04 Building in Public: Action & Patience

Matt Tompkins -

Good morning. Ready for the best 3 minutes & 40 seconds of your week? Sure you are.

So, we’ve done a lot in a short period of time. Like a hell of a lot. We’ve juked a few obstacles and have also taken some on the chin.

There’s no shortage of challenges. But you know what the hardest part is?

Chilling out. When I decide to do something I only have one speed (and it’s fast). I prefer speed over perfection. And when I ask for something to be done (from a contractor, for example), I expect the same urgency. Which is totally unreasonable, I know. But whatever, I won’t compromise speed. I’m a firm believer that a bias for action is key.

Alright. So, we’ve gotten to this junction. And at this stop we’re waiting for edits and final touches on our website. The wait is painful. What makes it more painful is the first round of edits were not up to par (to put it lightly).

*Update as of April 21 (right before sending this) the second round of edits came through... Not great. Anyone a Web-flow expert?? HMU*

But this is where my speed must slow down. Unlike Elevate Financial, where the website doesn’t drive business, the service does. Heycpa’s website is the business (kinda). So slapping something together in a few days isn’t worth it. Going back to what we discussed last week, we need to set the foundation for a skyscraper, not a three-story walk-up. This is where patience wins.

The combination of action and patience is unnatural. How can you have a bias for action and also exercise patience? Well, it’s f*cking hard. I’ll tell you that much.

But this is how we’re going to do it…

Taking action on the boring stuff immediately. Need to make changes to the copy on a web page? Do it now. Not tonight or tomorrow morning - now. Do we have GST remittances to file? Sure, that’s done now too. Tasks that can be done, are just done immediately. It’s that simple.

Take this example. There is a task that takes 45 minutes to complete. You ask a coworker, or junior employee to complete said task and they say “I’ll get it to you by the end of the week” or “by EOD cool?”

What the actual hell? I’ve never understood this. How about before noon? Or just in the 45 minutes it will actually take? And nah, I don’t think it’s too much to ask. HOWEVER, a contractor or service provider is different because they’re dealing with multiple clients/customers. But employees? Nah just do it (this is also the quickest way to get in your managers/seniors/boss’s good books).

Lesson: Take action on the boring shit ASAP.

As for patience, maybe I’ll meditate or something. But I’ll likely just remain an absolute psychopath about stuff until it’s done. Anyway, I digress.

The following are a few key areas of focus:

  • Patience with core ‘building blocks’. Don’t rush the website, don’t rush the launch. Make sure we have our dogs in line. (And give people grace at this stage).
  • Patience with results. This is not quite the service-based firm that Elevate Financial is. So, the pay-off may be slower. But, the scalability and runway is much longer. A daily reminder.
  • Patience and consistency to keep pushing. The main reason businesses fail is because people give up. That’s about it. Nothing fancy. Patience for pay-off will lead to consistency and remaining on the rails.

Lesson: Patience is a skill that can be (I hope) learned. And combining patience with action? Well. Look out.

Profit & Loss: April 1 - April 20, 2022

Revenue………. -$
Expenses……… ($702)
Profit (loss)........ ($702)