ISSUE #49

Welcome to the Forward Obsessed Founder, my newsletter with insights, awesome tools, and real-world advice to grow your business and career.

GO FORWARD THOUGHT OF THE WEEK ➡️

The #1 Habit of Billionaire Entrepreneurs That’ll Change Your Business (And Life) 📚

When you think about the world’s most successful entrepreneurs, who springs to mind?

I have a few I can name off the top: Steve Jobs, Mark Zuckerberg, Warren Buffet, Jeff Bezos, Oprah, Bill Gates, and Mark Cuban.

And guess what they all have in common?

They are all voracious readers.

And that’s not just once they’d made it big.

Warren Buffet reads as many as 1,000 words daily, a habit he started early in his career. He reportedly spends 80% of his time thinking and reading. As he urges:

OK, so maybe that seems overwhelming. But how about setting a more modest goal like 50 books annually (Bill Gates), a book every other week (Mark Zuckerberg), or starting or joining a book club (Oprah)?

Think you can’t afford the time? I say you can't afford not to spend time with your nose in a book. I like what Mark Cuban says about reading:

I could fill this newsletter with stats about why reading is good for you as research says it enhances your critical thinking, boosts your creativity, and expands problem-solving skills, but I’m not your mom.

The reason I love reading is when I hit on a good book, I notice it changes my thought processes. I can trace some of my most significant breakthroughs to a book or article I read that snapped my synapses and helped me make new connections.

It’s not just about filling your mind with knowledge — it’s about breaking it in the best ways possible. 🤯

So, as you gear up to dive back into the last four months of 2024, add reading to your list of ​​musts.

Here are 9 of my all-time favorite mind-blowing books:

1. The Creative Act: A Way of Being by Rick Rubin

There’s no question that Rick Rubin, founder of Def Jam Records and prolific music producer, is one of the most creative people alive. But he’s also a phenomenally successful businessperson, so his advice about being fearless in your creativity is priceless. (Plus, I love this story about how AI made him cry.)

2. Buy Back Your Time by Dan Martell

One of my all-time favorite quotes is from serial entrepreneur Dan Martell (and I’m paraphrasing from his book):

His insights for prioritizing high-impact tasks, delegating/automating low-value tasks, and ABR (always be reviewing) are invaluable. If time is your most valuable asset, then you’re an ass not to focus on learning about time management from a master like Martell.

3. The Net and The Butterfly by Olivia Fox Cabane and Judah Pollack

Startup founders live for “aha” moments. What if you could train your brain to have more of those incredible moments? This book is all about how to supercharge innovation by using your natural curiosity, playfulness, passions, and interests.

4. Start With Why by Simon Sinek

It’s so simple, yet so profound. And back in 2011, nobody was talking about the role a founder’s mission, values, authentic story, and vision mattered. The information is evergreen and so critical for every founder to consider. (Even though sometimes I enjoy taking a contrary perspective about what you really need to start with.)

5. Hooked: How to Build Habit-Forming Products by Nir Eyal

You’re probably noticing I love books with a neurological or psychological bent. Eyal’s book is essential reading for anyone who cares about UX. And if you don’t care about UX, then I don’t know how you’ll succeed in business.

6. The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership by John Maxwell

About a decade ago, I first learned about a principle for maximizing time and effort pioneered by a legendary leader of leaders, John Maxwell, called the “10–80–10 Principle.” It was my first step to stop getting caught up in the little day-to-day tasks and becoming a leader who builds sustainable businesses. This book on the 21 irrefutable laws of leadership is core to his work — and mine.

7. Drive by Daniel H. Pink

As a leader, there is no more important pursuit than creating an inspired, productive, and happy team — the core elements necessary to succeed in business. Pink takes a deep dive into the science of motivation and teaches us how to tap into the three main drivers of motivation: autonomy, mastery, and purpose. Self-directed learning is a big part of this equation, which makes reading this book a meta-experience.

8. The Genius Zone by Gay Hendricks

Is there anything better than working in your Genius Zone? It’s when your creativity flows like crazy, and you’re working on things that bring you joy — and prosperity. I’ve worked on cracking this code, and a lot of what inspired me is found in the pages of this book, which teaches you how to stop negativity and learn to thrive.

9. Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance by Angela Duckworth

Words to live by! If there’s one attribute we entrepreneurs must have, it’s grit. Things never go how you want them to, but they always go how you need them to if you have the tenacity and the fortitude to keep going against all odds.

These are just a few of my faves, and I want to know about yours. What’s on your bookshelf? Hit reply, and let me know. I’m always looking for a good read.

Always here to help 🙌
​
​Pete Sena​

Tool of the Week 🖤:

Flow

The Tool of the Week is Flow, my favorite voice note tool that takes my stream-of-conscious thoughts and notes I write in my head on the fly and makes it all actionable.

I find that speaking out loud is a great way to get my thoughts out when I'm out for a walk or doing different things. Flow takes that capability into your entire operating system. It's super fast (much faster than typing), gets names right, and removes all the filler words to whip out a legible message that anyone (you, your team, your vendors, etc.) can act on.

Here’s a quick Loom that gives you a little more info:

Bottom line: if you can think it, you can speak it. Save your excellent thoughts and precious time with tools like Flow that are designed to help busy founders optimize their day.

Thanks so much for reading this edition of The Forward Obsessed Founder — you can also check out this issue on the web [Link].
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