. Can this situation be avoided by choosing advisors more wisely? Can it be turned around once things aren't great?

As a partner at First Round, Phin Barnes has seen a common problem emerge: Advisors (especially investors) default to removing roadblocks for the companies they support — everything from finding them new hires to good lawyers — but spend very little time offering strategic, tactical advice that could make an even bigger difference.

Sitting down with each one of your customers to show them the ropes of your product may be more scalable than it sounds. A deep knowledge of your customer is an essential ingredient in creating a great product. That’s why it can be so valuable to get into a conversation with them, whether by email, chat, phone, or face-to-face. So, when I added myself to the waiting list for a new email client called Superhuman, I was impressed to discover that I’d get one-on-one training from the founder himself, Rahul Vohra. ’Wow,’ I thought, ’here’s a company that takes customer development seriously.’