Anthony is author of the "The Hyperfocused Entrepreneur". He also has a Youtube channel with 15k+ subscribers, built and exited two 7-figure companies, and manages a $80M real estate portfolio.
Guest Author: Anthony Vicino
Cheat codes I know at 39 I wish I knew at 19:
(can’t believe how long it took to learn some of these)
1. Never assume the answer is no.
Storytime:
Couple years ago we were raising capital for a deal.
Investor shoots me an investor and says:
“Put me down for $250k.”
Over the next two months I email him 7(!) times to sign the papers.
No response.
I mentally wrote him off, but fired off an 8th email.
And voila…
$250k and signed docs landed the next day.
There’s magic in the follow-up.
2. If you don’t ask, the answer is no.
It’s astonishing how easy it is to open most doors in life just by asking.
3. If its not a hell yeah, it’s a hell no.
Life is short. Don’t waste it pursuing opportunities you’re not all-in on.
4. Saying yes to one thing is a way of saying no to another.
You can’t do everything.
I know, it’s a bummer.
You’re gonna have to learn to prioritize (and then focus).
5. There is ZERO benefit to being overestimated… and nothing but upside to being underestimated.
The corollary of this:
There is zero upside in underestimating your competition.
6. People who mistake Simple with Easy tend to give up the moment things get Hard despite the fact they are doing everything right.
So much of success in life is simply calibrating expectations accurately.
7. Speed of response is one of the quickest (pun) ways to differentiate yourself in the marketplace.
8. The world is run by idiots. There’s no reason you can’t be one of them.
The only person standing in your way is you.
9. Pessimists get to be right. Optimists get to change the world.
Ruthlessly eliminate pessimists from your life.
They are a parasite feeding on ambition, drive, and initiative.
10. A million dollar idea is worthless without million dollar execution.
11. You can achieve practically anything you set your mind to… but not everything. Choose wisely.
Helpful Litmus Test for a Fulfilling Life:
What would you do if you knew you couldn’t fail?
Do that.
Even if you fail, it’ll have been on your terms in pursuit of greatness.
12. You will never regret trying your hardest.
13. Dreams die of inaction… not wrong action.
15. Speed matters less than Trajectory, but it matters more than pretty much everything else.
16. There is only one true cheat code in life:
Up, Up, Down, Down, Left, Right, Left, Right, Left Right, B, A, Start.
Everything else simply comes down to your ability to keep showing up and doing the boring work.
Sorry.
