Original articles and essays on the ideas I think about most
My own writing and personal reflections on decision-making, leadership, entrepreneurship, and building better systems.
Mirrored reciprocation
Mirrored reciprocation is an idea that states, “what you put out into the world tends to come back.
Reading “The Struggle” out loud
At most conferences, the opening ritual is a hype reel.
2025 annual reflection and my plans for 2026
2025 Reflections After reflection, the annual themes that summarize 2025 are: - React - Survive - Postpone A family crisis dominated 2025.
Getting Back to Basics
After difficult times, recovery begins by returning to fundamental principles and foundational activities that support success.
Saying no
The ability to say no is a superpower.
AI and Revenue Operations
Revenue Operations leaders must adapt to AI as a platform shift, moving beyond tool selection to reimagine how RevOps teams deliver value through automation, agentic workflows, and real-time intelligence.
First team principles
Management is not just about managing direct reports or driving your own department’s outcomes—it’s about aligning with peers to move the entire business forward.
What is Jevons Paradox?
Improved efficiency paradoxically increases consumption rather than reducing it — a principle that illuminates what AI will do to labor markets.
Improve Relationships Using Inversion
Relationship challenges are often easier to solve when viewed backward — avoid what damages relationships rather than chasing what builds them.
Choosing a Speed: Fast vs Slow
Speed matters, but knowing when to move fast and when to move deliberately is the real skill.
The Lindy Effect
The longer something has survived, the longer you can expect it to keep surviving — a useful lens for evaluating ideas, books, and businesses.
Hire Drivers and Fire Passengers
Frank Slootman's framework for distinguishing between employees who take ownership and drive results versus those who coast on company momentum.
Doublethink: The Ability to Hold Contradictory Beliefs
George Orwell coined doublethink in 1984, but the ability to hold two opposing beliefs at once is a skill that can work in your favor.
A Checklist for More Effective Coaching
Michael Bungay Stanier's seven coaching questions from The Coaching Habit — ask them in order and watch your team's learning multiply.
Delayed Gratification
Resisting the temptation of an immediate reward to obtain a better one later — and why it depends as much on trust as on willpower.
Have a Mamba Mentality
How LegUp Health adopted Kobe Bryant's relentless mindset as a core company value after a year of playing it too safe.
Effective Leadership Requires Proper Delegation
The shift from doing to delegating is one of the hardest transitions in leadership — here's how to find the sweet spot.
A Checklist for Identifying Self-Deception
Common symptoms of self-deception drawn from The Arbinger Institute's Leadership and Self-Deception — check these boxes to get back to reality faster.
Annual prediction - 2023
It's time for my annual prediction. In 2022, I predicted we'd see mass adoption of VR headsets this year by U.S. households.
Annual reflection - 2022
In this article, I review 2022 and share my goals for 2023.
A brief history of digital advertising
Advertising dates back to the ancient Egyptians' steel carvings in 2000 BC, but the digital advertising ecosystem is less than 30 years old.
Deciding when is harder than what and how
Deciding what to do is straightforward. So is figuring out how to do it. But knowing when to do it is really hard.
The foundational elements of effective leadership
One of my goals this year is to write a handbook on leadership. I'm woefully behind, so this article is an attempt to force some progress.
Being real without being rude
When expectations are not met, great leaders do not withhold constructive criticism. They provide people with the feedback they need to make necessary adjustments.
Incentives matter
There are few forces more powerful than incentives. Incentives drive thinking and behavior.
Annual prediction - 2022
It's time for my annual prediction that I almost always get wrong. In 2022, I predict mass adoption of VR headsets by U.S. households.
Annual reflection - 2021
In this article, I review 2021 and share my priorities for 2022.
Top articles and notes of 2021
At the end of the year, it's fun to look back and see how different pieces of content performed. For the year 2021, here are the top five most popular articles and notes based on unique page views.
Traction vs distraction
To live the life you want, you must avoid the wrong things while you focus on the right things. The wrong things are distractions and the right things are traction.
What I want to write about and take notes on in 2022
I started my newsletter to create a forcing function for continuous learning. So far it's working.
Liminal moments
Liminal moments are the periods of transition we experience between tasks. These transitions of attention are dangerous.
The theory of constraints
The theory of constraints is a philosophy introduced by Eliyahu M. Goldratt in his 1984 book, The Goal. It's a method for identifying and removing bottlenecks.
First principles thinking
First principles thinking is a powerful mental model. You can use it to simplify complex problems, discover novel solutions, and learn new skills.
Adjusting to fatherhood
Becoming a father has been far more rewarding than I ever imagined. But it's also harder than I predicted.
Unlearning old rules
We all live our lives according to various rules we've programmed into our routines. Most of the time, these rules help us.
Deciding not to decide
Last week, I came face-to-face with indecision while working on a project for LegUp Benefits. After spending several days researching options, I was unable to make a decision.
Minimum viability
A common driver of irrational decision-making is 'all-or-nothing' thinking. And it's more pervasive than most people realize.
Moral ambiguity
After devouring all four seasons of the show Black Sails, I reread Robert Louis Stevenson's classic novel, Treasure Island.
Multitasking for motivation
The most important tasks often don't feel urgent, while the least important tasks often do. This has to do with time-to-gratification.
The Sensitivity Matrix
One axis represents your sensitivity to incoming communication from others. The other axis represents your sensitivity to how your outgoing communication will affect others.
Annual prediction - 2021
Today, I am going to take a stab at my annual prediction for 2021.
Annual reflection - 2020
2020 was a transformative year for me. In this article, I review 2020, reflect on my macro-motivations, and share my priorities for 2021.
Top articles and notes of 2020
When I write an article or post new notes, it's hard to predict which ones will become most popular. It's both fun and informative to look back and see how different content pieces performed over a period of time.
What I want to write about and take notes on in 2021
I started my newsletter to create a forcing function for continuous learning. In 2021, I plan to prioritize the following ten topics.
Working and building in public
For the last year or so, I've been working (or 'building') in public. Each week, I share what I'm working on with the world via my newsletter and podcast.
A few thoughts on wisdom
What is wisdom? Here are a few observations. Your wisdom is roughly equal to your ability to make good decisions.
Avoid unnecessary complexity
In philosophy, a razor is a rule of thumb that allows you to rule out unlikely explanations. As rules of thumb, razors have broad use, but they are not reliable in every situation.
GroupCurrent has shut down
In May 2019, I co-founded a company called GroupCurrent. In October 2020, my partner and I shut it down.
My newsletter's traction after year one
In last week's newsletter, I posed two questions. Where do I have traction and how can I increase it? And, what distraction am I creating and how can I reduce it?
A voting framework for non-partisan voters
Non-partisan voters are voters who are not biased, especially toward the major political parties. They exist because their beliefs do not align with the beliefs of a particular party.
The difference between working hard and competing
Most people work hard, but few people compete. Maybe this is why so many hard-working people fail to reach their goals.
A checklist for winning friends and influencing people
In How to Win Friends and Influence People, Dale Carnegie outlines four sets of principles that can help anyone improve their human relationships. To learn these principles, he recommends a weekly self-examination, review and appraisal.
Learnings from LegUp Health's new website
This week, I launched LegUp Health's new marketing website. I'm really happy with it.
A bit about my new venture: LegUp Health
Today, more than 200,000 Utahns buy their own health insurance. For them, finding, using, and managing health insurance is an overwhelming experience.
A checklist for better decision-making
Charlie Munger outlines 25 human tendencies that can lead to poor decision-making. To combat these tendencies, he recommends making a checklist you can reference when making important decisions.
The benefits of hosting a podcast
In 2019, my friend Tyler and I started a podcast called Startup to Last. Both Tyler and I are founders of software companies.
Start in a small blue pond
In business, there is a strategic concept of red oceans and blue oceans. A red ocean is a market with high competition.
The dummy curve
In sales, there is a concept called the dummy curve. It suggests the most effective sales professionals learn to act dumb with clients.
Unique insights
How do you come up with a good business idea? That's a million dollar question. The best business ideas tend to have two things in common.
What Pioneer Day is all about
In Utah, Pioneer Day is an official state holiday celebrated every year on July 24th. It honors the original settlement of Utah by Mormon pioneers on July 24, 1847.
Anti vs non
Rick Lindquist reflects on the distinction between being non-racist and actively anti-racist, examining his own failings and calling for societal commitment to anti-racism.
Duke University commits to anti-racism
Last week, Duke University committed to anti-racism initiatives. The university announced its commitment to be 'partners on the path to achieving' freedom from systemic racism.
Forcing functions
We all have personal goals. These goals generally fall into two groups; ones with deadlines and ones without. We also all procrastinate.
Running on questions
The quickest path to deeper insights is to ask more questions. Initial questions lead to initial answers. Initial answers lead to better questions.
Fluency is the goal
Fluency represents the ability to express oneself easily and articulately in any subject. It should be the ultimate objective for long-term learning and retention.
How protesting works
The author explores what makes protests effective and examines whether they create meaningful change, focusing on how successful social movements operate.
How to help people who've been laid off
The author explores meaningful ways to support people experiencing job loss, drawing on insights from others who have faced layoffs and those seeking to help them.
Blind spots
As a leader, it's important to be self-aware. But every time I think I've figured myself out, someone exposes a blind spot.
Defining failure
Failure is a part of our lives. We think and talk about it often. Some say failure is good. Some say failure is bad.
The ideal leader
Rick Lindquist explores characteristics of ideal leadership, drawing on Jim Collins' "Level 5 Leader" concept and examining the combination of humility and professional will.
The wisdom hidden in scars
Scars represent evidence of life experience and learning, with hidden wisdom that leaders can leverage. They are powerful tools for building trust, enabling constructive conflict, and sharing lessons with teams.
Two friends I'm especially proud of right now
I want to take some time this week to call out two friends. Tyler King and Zack Zitsos have demonstrated exceptional leadership during this difficult time.
Continuous learning
Continuous learning is the process of acquiring new skills and knowledge on a regular basis. I'm a big believer in continuous learning.
Crushed routines and habits
Habits are automatic reactions to specific situations. We all have habits. Some are good. Some are bad.
Social distancing might save lives
If we can slow the transmission of Coronavirus, we can spread its impact over a longer period of time. If we can spread the impact over time, we can lessen the load on our health systems.
5 books for aspiring entrepreneurs
I'm often asked for book recommendations from aspiring entrepreneurs. Rather than write a custom note each time, I'm listing them here.
Improve decisions with awareness of this illusion
When we look into the past, we recognize how much personal change we've experienced. But when we look into the future, we underestimate how much we'll change.
Improve meetings by clarifying the purpose
A few weeks ago, I lost my patience in a recurring meeting I've led for the past year. There were eight people in the room.
Minimizing regret is hard but worth it
Regret is an awful feeling. The more we feel it, the less happy we are in the present. Regret comes from failure to live up to our ideal self.
Teamwork is hard
There are times when teamwork is easy. Teamwork is easy when all team members are aligned and share a common view of the outcome they're trying to achieve.
Why we become impatient
People say patience is a virtue, but I find it more useful to define it as a skill. Patience is the ability to wait for something without becoming frustrated.
Intentional reflection is a powerful learning tool
Confucius, a Chinese philosopher during the 5th and 6th centuries BC, said: By three methods we may learn wisdom: First, by reflection, which is noblest; Second, by imitation, which is easiest; and third, by experience, which is the bitterest.
Make helping easy
As I ramp up promotion, I worry about asking too much of others. I don't want to weaken existing relationships and create bad first impressions.
My two favorite math equations
My two favorite math equations are: 1.01^365 = 37.8, and 0.99^365 = 0.03. These equations explain the power of small (one percent) daily changes over the course of a full year (365 days).
The journey is the reward
We play games every day. A few weeks ago, Simon Sinek introduced me to James Carse's book, Finite and Infinite Games.
Annual prediction - 2020
Predictions are hard to write. I'll be wrong more often than I'll be right.
Annual reflection - 2019
This week on the Startup to Last podcast, my co-host Tyler and I reflected on 2019 and looked forward to 2020.
Breaking down curiosity
Albert Einstein said, 'I have no special talent, I am only passionately curious.' Experts say curiosity is the key to success.
Clarifying empathy as skill so we can use it
Humans are social bonding mammals. We bond as friends, lovers, communities, teams, and organizations.
Defining trust so we can increase it
Experts believe trust is the core foundation of strong interpersonal relationships, teams, and organizations. Most of us have interpersonal relationships such as lovers, friends, or co-workers.
A year after being "let go"
I recently crossed the 1-year mark after PeopleKeep asked me to resign as CEO. I feel great. My body's healthy. My mind's clear. And I'm ready to go.
How non-Mormons and Mormons can build stronger relationships
I hesitate to write this post. I am not Mormon. And by that I mean I am not a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Why you should focus on consuming timeless content
I break content into two buckets: 1) timely content and 2) timeless content. Yes; I've over-simplified this. But it works to make this point: you should prioritize timeless content over timely content.
Your cap table is your culture
One of my learnings from my time as a CEO is that your company's cap table is your culture.
A Framework (or System) for Writing Better and Faster
Writing is my creative outlet. It is the best way for me to express myself.
Empower people with non-judgemental listening
As humans, we need to judge. Our survival depends on it. Judgement is how we assess danger.
How good do you want to be?
My parents always told me I could be whatever I wanted to be. I believed them.
I'm no longer the CEO of PeopleKeep
It is hard to write those words. After nearly four years as CEO of PeopleKeep and nearly six years leading Zane Benefits (now, a PeopleKeep subsidiary), I've decided to become a ski bum.
3 steps for Constructive Disruption
Innovative companies (e.g. Uber, Airbnb, PeopleKeep) win by disrupting stale industries. When a new entrant challenges the existing model with a disruptive innovation, the incumbents respond predictably.