Thread
my old job at Uber is now done by a team of 20

my secret? working efficiently

here are 10 tactics you can use to 10x your productivity:
bias to progress:

80% of a good strategy is better than waiting for the remaining 20% to become clear

you’ll learn what actually works and what doesn’t much faster

“a good plan violently executed now is better than a perfect plan executed next week” — george patton
restrict your information sources:

i only read work messages through email, discord, and sms

if someone wants to message me elsewhere, i tell them no

by sticking to a max of 3 i ensure i don't fall behind
block off time for email:

most emails don’t need an immediate response but notifications are hard to ignore

use a tool like @mailman_hq to only have messages delivered at set times each day

and block the 30 minutes off to get through your responses each time
@Mailman_HQ set one main goal each day:

some fires aren't worth putting out right away

each day pick the highest leverage thing you can do and make sure you get it done
@Mailman_HQ set up sequences:

sequences are timelines to revisit individual decisions

tell yourself (and others) that you'll revisit a decision at some specific future date

this saves the mental tax of having it on your mind in the meantime
@Mailman_HQ work like a lion:

lions find food in bursts while cows graze all day

compartmentalizing your time for work will increase your output

if you're building a startup or early in your career, you'll need to have those bursts more often than not though

(h/t @naval)
@Mailman_HQ @naval set up meeting breaks:

never let yourself have only 30 minutes between meetings

instead set back-to-backs and longer "breaks" for deep work

i aim for a minimum 1 hour work block and a max of 3 hours of meetings
@Mailman_HQ @naval the pomodoro method:

1. set uninterrupted time for one task
2. take a short break
3. do it again

it's surprisingly effective at minimizing switching costs (aka the hidden mental tax you pay when you switch from one thing to another)
@Mailman_HQ @naval delegate (respectfully):

you can't do it all yourself

establish clear ownership guidelines for your team for each type of task

then give others what they need and get out of their way

otherwise you'll become a bottleneck
@Mailman_HQ @naval genuinely care about relationships:

people will be more likely to help you if they know they can rely on you

simply being able to talk through decisions when teammates need it is underrated

going the extra mile for them is a productivity unlock for your future self
@Mailman_HQ @naval bonus: start the day early:

i used to do my best work late at night

now i wake up early to get started before any new things pop up that day

this lets me wrap up anything that's ongoing with a clear mind
@Mailman_HQ @naval if you're a founder or engineer building something big then apply to @launchhouse

we're a community of vc-backed builders with:
- cohort-based courses
- coliving retreats
- peer groups led by coaches
- fundraising support
- and more

apply 👇
www.launchhouse.com/
@Mailman_HQ @naval @launchhouse interested in learning more about how to 10x your productivity?

then follow @callmehouck

i post 1-2 threads each week on what i've learned as a venture-backed founder
@Mailman_HQ @naval @launchhouse tldr to 10x your productivity:

1. bias to progress
2. restrict information flow
3. block off email time
4. 1 main goal each day
5. use sequences
6. work like a lion
7. set up meeting breaks
8. use pomodoros
9. delegate
10. care about relationships
11. start the day early
Mentions
See All