What if you already know enough?

[George Costanza]

The most obvious danger of consuming too much is that it turns you into a consumer.

A lot of that “free” (and paid) content out there is designed to turn you into someone else’s consumer. (And it’s not free btw... not unless you put zero value on the time it took to consume that “free” content.)

We all want to join team producer right? The best way is to produce more, not consume more.

What if you already know enough?



...

This might be what I needed to hear right at the right time, thank you for this thread

 

[PureA]

bump

 

[Andy Black]

Thanks for reading, replying, and your kinds words.

I've realised I don't have all the Facebook marketing solutions yet

You don't need them all @elusive97. You just need enough to help someone.

Business is simple: Help people. Get paid.

Now then... maybe this call might help you:

• Who have you helped?

 

[Andy Black]

That's a great way of putting it! I think the process is what I'm still figuring out, I need it to be broader than my existing one (when working for myself) to apply to more businesses more effectively

Just apply your current process to one business? Your process will evolve the more times you apply it.

 

[Deleted78083]

Many of you are straight out of school or college.

You’ve been taught to consume and read your way out of problems.

Whenever a new challenge comes up you’ve been programmed to search for a book or course.

This is how deep the script has it’s claws in you. And the further you got into the education system the deeper those claws.

On point, massive cognitive dissonance.

 

[themarkboogie]

I learned slowly that the lad with the lawnmower (who may very well have dropped out of school) was street-smart where I was book-smart.

And that he was streets ahead of me.

100%. As MJ says: the best book is the one that solves the problem right in front of you.

One of the better analogies I’ve heard about this is imagining your knowledge destination is a wall. Every book you read or podcast you listen to gets you halfway closer, after a few you are pretty close, but no matter how much you read or study you will never actually reach it.

A Japanese Sensei took me and another enthusiastic beginner aside and asked us if we knew the secret to learning faster.

He leant forward and whispered: “Teach”.

Make it a goal to not consume any new info for a week. Use your current skill sets to take action. Then in a week evaluate whether or not you need more knowledge to execute. If not, then keep executing. If you do, then go learn whatever it is you need and repeat the process.

The truth is you don't know anything until you get started.

Content knowledge and experience knowledge are not in the same league at all. Ten hours of content knowledge is worth less than one hour of experience knowledge.

"It took me four years to paint like Raphael, but a lifetime to paint like a child."
--Pablo Picasso

The way I see it, book readers and resource resource consumers are motivated, they know what they want, but they want to perfect it, the first time. They also want it easy, so they get stuck building the foundation before the castle (I know I did).
They want to work towards their goal but have no room for error. If they do leave error and it doesn't take off, they will have to sit and stew in their corporate cesspit for 5-6 months while their business ramps up. Why do this when you can just read one (or two or three...) Magical books and wind up in a lambo cruising down main street tomorrow?

It's a question of risk acceptance and risk mitigation, unfortunately acceptance is the only truly fastlane path.

“Overthinking is the art of solving problems you don’t have.”

So many of these quotes hit close to home for me. I've always been a thinker but I believe my focus on school to get me from the sidewalk to the slowlane severely impacted my thought processes and instincts. I find myself often overthinking and looking for books/content to teach me the "secret sauce" rather than just trying something. This paralysis is mentally draining and leads to lost confidence and continued inactivity. It really is a vicious cycle.

Thanks for the reminders, Andy, as well as the rest of you. Today I made a conscious decision to move forward with an idea and take action for the first time since I started a clothing brand in high school. Time will tell if I'm successful or not, but your production of this content contributed positively to my dream and I thank you for that.

 

[woken]

Bump for those stuck in the learning loop because you believe you don't know enough.

Think about what you'd do right now if you already know enough.

Do that.

This is awesome and helpful, as always, Andy.

Also, a small thing to add is don’t go from one extreme to the other.
Meaning don’t start writing yet another business book

 

[ExaltedLife]

The most obvious danger of consuming too much is that it turns you into a consumer.

A lot of that “free” (and paid) content out there is designed to turn you into someone else’s consumer. (And it’s not free btw... not unless you put zero value on the time it took to consume that “free” content.)

You probably knew this right?


But here’s something I’ve noticed from PMs with a few thousand forum members:

Many of you don’t think you know enough to get started.

Many of you are constantly looking for something else to consume so you can finally become a producer.



I think the more insidious, hidden, danger of consuming is that it makes you think you don’t already know enough to start.



I always imagine a young lad knocking on the door with a lawnmower in tow.

“Hey mister. Do you need your grass cut?”

“Not today thanks.”

“No thanks. Maybe another time.”

“Oh wow. I was just thinking of finding someone to cut my grass. Yes please.”

(I live in a very polite little world.)



You know what that lad didn’t do?

He didn’t think:

“I better get a logo.”

“I better get a website.”

“I don’t know enough about cold calling.”

“I better go to the library and get a heap of books on how to start a business.”

Here in this forum we’d call any of the above “action faking.”

Many of us know to give ourselves a stern talking to when we catch ourselves action faking.



But did you know the hidden rabbit-hole lying in wait for you in the library?

“Oh boy. I didn’t realise I needed to know about marketing as well as just starting a business.”

“Uh-oh... I didn’t know I needed to create avatars of my ideal customers before I go knocking on doors. What if I go round the wrong estate?”

“USP?! Whoa. I’m glad I came into the library today. I wouldn't have known that I didn’t know about USPs.”

“Scaling? Growth? What’s that mean? Should I even try to start a grass cutting business?”

“OMG... look at all this stuff I didn’t know I needed to learn before I even step out of the house and speak to people this fine Saturday afternoon.”



Many of you are straight out of school or college.

You’ve been taught to consume and read your way out of problems.

Whenever a new challenge comes up you’ve been programmed to search for a book or course.

This is how deep the script has it’s claws in you. And the further you got into the education system the deeper those claws.

I get it. I was a good student. I got my degree. I worked a cubicle for nearly 2 decades. I took the courses. I Googled for “books on XYZ”. I took “evening classes on ABC”. I even decided I “needed” an MSc to get ahead.

I learned slowly that the lad with the lawnmower (who may very well have dropped out of school) was street-smart where I was book-smart.

And that he was streets ahead of me.



Then one day someone asked me a very simple question:

“Andy. What if you already know enough?”

Oh.


We all want to join team producer right? The best way is to produce more, not consume more.

What if you already know enough?



...

PS: This was all *produced* on my phone on a coach to the airport.

PPS: I could have consumed a podcast for the hour, or I could have produced a post in that hour. I chose to gain clarity by producing, to help others by producing, and to not clutter up my head with yet more “knowledge”.

I chose to clear my head not fill it.

I finally understood this recently after letting it stop me for years. "Learn by doing" ought to be the entrepreneur's education philosophy

 

[Itizn]

There are very successful people in my industry who have come to me asking for my advice and help with their problems situations.

Wouldn't have happened if I didn't just "pick up the phone and start dialing"

 

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[Thapaqazi]

The most obvious danger of consuming too much is that it turns you into a consumer.

A lot of that “free” (and paid) content out there is designed to turn you into someone else’s consumer. (And it’s not free btw... not unless you put zero value on the time it took to consume that “free” content.)

You probably knew this right?


But here’s something I’ve noticed from PMs with a few thousand forum members:

Many of you don’t think you know enough to get started.

Many of you are constantly looking for something else to consume so you can finally become a producer.



I think the more insidious danger of consuming is that it makes you think you don’t already know enough to start.



I always imagine a young lad knocking on the door with a lawnmower in tow.

“Hey mister. Do you need your grass cut?”

“Not today thanks.”

“No thanks. Maybe another time.”

“Oh wow. I was just thinking of finding someone to cut my grass. Yes please.”

(I live in a very polite little world.)



You know what that lad didn’t do?

He didn’t think:

“I better get a logo.”

“I better get a website.”

“I don’t know enough about cold calling.”

“I better go to the library and get a heap of books on how to start a business.”

Here in this forum we’d call any of the above “action faking.”

Many of us know to give ourselves a stern talking to when we catch ourselves action faking.



But did you know the hidden rabbit-hole lying in wait for you in the library?

“Oh boy. I didn’t realise I needed to know about marketing as well as just starting a business.”

“Uh-oh... I didn’t know I needed to create avatars of my ideal customers before I go knocking on doors. What if I go round the wrong estate?”

“USP?! Whoa. I’m glad I came into the library today. I wouldn't have known that I didn’t know about USPs.”

“Scaling? Growth? What’s that mean? Should I even try to start a grass cutting business?”

“OMG... look at all this stuff I didn’t know I needed to learn before I even step out of the house and speak to people this fine Saturday afternoon.”



Many of you are straight out of school or college.

You’ve been taught to consume and read your way out of problems.

Whenever a new challenge comes up you’ve been programmed to search for a book or course.

This is how deep the script has it’s claws in you. And the further you got into the education system the deeper those claws.

I get it. I was a good student. I got my degree. I worked a cubicle for nearly 2 decades. I took the courses. I Googled for “books on XYZ”. I took “evening classes on ABC”. I even decided I “needed” an MSc to get ahead.

I learned slowly that the lad with the lawnmower (who may very well have dropped out of school) was street-smart where I was book-smart.

And that he was streets ahead of me.



Then one day someone asked me a very simple question:

“Andy. What if you already know enough?”

Oh.


We all want to join team producer right? The best way is to produce more, not consume more.

What if you already know enough?



...

PS: This was all *produced* on my phone on a coach to the airport.

PPS: I could have consumed a podcast for the hour, or I could have produced a post in that hour. I chose to gain clarity by producing, to help others by producing, and to not clutter up my head with yet more “knowledge”.

I chose to clear my head not fill it.

Well, thank you Andy. There is so much to take in from this and realize but what it all boils down to I guess is the last line.

 

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[Peter Kay]

Better do today or even instantly as you read this. Put everything else aside.

There has been some research on this. If you don't start within 72 hours from your decision to start, the probability that you'll ever start drops radically (I believe even below 1%).

Thinking about this makes alot much more sense. There are times I have noticed this about myself that most of the things that I was pumped to work upon died as ideas after a week of not trying to even do it.

 

[DumplingEveryDay]

Many of you are straight out of school or college.

You’ve been taught to consume and read your way out of problems.

Whenever a new challenge comes up you’ve been programmed to search for a book or course.

This is how deep the script has it’s claws in you. And the further you got into the education system the deeper those claws.

I found this really insightful. This is something I hadn't considered before. It really hit me deeply. I appreciate you sharing it.

 

[Fiza Hanif]

Wow!! So true...thanks for sharing this Andy.

 

[Andy Black]

As I said in Diego Lu's post, I want to thank you Andy also on this one.
I should have this as a daily reminder.
I'm the guy who searches the internet for a solution, books or courses when I'm faced with a problem instead of going in and start getting involved in it.
I want to focus on what I can create instead. What can I do ? Who can I help ?
Thanks again.

Thanks! Glad it helped.

Can you link to your reply in Diego’s post. I think Diego’s post and your reply will be very valuable to people.

 

[Vinz]

Thanks! Glad it helped.

Can you link to your reply in Diego’s post. I think Diego’s post and your reply will be very valuable to people.

No problem ! Modified the message

 

[BAUCE]

I definitely agree for the most part. I personally needed to see how others started businesses and got through tough situations before getting started or at least I thought I did. Before I paid for Shopify to get my business launched I listened to hours and hours of How I Built This podcast. I was at the time also working on getting healthy from years of alcohol abuse. I would do a 40-60 mile bike ride over 3-4 hours and that podcast got my through it.

 

[Ytcho's]

Ressalto.


Seu objetivo não é “aprender” nada. É para ajudar as pessoas, depois ajudar as pessoas e ser pago.

Abaixe seus livros e gaste seu tempo ajudando as pessoas. Faça isso sem expectativa e sem se desesperar.

O melhor aprendizado está no trabalho de qualquer maneira.

O que funciona para mim é focar em ajudar os outros. Então você não precisa de livros de autodesenvolvimento, pois não está mais no seu caminho.

These 2 posts began to turn a key in me, I entered the final forum of 2021 and until then I was only consuming.

I believe that because I was overcoming a depression I ended up sinking in the comfort of studying (beware of that personal!).

I was analyzing here that the thoughts that come to my mind are always, if I do not have knowledge or ability how I will help someone, but now I perebo that I could think differently, as you made me understand, I will only know what skills to have and problems to solve if first I have someone to help, and not trying to learn things from nothing.

Thank you @Andy Black

Note: I hope you can understand, my English is still very limited, I use a lot of translators.

 

[Andy Black]

These 2 posts began to turn a key in me, I entered the final forum of 2021 and until then I was only consuming.

I believe that because I was overcoming a depression I ended up sinking in the comfort of studying (beware of that personal!).

I was analyzing here that the thoughts that come to my mind are always, if I do not have knowledge or ability how I will help someone, but now I perebo that I could think differently, as you made me understand, I will only know what skills to have and problems to solve if first I have someone to help, and not trying to learn things from nothing.

Thank you @Andy Black

Note: I hope you can understand, my English is still very limited, I use a lot of translators.

Understood perfectly. I'm glad it's turned a key for you. Yes, the *key* is to "help people" rather than "learn things".

 

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[financemailer]

I think everyone has their point. It's a little bit of everything, but do take action on what you know, and you might know more than you give yourself credit for....

 

[ethan34]

Ahhhh. Overthinking. The art of solving problems you don’t have.

Glad this thread helped.

What will you do to make a sale this coming week?

I want to contact a bunch of ecommerce stores about email marketing. I feel like so many stores and agencies place so much importance on advertising and completely underestimate the power of email. I will email the ecommerce stores saying I've designed newsletter templates I'd like to show to them. For the ones that respond, I'll subscribe to their newsletter, see how they do it, and make it better.

 

[ethan34]

Or subscribe to their newsletters and give immediate and quick feedback on them?

I find it best to start by helping people, and without their permission.

That's a much better way to start thank you

 

[ethan34]

Or subscribe to their newsletters and give immediate and quick feedback on them?

I find it best to start by helping people, and without their permission.

Thank you Andy this advice is gold. I just got my first client.

 

[ethan34]

Good for you. That’s great!

Help people. Get paid. Help more people.

It starts with helping people.

Asking people if you can help them is not helping them.

I get it in my LinkedIn and Facebook messenger inbox all the time.

“Can I ask you a question?”

“Can I send you some helpful tip?”

Ffs… just ask the question or send the tip.

It seems like every successful entrepreneur starts by just helping a few people. MJ started by making websites for people. One guy I read about started in grade school by selling the cafeteria food for a discounted price. It makes sense why business owners are sick of 30 emails a day all saying “(personalized first line) you’re leaving a lot of money on the table not running Facebook ads”

 

[kommen]

Damn. I feel guilty about asking others or googling on how to do XYZ as my first instinct when solving a problem. This thread definitely changed my mindset, glad you made this post.

 

[calebbschilling]

The most obvious danger of consuming too much is that it turns you into a consumer.

A lot of that “free” (and paid) content out there is designed to turn you into someone else’s consumer. (And it’s not free btw... not unless you put zero value on the time it took to consume that “free” content.)

You probably knew this right?

But here’s something I’ve noticed from PMs with a few thousand forum members:

Many of you don’t think you know enough to get started.

Many of you are constantly looking for something else to consume so you can finally become a producer.


The more insidious danger of consuming is that it makes you think you don’t already know enough to start.

I always imagine a young lad knocking on the door with a lawnmower in tow.

“Hey mister. Do you need your grass cut?”

“Not today thanks.”

“No thanks. Maybe another time.”

“Oh wow. I was just thinking of finding someone to cut my grass. Yes please.”

(I live in a very polite little world.)


You know what that lad didn’t do?

He didn’t think:

“I need a logo.”

“I need a website.”

“I don’t know enough about cold calling.”

“I need to go to the library and get a heap of books on how to start a business.”


Many of us know to give ourselves a stern talking to when we catch ourselves action faking.

But did you know the hidden rabbit-hole lying in wait for you in the library?

“Oh boy. I didn’t realise I needed to know about marketing as well as just starting a business.”

“Uh-oh... I didn’t know I needed to create avatars of my ideal customers before I go knocking on doors. What if I go round the wrong estate?”

“USP?! Whoa. I’m glad I came into the library today. I wouldn't have known that I didn’t know about USPs.”

“Scaling? Growth? What’s that mean? Should I even try to start a grass cutting business?”

“OMG... look at all this stuff I didn’t know I needed to learn before I even step out of the house and speak to people this fine Saturday afternoon.”


Many of you are straight out of school or college.

You’ve been taught to consume and read your way out of problems.

Whenever a new challenge comes up you’ve been programmed to search for a book or course.

This is how deep the script has it’s claws in you. And the further you got into the education system the deeper those claws.

I get it. I was a good student. I got my degree. I worked a cubicle for nearly 2 decades. I took the courses. I Googled for “books on XYZ”. I took “evening classes on ABC”. I even decided I “needed” an MSc to get ahead.

I learned slowly that the lad with the lawnmower (who may very well have dropped out of school) was street-smart where I was book-smart.

And that he was streets ahead of me.


Then one day someone asked me a very simple question:

“Andy. What if you already know enough?”

Oh.


We all want to join team producer right?

The best way is to produce more, not consume more.

What if you already know enough?

What would you do then?

Do that.

...

PS: This was all *produced* on my phone on a coach to the airport.

I could have consumed a podcast for the hour, or I could have produced a post in that hour. I chose to gain clarity by producing, to help others by producing, and to not clutter up my head with yet more “knowledge”.

I chose to clear my head not fill it.

This has been me for the past couple years. Eventually it led to me to paralysis.

 

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[mikecarlooch]

Whenever I'm spending too much time reading and wasting time I always get led back to this thread. ALWAYS.

 

[Naman]

The most obvious danger of consuming too much is that it turns you into a consumer.

A lot of that “free” (and paid) content out there is designed to turn you into someone else’s consumer. (And it’s not free btw... not unless you put zero value on the time it took to consume that “free” content.)

You probably knew this right?

But here’s something I’ve noticed from PMs with a few thousand forum members:

Many of you don’t think you know enough to get started.

Many of you are constantly looking for something else to consume so you can finally become a producer.


The more insidious danger of consuming is that it makes you think you don’t already know enough to start.

I always imagine a young lad knocking on the door with a lawnmower in tow.

“Hey mister. Do you need your grass cut?”

“Not today thanks.”

“No thanks. Maybe another time.”

“Oh wow. I was just thinking of finding someone to cut my grass. Yes please.”

(I live in a very polite little world.)


You know what that lad didn’t do?

He didn’t think:

“I need a logo.”

“I need a website.”

“I don’t know enough about cold calling.”

“I need to go to the library and get a heap of books on how to start a business.”


Many of us know to give ourselves a stern talking to when we catch ourselves action faking.

But did you know the hidden rabbit-hole lying in wait for you in the library?

“Oh boy. I didn’t realise I needed to know about marketing as well as just starting a business.”

“Uh-oh... I didn’t know I needed to create avatars of my ideal customers before I go knocking on doors. What if I go round the wrong estate?”

“USP?! Whoa. I’m glad I came into the library today. I wouldn't have known that I didn’t know about USPs.”

“Scaling? Growth? What’s that mean? Should I even try to start a grass cutting business?”

“OMG... look at all this stuff I didn’t know I needed to learn before I even step out of the house and speak to people this fine Saturday afternoon.”


Many of you are straight out of school or college.

You’ve been taught to consume and read your way out of problems.

Whenever a new challenge comes up you’ve been programmed to search for a book or course.

This is how deep the script has it’s claws in you. And the further you got into the education system the deeper those claws.

I get it. I was a good student. I got my degree. I worked a cubicle for nearly 2 decades. I took the courses. I Googled for “books on XYZ”. I took “evening classes on ABC”. I even decided I “needed” an MSc to get ahead.

I learned slowly that the lad with the lawnmower (who may very well have dropped out of school) was street-smart where I was book-smart.

And that he was streets ahead of me.


Then one day someone asked me a very simple question:

“Andy. What if you already know enough?”

Oh.


We all want to join team producer right?

The best way is to produce more, not consume more.

What if you already know enough?

What would you do then?

Do that.

...

PS: This was all *produced* on my phone on a coach to the airport.

I could have consumed a podcast for the hour, or I could have produced a post in that hour. I chose to gain clarity by producing, to help others by producing, and to not clutter up my head with yet more “knowledge”.

I chose to clear my head not fill it.

Thanks for providing this different perspective.

 

[Leyshon8r]

Gold!

Consume less, do more.

The best way to learn is practice. Practice brings your pseudo-understandings to the surface. It shines the light on your limitations.

That's said, learning from others is also important. Learning from books and podcast or blogs.. Has it place.

And if so, what is the solution?
1. Have a bias for action.
2. Just in time learning

PS: "The average CEO reads 60 books a year". Have you heard that before? It might be true. I don't know. What I know is this phrase made me focus on quantity over quality for a while. Beware!

This is one of those beautiful lines of copy that makes you go: "Oh all the CEOs are doing it, I'd better." It's social proof and status all wrapped in one with a nice little bow.

There is evidence that quantity leads to quality over the long term. But we want to do better quality work, not become better quality readers. Therefore we should aim for quantity in action taking not in reading.

I really need to stop reading and go do something. Thanks for all the great advice and thoughts here.

 

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[Leyshon8r]

"The market doesn't pay for input."
(Blaise Brosnan)

Reading is input.

Good luck invoicing someone became you read some books.

Oh man, the amount of time I've spent on input is ridiculous. I'm tempted to invoice someone for all those hours of reading but... I don't know where to start (jk).

Thanks @Andy Black for the quote, I need to get that tattooed somewhere.

Back to it.

 

[Dufresne85]

Just be aware that time spent consuming is time not spent producing.

Printing this out on a motivational poster to hang in my office!