GG Notes

Thoughts on leadership, productivity, and entrepreneurship. Subscribe via RSS.

84 articles, most recent first.

Did we pick the right goal?

ggnotes
Ask a project leader you know and they will tell you there are countless ways to set goals poorly. We may define the goal in a way that is too vague or too specific. Or the goal can be well...

Announcing Papa Notes

ggnotes
If you've been following this blog for a while, you probably noticed that more and more of my content includes anecdotes and teachings from my fatherhood. I used to say that having kids turned my...

Why you need to waste time

ggnotes
There's a comic strip that circulates in entrepreneur communities. It's about a character who starts a new hobby. But before long, his entrepreneurial mind takes over and pushes him to turn the...

You will never be done

ggnotes
In the business world, work frequently happens within a project. Success depends on completing all the tasks on time and budget. And a project has a beginning and an end. At work, we are...

Unscheduled time off

ggnotes
I took an unscheduled week off. Not a vacation per se, but a week AFK. Away from the keyboard. I didn't answer emails. Not even the ones that would normally prompt me to reply right away. Not even...

Inertia is the enemy of change

ggnotes
I'm big on routines. To some, it may even look like a boring life. I like to know what my weeks are made of, and usually, it's the same pattern week after week. Take Mondays, for instance. Every...

It freaking doesn't matter

ggnotes
Last night, I experienced something I wish for all of you. My son and I were sitting in the kitchen. Well, I was sitting; he was lying in my arms, half asleep. He is teething and sleeps super...

Don't chase f*** you money

ggnotes
When I was younger, I had one clear goal. I wanted to be a millionaire by the age of 30. I didn't know it then, but this wasn't even MY goal. It was something inherited from the...

Hi, I'm Greg.

ggnotes
I'm an independent consultant and a digital artisan. I specialize in problem solving and innovation using code, design, process and mental models. I act as a trusted advisor. Over the past 22...

Sacred ideas

ggnotes
The following is a republish of an old article from 2016. We live in an era where ideas are so powerful we sacralize them. They appear almighty: Get the right idea and succeed; get the wrong idea...

The glassmith tactic

ggnotes
The perceived value of your product is about to take a nosedive. Here's how to save it using the glassmith tactic. A glassblower blows air into a pipe. A beautiful vase appears from what was...

The best way to get unstuck

ggnotes
I started dabbling in entrepreneurship over 20 years ago and have experienced the feeling of stuckness more than I can recall. It is one of the most common struggles with this career path and can...

Reviewing my good moves of 2023

ggnotes
⚠ This article contains references to retired projects. I will not bore you with my entire “year in review.” Instead, I’ve decided to share with you some things I believe I’ve done right this...

Building the icebreakers suite

ggnotes
Driving is boring. While I understand the thrill of dynamic driving, I have never been that much of a car enthusiast. However, there's something I enjoy when I absolutely need to get in my car to...

Finding joy in the mundane

ggnotes
There is a secret that parents know but only discuss with other parents. A few days ago, I met with an old friend of mine. He's not a parent, but he likes kids. When asked if he'd like to be a dad...

Progress is a journey

ggnotes
We are often caught up in thinking of progress as a static event. Or at least something that is the result of actions and decisions taken in the recent past. Take the example of a race. Our...

Background noise stress

ggnotes
Last weekend, my family and I decided to take a drastic rest day. We stepped out from the connected world to focus on being together. No phone, no work. An initiative that was part of practicing...

On the essence of true freedom

ggnotes
A lion was born in a zoo. He never had to worry about food. Every day, many people visited him outside his small enclosure. He felt a peculiar blend of comfort and discomfort. For he knew he...

Protecting your motivation

ggnotes
Over the past few years, a few books have highlighted the importance of feedback. The entrepreneur community has blindly accepted that this feedback should happen earlier and earlier in your...

Mastermind over cofounding team

ggnotes
A topic I've seen discussed a few times over the past few weeks is: Should I build a business by myself or try to find cofounders? I've started companies by myself, and I've also been blessed with...

How to get lucky

ggnotes
Openai's CEO Sam Altman wrote: “give yourself a lot of shots to get lucky” is even better advice than it appears on the surface. Luck isn’t an independent variable but increases super-linearly...

Khabib Nurmagomedov on sleep

ggnotes
I recently wrote about 2 False ideas preventing rest. Continuing on this topic, and to further confirm the importance of rest to remain performant, check out what Khabib Nurmagomedov says about...

Uncomplicating productivity

ggnotes
"What project management software do you use?" Tens of thousands of views and countless replies. That's how popular a simple productivity question I asked on Twitter became. We are suckers for...

Enthusiastic participation

ggnotes
How can you participate more enthusiastically in building the culture? Over 15 years ago, when I was younger and didn't know the first thing about personal development, a friend shared an essay...

Using calmer language

ggnotes
"If the software crashes during the demo, it's game over for us!" This is something I'm still guilty of: using hyperbolic, epic language. Part of me probably believes that this increases...

CEOs and coaches

ggnotes
Did you know that only a minority of CEOs are coached? As I was looking through my notes, I found an article about coaching for CEOs. I figured this is something you might find interesting too....

Back to home • All articles • Papa Notes