Weekly 40 Hour Kit by Fabiano Abreu Ott

The journey of growing your business without grinding 24/7.

40 Hour Kit: Are You A Busy CEO?

(Here for the subject line? Find it in the ❓ Question section)

Hey Reader,

Last week I interviewed a founder at an event in Berlin, whose startup does $10M+ in annual revenue. And what really stuck with me was his urgency on focusing on just two important metrics as a B2B Founder: revenue and product. I often catch myself tracking the progress I'm making on specific marketing metrics and thinking that it shows that I'm moving in the right direction. Maybe it does. But in the end, it's not what really shows the value I'm providing.

What's your favorite metric to track? Hit reply and let me know.

And now let's get into your freshly brewed 40 Hour Kit:

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💡 Entrepreneurial Insight

A widely proven tactic to follow up on old, inactive leads is by sending them a 9-word email or message.
No links. No pitch. Just: "Are you still interested in [Your Service/Product Name]?".

Based on Dean Jackson, a bootstrapped entrepreneur and marketing expert who popularized the concept.

⚖️ Balance Hack

Treat your availability for commitments (like speaking gigs, coffee chats, or external meetings) as a finite punch card.
When a new request comes in, don't look at your calendar to see if you are 'free' on that date. Instead, ask yourself: "Do I have any punches left?"

Assigning a clear number of 'punches' to your month prevents you from saying "yes" to a mediocre opportunity just because you have white space on your Friday afternoon.

Based on NYT best-selling author and entrepreneur Jim Collins' own system, explained on the Tim Ferriss show.

🚀 Challenge

Founders often leave 'medium' decisions hanging for days, which creates a mental to-do debt.

For the next 48 hours, apply a 60-second limit to any decision that costs less than €500 or involves less than 4 hours of work. If you can't decide in 60 seconds, flip a coin.

Inspired by Pieter Levels in his book 'Make', who bootstrapped million-dollar businesses by obsessing over speed rather than perfection.

✨ Recommendation

To build for the long term, run your current business through these three filters:

• Smallest Viable Market: If you disappeared tomorrow, would your customers quickly find another generic solution?
  ​Based on best-selling author and marketing expert Seth Godin.​
• Timing: Are you riding an existing wave, or are you trying to force a habit the market isn't ready for?
  ​Based on a TED talk and the insights from Bill Gross on Timing for Startups.
• Specific Knowledge: Is your business built on something that feels like play to you but looks like work to others?
  ​Based on a blog post by entrepreneur and investor Naval Ravikant.

❓ Question for you to ask another Entrepreneur

Which of your daily habits makes you feel like a busy CEO, but actually has zero impact on your profit or your freedom?

Have a nice & productive week!

Best,

Fabiano

Grow together with other founders - without sacrificing your lifestyle.

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​Read past 40 Hour Kits here.