I open each class with an explanation of the singular importance of being a "dealmaker." The manifesto of the dealmaker is simple: Reality is negotiable.

Doing something unimportant well does not make it important.

Focus on being productive instead of busy.

The biggest misconception about work is that you need to spend the majority of your time doing it.

Massive elimination is the most important step and the most neglected step for entrepreneurs.

Sometimes you need to go on a low-information diet.

I will take as a given that, for most people, somewhere between six and seven billion of them, the perfect job is the one that takes the least time.