If I could slide a cheat sheet across the table to my younger self, this would be IT.
I learned these lessons the long way – late nights, tough hires, and a few pricey “tuition fees” to the school of business.
Over time, I’ve recognised 10 mistakes I stopped making and what changed when I did.
1) Chasing every shiny object
I used to sprint after every new app, hack, and trend. It created more meetings, more processes, and less momentum. Now I run a quarterly “stop doing” review. If a tool or tactic doesn’t clearly drive revenue, retention, or runway, it’s out. Focus multiplies force; distraction taxes it.
A quick test I use: if we turned this tool off tomorrow, would customers notice? If the answer’s “nah,” it’s gone.
2) Hiring for skills over attitude
I’ve met wizards who could tank a culture in a week. Skills date; attitude compounds. These days I hire for hunger, humility, and helpfulness. We role-play real scenarios in interviews and reference-check behaviours, not buzzwords. Result? Fewer politics, faster onboarding, and a team that loves solving problems together.
One more rule: if I wouldn’t happily sit next to them on a long-haul flight, I don’t hire them.
3) Confusing activity with progress
A jammed calendar felt productive. It wasn’t. Meetings and multiple emails don’t move the scoreboard. We now run outcome-based weeks: three priorities per person, a clear “definition of done,” and we log outputs, not hours. Burnout dropped. Throughput climbed.
Every Monday, we ask: “What will be true by Friday that isn’t true today?” That single question keeps us honest.
4) Underpricing to win the work
I thought discounting was generous. It was fear. Discounting squeezes margins, attracts the wrong clients, and tells your team their work is cheap. We switched to value pricing anchored to ROI, not time. Fewer clients, bigger impact, better cash flow. Everyone wins, especially the right customers.
If a prospect only cares about price, I politely introduce them to someone else. Scarcity creates clarity.
5) Postponing difficult conversations
Delay turns small issues into complex problems. I follow a 24-hour rule: if something’s gnawing at me today, I address it by tomorrow. I bring facts, intent, and a desired outcome. It’s not harsh, in fact it’s honest, fast and fair. Trust goes up when feedback is timely.
My opener: “My intent is to help us work better together. Here’s what I’m seeing, here’s the impact, and here’s what good looks like.”
6) Building without a scoreboard
“Good vibes” aren’t a metric. We run a weekly dashboard based on tangible data, not subjective ums and ahs. Green, amber, red. The scoreboard removes drama and replaces it with decisions. No guesswork, no excuses.
If it’s red, we choose one lever to pull this week. If it stays red twice, the owner changes, or the plan does.
7) Letting email run my day
Inbox zero is not a strategy; it’s a reflex. I check email after lunch and at 4pm. Mornings belong to deep work and customers. If it’s urgent, call me. When I stopped being a professional email responder, my energy, creativity, and output jumped.
Bonus! I batch similar replies and use short templates. Fewer tabs, more traction.
8) Doing everything myself
Hero mode feels noble and it’s nonsense. I was the bottleneck. Now I delegate outcomes, not tasks. We document once, assign clear owners, and run a weekly blocker clinic. I ask, “What can only I do?” Everything else gets systemised or handed over. No dramas.
Delegation is a huge factor to moving forward.
9) Scaling chaos
Growth magnifies mess. Before we scale, we standardise. We test with a small cohort, fix the rough edges, then scale. That means faster growth, fewer fires, happier customers.
If a process can’t survive a surge week, it’s not ready for prime time.
10) Waiting for perfect
Perfect is procrastination in a tux. We show up, listen hard, iterate fast. Customers reward momentum and responsiveness more than flawless first swings. Progress beats perfection every quarter.
We don’t aim for perfect, but we do focus on becoming a better version of ourselves in every way, every day.
Businesses rarely fail for lack of ideas; they fail for lack of discipline.
Trim the noise, raise your standards, and play the long game. Every mistake you avoid becomes an advantage.
