Comments on: And then what? http://www.iwillteachyoutoberich.com/blog/and-then-what/ Personal finance blog for college students, recent graduates and everyone else -- including entrepreneurship -- for getting rich. Featured in the Wall Street Journal and New York Times. Sun, 21 Mar 2010 11:47:10 -0700 http://wordpress.org/?v=abc hourly 1 By: manny http://www.iwillteachyoutoberich.com/blog/and-then-what/comment-page-1/#comment-2875 manny Fri, 15 Sep 2006 03:58:18 +0000 http://www.iwillteachyoutoberich.com/blog/and-then-what#comment-2875 gduck - Do you know that Collins/Porras has just launched a sequel to Built to Last? See <a href="http://800ceoread.com/blog/archives/006440.html" rel="nofollow">http://800ceoread.com/blog/archives/006440.html</a> gduck – Do you know that Collins/Porras has just launched a sequel to Built to Last?

See http://800ceoread.com/blog/archives/006440.html

]]> By: Dave http://www.iwillteachyoutoberich.com/blog/and-then-what/comment-page-1/#comment-2874 Dave Thu, 14 Sep 2006 12:19:38 +0000 http://www.iwillteachyoutoberich.com/blog/and-then-what#comment-2874 Here's to NOT having any goals and still living a great successful life! To hell with goals. Live Free Here’s to NOT having any goals and still living a great successful life!

To hell with goals.

Live Free

]]> By: Ryan Mickle http://www.iwillteachyoutoberich.com/blog/and-then-what/comment-page-1/#comment-2873 Ryan Mickle Fri, 08 Sep 2006 02:59:51 +0000 http://www.iwillteachyoutoberich.com/blog/and-then-what#comment-2873 Ramit, <p> Congrats on the coverage. </p><p> These are many of the thoughts that I had myself last year, as I had thought myself to have achieved a significant amount of career and financial success, yet found myself asking... so what? I could make millions... perhaps tens of millions of dollars. So what? What would be my legacy? A fast car? A big house? I have a friend who says he wants to be a billionaire… but the reason he wants to do so is because he wants to make a big impact on people through the creation of a foundation. I think that he simply hasn’t yet admitted his true long-term goals to himself. </p><p> The questions that followed (still to myself) were to the tune of why is making that positive impact on people the afterthought? After all, why did Bill Gates and Warren Buffett wait until they had each earned piles of money to look to direct their talents and resources (just resources, as it appears in Buffett's case) to make a positive impact on people and society? In my humble opinion, they screwed up. They could have impacted society in incomprehensibly positive ways, with their high intelligence, problem solving abilities, and sheer drive, yet they focused on building big companies and earning tons of money. </p><p> It was then that I decided to make my first bottom line one that measures my success as that which represents the positive impact I've had on the people around me, and perhaps miles away. Hard to measure? Sure… but there will be indicators, just like the NY Times article, to let me know that I am moving in the right direction. </p><p> Don't mistake my sharing this with you as any sort of effort to downplay your significant success with pbwiki (I am now a user, by the way, and I love it). It is just a story from my own experiences. I do, however, invite you to think of how these successes are a means to an end. Think long and hard about your real long-term goals, and chase those now. I am sure that you’ll quickly realize that the majority of your experiences to date have great potential to become powerful enablers in realizing those goals. </p><p> All my best, Ryan</p> Ramit,

Congrats on the coverage.

These are many of the thoughts that I had myself last year, as I had thought myself to have achieved a significant amount of career and financial success, yet found myself asking… so what? I could make millions… perhaps tens of millions of dollars. So what? What would be my legacy? A fast car? A big house? I have a friend who says he wants to be a billionaire… but the reason he wants to do so is because he wants to make a big impact on people through the creation of a foundation. I think that he simply hasn’t yet admitted his true long-term goals to himself.

The questions that followed (still to myself) were to the tune of why is making that positive impact on people the afterthought? After all, why did Bill Gates and Warren Buffett wait until they had each earned piles of money to look to direct their talents and resources (just resources, as it appears in Buffett’s case) to make a positive impact on people and society? In my humble opinion, they screwed up. They could have impacted society in incomprehensibly positive ways, with their high intelligence, problem solving abilities, and sheer drive, yet they focused on building big companies and earning tons of money.

It was then that I decided to make my first bottom line one that measures my success as that which represents the positive impact I’ve had on the people around me, and perhaps miles away. Hard to measure? Sure… but there will be indicators, just like the NY Times article, to let me know that I am moving in the right direction.

Don’t mistake my sharing this with you as any sort of effort to downplay your significant success with pbwiki (I am now a user, by the way, and I love it). It is just a story from my own experiences. I do, however, invite you to think of how these successes are a means to an end. Think long and hard about your real long-term goals, and chase those now. I am sure that you’ll quickly realize that the majority of your experiences to date have great potential to become powerful enablers in realizing those goals.

All my best,
Ryan

]]> By: Michael G. Richard http://www.iwillteachyoutoberich.com/blog/and-then-what/comment-page-1/#comment-2872 Michael G. Richard Fri, 08 Sep 2006 01:46:06 +0000 http://www.iwillteachyoutoberich.com/blog/and-then-what#comment-2872 You are absolutely right, Ramit. At first it's easy to think that "if only X happened, everything would be cool".. But once it does a few times, you realize that your real goals are elsewhere. My experience is with Treehugger.com. It was featured in Vanity Fair, on CNN, many big newspapers, we're going on Martha Stewart, have Lester Brown writing guest columns, etc. And it's all very cool, but the real goal is to write stuff that is interesting to our readers. Without that, all the rest isn't satisfying. You are absolutely right, Ramit. At first it’s easy to think that “if only X happened, everything would be cool”.. But once it does a few times, you realize that your real goals are elsewhere.

My experience is with Treehugger.com. It was featured in Vanity Fair, on CNN, many big newspapers, we’re going on Martha Stewart, have Lester Brown writing guest columns, etc. And it’s all very cool, but the real goal is to write stuff that is interesting to our readers. Without that, all the rest isn’t satisfying.

]]> By: Johnny Debacle http://www.iwillteachyoutoberich.com/blog/and-then-what/comment-page-1/#comment-2871 Johnny Debacle Wed, 06 Sep 2006 22:44:02 +0000 http://www.iwillteachyoutoberich.com/blog/and-then-what#comment-2871 If someone ever came up and told me that I had achieved a BHAG or sent me an email with that term, I'd never talk to them again. The whole Distilling things into Letters (DTIL), or cludging things into overly simplistic talking points or even the top 10 lists provided by Kawasaki and his ilk are all the telltale signs of the Cipher. What you should do with PBWiki is figure out how to monetize it while continuing to deliver something valuable to your customers and then get it done. You seem to get that. Don't focus on a BHAG, or I will MFKY. If someone ever came up and told me that I had achieved a BHAG or sent me an email with that term, I’d never talk to them again. The whole Distilling things into Letters (DTIL), or cludging things into overly simplistic talking points or even the top 10 lists provided by Kawasaki and his ilk are all the telltale signs of the Cipher.

What you should do with PBWiki is figure out how to monetize it while continuing to deliver something valuable to your customers and then get it done. You seem to get that. Don’t focus on a BHAG, or I will MFKY.

]]> By: jason http://www.iwillteachyoutoberich.com/blog/and-then-what/comment-page-1/#comment-2870 jason Wed, 06 Sep 2006 18:31:49 +0000 http://www.iwillteachyoutoberich.com/blog/and-then-what#comment-2870 Ramit What you are saying and I agree upon 100% is focus on the right target. For you that is your customer – not a quote in the newspaper. Some people never learn this lesson, so right on...for having figured this out so early. Best, Knight Ramit

What you are saying and I agree upon 100% is focus on the right target. For you that is your customer – not a quote in the newspaper. Some people never learn this lesson, so right on…for having figured this out so early.

Best,

Knight

]]> By: Luke http://www.iwillteachyoutoberich.com/blog/and-then-what/comment-page-1/#comment-2869 Luke Wed, 06 Sep 2006 08:45:18 +0000 http://www.iwillteachyoutoberich.com/blog/and-then-what#comment-2869 And then what: To be the headline on the New York Times not in the last two paragraphs. And then what: To be the headline on the New York Times not in the last two paragraphs.

]]> By: gduck http://www.iwillteachyoutoberich.com/blog/and-then-what/comment-page-1/#comment-2868 gduck Wed, 06 Sep 2006 07:51:50 +0000 http://www.iwillteachyoutoberich.com/blog/and-then-what#comment-2868 You seem to be suffering from the "we have arrived syndrome" as described by Jim Collins in “Built to last”. This is a syndrome that plagues companies and people alike after achieving a BHAG; (to continue to use Jim Collins' terminology- Big Harry Audacious Goal). If you do not immediately set a new BHAG- you may stagnate, feel like you've lost momentum and continue to suffer from the “we have arrived syndrome”. The remedy for this cure- according to Collins- is to re visit the core ideology, set a new goal, and stimulate progress and change to achieve it. Your next goal needs to build on the last and build on your core ideolgy and vision for yourself/company. Built to last- by Jim Collins et all. Great book- I highly recommend it. Congrats on the Times… a great goal to have acomplished. You seem to be suffering from the “we have arrived syndrome” as described by Jim Collins in “Built to last”. This is a syndrome that plagues companies and people alike after achieving a BHAG; (to continue to use Jim Collins’ terminology- Big Harry Audacious Goal). If you do not immediately set a new BHAG- you may stagnate, feel like you’ve lost momentum and continue to suffer from the “we have arrived syndrome”. The remedy for this cure- according to Collins- is to re visit the core ideology, set a new goal, and stimulate progress and change to achieve it. Your next goal needs to build on the last and build on your core ideolgy and vision for yourself/company. Built to last- by Jim Collins et all. Great book- I highly recommend it. Congrats on the Times… a great goal to have acomplished.

]]> By: Bookview http://www.iwillteachyoutoberich.com/blog/and-then-what/comment-page-1/#comment-2867 Bookview Wed, 06 Sep 2006 04:13:32 +0000 http://www.iwillteachyoutoberich.com/blog/and-then-what#comment-2867 You're part of the PBWiki team? How cool! I use PBWiki for my classroom: <a href="http://bledsoebio102.pbwiki.com/" rel="nofollow">http://bledsoebio102.pbwiki.com/</a> You’re part of the PBWiki team? How cool! I use PBWiki for my classroom:

http://bledsoebio102.pbwiki.com/

]]> By: Spender http://www.iwillteachyoutoberich.com/blog/and-then-what/comment-page-1/#comment-2866 Spender Wed, 06 Sep 2006 03:34:54 +0000 http://www.iwillteachyoutoberich.com/blog/and-then-what#comment-2866 Have you ever read the book Think Big, Act Small by Jason Jennings? I think you would like it. It is about the workings and CEOs of the nations top 7 companies that have had double digit profits for the past 20 years. It is very interesting, think you would like it. Have you ever read the book Think Big, Act Small by Jason Jennings? I think you would like it. It is about the workings and CEOs of the nations top 7 companies that have had double digit profits for the past 20 years. It is very interesting, think you would like it.

]]>