Hey friends,
Welcome to the first edition of Justin’s Journal. My journal. Me, Justin.
The name has a nice ring to it so I’m keeping it.
If you can’t already tell, I’m not going to take this newsletter too seriously, but I do have this compulsion to share some of the things I’ve learned or worked on each week, and, candidly, a newsletter is the best medium.
Not already subscribed but want to join in this journey to which nobody knows where? Click on that button below:
Let’s get to it, shall we?
In this week’s edition:
[Thread] Learning How to Say “No”
[Tweet] The Empire of Issa Rae
[Podcast] Creating the Largest Crowdsourced Database on Children’s Health
[Podcast] Connecting Authentically as an Operator, Investor, and Creator
[Podcast] How to Manage Deal Flow, Evaluate Startups, and Partner with Great Founders
How to Say “No”
Learning to say "no" is critical for:
Our happiness
Our mental health
Our success
But most of us struggle with it.
As Warren Buffett famously said:
"The difference between successful people and really successful people is that really successful people say no to almost everything"
Here's how to get started:
First, we have to understand our non-negotiables
At Vitalize we invest in B2B software in the Future of Work.
Startups that aren't a fit?
We say "no"
Your personal non-negotiables could include:
The hours you work
Set time with family
The type of work you do
Next, we have to internalize that saying "no" frees us up to say "yes"
There are many ways of saying "no":
The x but y "no"
When you want to help, but you can't fully support the request:
"I can review the proposal once you have a draft"
You're not committing to the request itself, but instead, you're saying "no" by setting the terms of what you WILL do.
The deferred "no"
When you're interested in the request at some point, but don't have the time now:
"I can't right now because of X, but if you follow up in a few months and I'm able to, let's chat then."
The relational "no"
When you're leveraging other relationships to say "no":
“Students are my top priority professionally, and since I teach more than 300 students per year, I don’t have the bandwidth to take on additional mentoring."
(From Adam Grant)
The "no" after "yes"
When you overcommit:
"Last year, when I said I could join your panel, I thought I'd have the availability. However, after taking a closer look at my calendar, I'm realizing I overextended myself and will not be able to make it."
The deflection "no"
When you think someone else will be better for the request:
"Thanks for thinking of me, but I'm not the best person for this. However, X is great at Y and might be helpful. I'm happy to make an email introduction if you're both okay with it."
The alternative "no"
When you still want to help, but don't have time:
"I'm flattered you want to talk to me about X, but I'm overextended at the moment. However, I wrote a few articles about X here and think they'd be helpful."
The on deadline "no"
When you have a big project you need to focus on:
"I appreciate you reaching out, the opportunity sounds great, but I'm on deadline for my [book/course/fundraise] and have to pass. Thanks for thinking of me."
The autoresponder "no"
When you want to set expectations right away:
“Dear Friends, I am currently working on a new book which has put enormous burdens on my time. Unfortunately, I am unable to respond in the manner I would like. For this, I apologize.”
(From Farnam Street)
The synchronous to asynchronous "no"
When you're willing to offer your thoughts, but on your time:
"Thanks for thinking of me. I'm unable to have coffee at this time, but I can answer specific questions you have about x if you email them to me."
Saying "no" is challenging.
But protecting our time is critical - It's our most valuable asset.
By defining our values first, setting up systems, and delegating, then being prepared to say "no" to things that don't align, we make room for saying "yes" to what matters most.
The Empire of Issa Rae
I’m obsessed with the visual below of Issa Rae’s empire and it makes me want to map out all the projects I’m working on too.
The takeaway?
They’re all connected in some way.
Just Go Grind Podcast
Episode #313 - Sehreen Noor Ali, Co-Founder of Sleuth, on Creating the Largest Crowdsourced Database on Children’s Health
Watch on YouTube or listen on Spotify or Apple Podcasts.
The Vitalize Podcast
Episode #28 - Romeen Sheth, on Growing and Connecting Authentically as an Operator, Investor, and Creator
Watch on YouTube or listen on Spotify or Apple Podcasts.
Episode #27 - Trace Cohen of New York Venture Partners on How to Manage Deal Flow, Evaluate Startups, and Partner with Great Founders
Watch on YouTube or listen on Spotify or Apple Podcasts.
Thanks for joining me in this first edition!
I’ve previously tried other iterations of this newsletter and, quite frankly, failed.
Feels different this time as I’m giving myself more space to experiment.
Cheers to many more 🥂
Justin