Lessons from Matt Mochary

Personal Productivity and Mindset

Conduct an energy audit. Print out your calendar for the past week and color-code activities based on whether they gave you energy or drained it. Your goal should be to spend 75-80% of your time on energizing tasks. [1][2]
Identify your "Zone of Genius." This is the intersection of what you are uniquely good at and what you love to do. Strive to operate primarily from this zone. [3]
Schedule two hours daily for your "Top Goal." Dedicate an uninterrupted block of time, preferably early in the day, to work on your single most important priority. [4][5]
Practice gratitude. Start your day by writing down one thing you are thankful for. This shifts your mindset to the positive and improves performance. [1][3]
When receiving appreciation, the only correct response is "Thank you." Don't deflect or downplay the compliment, as it diminishes the giver's intent. [3][6]
Recognize and shift out of fear and anger. These emotions are unproductive. Conscious leaders learn to pause, breathe, and address the underlying beliefs causing these feelings. [5][7]
"Life and company-building don't have to be hard or painful." An attitude of joy and appreciation can transform your approach to challenges. [1][4]
Embrace Inbox Zero. Check your email only a couple of times a day and process it completely. Constant checking fragments your focus and wastes hours. [8]
Be on time and fully present. Punctuality shows respect. In meetings, put your phone away and give the topic your full attention. [2][9]
"It turns out that we perform our best when we are having fun and feeling good about ourselves." [2]

Leadership and Decision-Making

"You create buy-in when you make people feel that they are part of the decision and that their input contributes to the final outcome." [6][10]
For important decisions, have participants write down their thoughts before speaking. This ensures that quieter, more introverted team members' valuable insights are not lost. [11]
Don't be the "loudest voice in the room." If you are the leader, let others share their opinions first to avoid biasing the discussion. [8]
"The greatest risk of a startup is not that they moved too slowly... but rather that they spread their scarce resources too thin." [2]
Avoid 50/50 partnerships. This structure can lead to deadlocks. It's better for one person to have the final say. [3][8]
"Startups don't usually fail because they grow too late. They usually fail because they grow too early (i.e., before they have achieved product-market fit)." [1][8]
The CEO's role is to manage the company's overall operations and communicate with the board and investors. [5]
"A leader serves as the mirror through which others perceive themselves, so you must give yourself as much attention as you do to others." [12]
For irreversible decisions, take your time. For most other decisions, be decisive and move quickly. [1]
"It's often easy to make a decision, but it can be much harder to get your team to invest emotionally in that decision." [6][10]

Team and Company Culture

"Great companies are made up of great individual performers who work well together as a team." [2]
Keep the founding team small (under six people) until you achieve product-market fit. Smaller teams are more adaptable and thrive in the early stages of a startup. [13]
"The first goal of the company should be to achieve real product-market fit (PMF)." This is not about vanity metrics but about creating a product that customers genuinely value and are willing to pay for. [1][4]
Define and document your company culture. Be intentional about the behaviors you want to see, and then hire, reward, and enforce them. [14]
"If you do it twice, write it down." Documentation is crucial for building scalable and consistent processes. Create a company wiki for all procedures. [3][13]
Don't "cannonball" into a new organization. When starting a new role, especially in leadership, take time to observe and understand before making changes. [6]
Onboard new hires effectively. Many companies drop the ball after hiring. A structured onboarding process helps new team members become productive quickly. [6][10]
"The team you build is the company you build." The quality of your people is paramount. [2]
Foster a culture of feedback. Open and honest communication is essential for growth and improvement. [4]
"Your company's success is dependent on employees cooperation and their desire to support your decisions." [12]
"Generating leads and closing deals are distinct functions that must be split." This applies to sales but also highlights the importance of specialized roles. [10]

Communication and Conflict Resolution

Master the art of making people feel heard. Often, conflict arises because individuals don't feel their perspective has been acknowledged. Active listening is a superpower. [5][14]
"Don't ignore conflict. Be transparent, give/take feedback often, and be an active listener." [3]
For conflict resolution, meet with each party individually first. This builds trust and helps you understand the core issues before bringing them together. [15]
In meetings, every topic should have a clear owner. This person is responsible for the agenda and ensuring a productive discussion. [16]
Require pre-writes for meeting topics. Anyone who wants to discuss an issue should write it up with a proposed solution beforehand. This leads to more efficient and effective meetings. [8][16]
"Verbal agreements are not impeccable." Document important agreements to ensure clarity and accountability. [1]
When facilitating a conflict, your role is to be impartial. Your goal is to show that you are a trustworthy facilitator, not to take sides. [15]
"For me to respect you, I don't need for you to agree with me. But I do need for you to hear what I have to say." [14]
Encourage the separation of fact and judgment in conversations as much as possible. [14]
"Communication is the lifeblood of effective leadership." [17]

Hiring and Firing

When hiring, get curious about why a candidate left their previous job. Were they promoted, recruited, or fired? This provides valuable insight. [6][10]
Firing is a necessary skill. Avoiding difficult conversations about underperformance is detrimental to the entire organization. [7][11]
When letting someone go, do it with grace and respect. [7]
Help people who are not a good fit for the company find a role elsewhere. If an employee's values don't align with the company's direction (e.g., remote vs. in-office), it's best to help them transition. [11]
"Making a Sale To make a sale effectively, you need to do the following three things: Build trust, Identify the customer's specific pain, and Sell the solution to that pain." [18]
A co-founder's primary purpose is to help achieve product-market fit. Their role may need to evolve beyond that point. [13]
"Give up a large percentage of the company. It's worth it." This refers to the value of having a strong co-founder. [3]
Establish clear, written policies for compensation, raises, and promotions to prevent workplace politicking. [13]
"There are many reasons to create a company, but only one good one: to deeply understand real customers (living humans!) and their problem, and then solve that problem." [2][8]

Learn more:

Lessons from Matt Mochary

Personal Productivity and Mindset

Leadership and Decision-Making

Team and Company Culture

Communication and Conflict Resolution

Hiring and Firing

Written by Antoine Buteau

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