johnmaconline

A friend once told me, “never give away your work for free.”

Eh. Because what is “work” and what is “free?”

If you paint your own house, that’s probably not work in the sense we’re describing. But if you do the exact same thing for your neighbor, it probably is work.

If you write and email a newsletter around to your family that recaps the Phillies’ devastating loss to the Mets in the NLDS, you wouldn’t expect them to pay you. But what if your cousin who works for a sports media publisher read it and asked if they could publish it? You’d probably expect them to pay you.

Now three and a half months into our 4TLAS startup journey, I’ve thought a lot about what work and free mean in our context. 

I’ve spoken to many people who are generous with their expertise, time, and energy — gave much to me for free. One could definitely argue that it was work for them. OK, maybe not grueling, but still. I’m ever grateful for those people. 

I’ve also run into a few who were uninterested in having a discussion unless money was on the table. I get it. 

Working for free is an investment. If you give away your expertise, skills, or labor for free, you are (as you should be) looking for a return on that investment. It might be monetary, but it might also be something entirely different, such as connection, respect, or that good feeling you get from helping.

I think it’s about reading the moment and deciding what kind of value you’re after. Money is one way to measure that worth. But also, the return comes in the form of ideas, momentum, and doors that open simply because you chose to invest yourself in the right place, with the right people. 

And many times, that ephemeral return turns into monetary wealth. 

Ship it now. Fix it later.

Is this the right approach?

Well, you gotta ask yourself:

• Can you fix it later?
• Is it good enough to ship now?
• Should you fix it later?

If the answer to these questions is “yes,” then ship it now and fix it later. 

Assume they have dedication, responsibility, and adultiness.

Let them work where they want.
Let them work when they want (of course, with important times/events covered).
Let them determine the how.
You provide direction, insight, tools, and resources.
You swat the flies and allow them to focus.
You help unstick.
You trust.
You empower.
You support.

Hire people who can work in a macro-managed environment and then provide it.

How do you get over the hump?

“Over the hump“ originated during World War II, specifically referring to the dangerous air route known as “The Hump.” It was an Allied air route over the eastern Himalayas. This route was critical for transporting supplies from India to China, particularly when ground routes were compromised by Japanese forces.

The hump had treacherous weather and mountainous terrain. It was hard. It was terribly hard. Over 600 planes crashed during the war when flying that route. It took teamwork, skill, focus, stamina, and a little luck to get over the hump. Once a pilot made it over the hump, the hard part was behind them. 

Whatever the humps are in your life, starting with teamwork, skill, focus, and stamina are the right place to start. 

And when you have a little luck along the way, don’t be afraid to acknowledge it. 

You want to be confident.
But you feel apprehensive.

The solution is presence.

I’ve never tried to skin a cat. I really don’t know. 

“The earliest alternate version appears in 1678, in John Ray’s collection of English proverbs as there are more ways to kill a dog than hanging, with the popular British version, there are more ways of killing a cat than choking it with cream.”

“Even Mark Twain got in on the action within his story A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court in 1889 when describing the Church: ‘she was wise, subtle, and knew more than one way to skin a cat'”

You can walk, ride a bike, or drive a car to get across town.

You can put the dish in the dishwasher or grab the scrub brush and fill the sink.

You can listen to the audio version, fire up your e-reader, or grab the book off the shelf.

There are multiple ways to skin the cat. Let’s reserve judgment. 

Merriam-Webster regularly updates its dictionary. Here’s a few for you.

Freestyle — an improvised performance especially of a rap.

Street corn — grilled corn on the cob that is coated with a creamy spread.

For You page — a social media feed that contains personalized content based on the user’s interests.

Breach read — a usually light work of escapist fiction.

Burrata — mozzarella formed into a ball-shaped casing that contains curds and cream.

Nepo baby — a person who gains success or opportunities through familial connections.

Touch grass — to participate in normal activities in the real world, especially as opposed to online experiences and interactions.

Cash grab — the greedy pursuit of an opportunity for making money, especially when done without regard for ethics, concerns, or consequences.

Shadow ban — to cause (a user or their content) to be hidden from some or all other users, usually without the user’sknowledge.

IDGAF — Well, you know.

Ever been called a Slick Willie?

Willie Sutton was a fascinating guy. The original Slick Willie — he robbed more than 20 banks from 1927 to 1952. Then, after being incarcerated, he escaped three times from three different prisons, including once from the famous Eastern State Penitentiary in Philly (a great place to spend an evening in the fall if you’re so inclined). 

He was a master of disguise, charming, and very clever — slick.

He also brought us “Sutton’s Law.”

Willie allegedly responded to a reporter’s question about why he robbed banks by saying, “Because that’s where the money is.” Duh.

Sutton’s Law is often referred to in medical contexts. For example, when diagnosing a patient, one should first consider the most obvious possibilities and conduct tests that are likely to confirm or rule out the most probable diagnosis. 

If you have a runny nose, first check for the common cold and allergies rather than immediately testing for cancer.

Sutton’s Law and Occam’s Razor are bedfellows, and although sometimes the more complex solution is required or the more dubious explanation is correct, they’re a great place to start. 

The World is a tricky place right now. AI is making it trickier. Sutton’s Law is a great little tool to help you think correctly about what The World is presenting to you. Start with simple, obvious, and most probable. 

You don’t have to end there, and to be fair, you shouldn’t end there. But definitely start there. 

It doesn’t take Mother Teresa-level compassion to make a dent.

A great mission statement for a company starts with “We help…”
A great mission statement for an organization starts with “We help…”
A great personal mission statement starts with “I help…”

Helping is a great path to making money, making a better world, and making a better community. Everybody needs help.

Always help.