Welcome to a special issue of the Unbreakable Business newsletter.

In this issue, I'm departing from the usual "tactical" topics, and talking a bit about mindset.

John Maxwell said it best in the 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership - Law #1 is called the Law Of The Lid, and it basically states that a business will never grow past YOUR ability to grow as a leader.

Entrepreneurship and/or working in a high growth company as a leader is probably the most intense personal development program that exists.

And today, we're gonna talk about something that exists in 100% of these companies.

It's called change.

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Change Is Inevitable

It creeps into our lives like a thief in the night, demanding our attention and demolishing our comfort zones.

In business, it's your constant companion. It lurks around every corner, ready to throw you off balance and force you to adapt - or be left behind.

Sounds a little scary, right?

Here's the thing - it shouldn't be.

The sooner you simply accept change as a required ingredient of being a high performer, the happier you'll be.

And if you're starting something new...it’s not just something you have to "tolerate"...it's literally the key to unlocking the success that you're looking for.

Constant Change - A Feature Or A Bug?

I've coached a LOT of founders over the years, from pre-revenue startups, all the way to 8 figure operations.

And although this might not feel obvious, the reality is that humans are still human, and regardless of how big your business is (or isn't), you're still going to be drawn to making the same types of decisions based on the same habits and experiences that you've had in the past.

Here are the four main patterns that I've seen:

• People change things because they get bored.

• People change things because they're perpetually dissatisfied with their progress (even if it's good).

• People change things because they have an insatiable curiosity.

• People change things because they're insecure and feel like they're not doing the right things (regardless of evidence to the contrary).

These patterns frequently drive constructive, positive change. It's like a chisel in the hands of a master artist, shaping a block of stone into something impressive and beautiful.

But they're also responsible for the wanton destruction of many a solid business.

How To Tell The Difference

I've got a pretty consistent process for evaluating new ideas (shocker). It's basically a game of Q&A...with each question designed to "pressure test" the idea so we solve problems before they become painful.

If an idea makes it through the gauntlet, it's probably pretty decent.

Hurdle 1: Impact

The Big Question: "What metric or outcome is this idea actually going to change?"

Clarifying Questions:

• What kind of results are we currently getting?

• What is currently contributing to those results?

• What type of improvements do we think this new idea can drive?

• How long do we think it’ll take to see the improvement?

Hurdle 2: Opportunity Cost

The Big Question: "What will we be putting at risk?"

Clarifying Questions:

• Where might we lose focus?

• Where will this cause distraction?

• What additional constraints might this new idea cause?

• Are we risking the things that are driving our current results?

Hurdle 3: Investment

The Big Question: "What will this cost in money, time, and energy?"

Clarifying Questions:

• What will this cost in money?

• What will this cost in time?

• What will this cost in energy / focus?

• Balanced against the improvement we think we'll get, will it be worth it?

Hurdle 4: Survival

The Big Question: "What will allow us to keep going?"

Clarifying Questions:

• What are the pre-defined hurdles that need to be true for this to continue to exist?

• When do they need to happen?

• What does “close enough” look like?

It Pays To Be Difficult (Mostly)

We've all heard the old "business platitude" - ideas are worthless, and execution is everything.

If that's true, why do we resist being tough on our ideas?

The most elite businesses and operators have a very high threshold for what comes to life. You shouldn't just get to come up with some half-baked shit and make people do it.

Have some damn respect 😆

If you respect your business and the people who are building it, you'll hold a high standard for new ideas. And if you can't get the questions answered, or don't like the answers you're getting, maybe it's just not a great idea (right now).

Set a high bar. Be a "truth-seeking optimist" - someone who believes that new things should exist in the world, but who balances it with a healthy dose of skepticism and "prove it" energy.

That's one way that a business becomes Unbreakable™️.

The SaaS Academy Podcast

Wanted to take a second here and drop the latest episode of the SaaS Academy Podcast that I shot with Johnny Page (my partner in crime)…it’s funny how pertinent it is to this issue.

This episode talks ALL about having focus as an entrepreneur, and how Shiny Object Syndrome is one of the most destructive behaviors that a founder can have (and we all have it anyway).

Give it a look here: