Neil Patel

And if they both hit the goal and similar manners and similar efficiencies and cost structures, it's okay if someone chooses a different route. As long as they hit the goal, they hit the goal. They're not breaking laws and they're being ethical. not hurting the company in the long run, you're okay with that.

And that's helped a lot because you're empowering people to do it their way versus not necessarily micromanaging, but feeling that things should be in a certain way and trying to persuade people to do it your way, wastes a lot of hours.

And that's helped a lot because you're empowering people to do it their way versus not necessarily micromanaging, but feeling that things should be in a certain way and trying to persuade people to do it your way, wastes a lot of hours.

not just the independence to think the way they want, but to more so hold people to the fire on the KPI, their feet to the fire, and not try to tell people how to do it. If they need help or they need guidance by all means, but don't try to critique someone's way if it's possible for them to hit the goals in a different way or manner than you would choose.

not just the independence to think the way they want, but to more so hold people to the fire on the KPI, their feet to the fire, and not try to tell people how to do it. If they need help or they need guidance by all means, but don't try to critique someone's way if it's possible for them to hit the goals in a different way or manner than you would choose.

The best piece of business advice I ever got was from a guy named Phil Black. He was one of my investors at Kissmetrics. And it took me six plus years to realize this after he told me the advice. And he says, Neil, as a founder or co-founder, as an entrepreneur,

The best piece of business advice I ever got was from a guy named Phil Black. He was one of my investors at Kissmetrics. And it took me six plus years to realize this after he told me the advice. And he says, Neil, as a founder or co-founder, as an entrepreneur,

Your only real job that you got to do is hire the right people who have been successful at accomplishing that one thing that you're trying to solve. And if you're trying to solve 10 things, you go find the 10 people that you know can solve it and have a proven track record. And you let them go do their thing. So it took me six plus years to really understand this.

Your only real job that you got to do is hire the right people who have been successful at accomplishing that one thing that you're trying to solve. And if you're trying to solve 10 things, you go find the 10 people that you know can solve it and have a proven track record. And you let them go do their thing. So it took me six plus years to really understand this.

And in my ad agency, NP Digital, when we got it started, we hired people who have done it before successfully. So for example, our CEO, Mike Gullickson, was a president of our competitor called iProspect. And globally, I think, I don't know how many people they have now. My guess is 15 plus thousand people, but maybe at the time around seven-ish thousand people.

And in my ad agency, NP Digital, when we got it started, we hired people who have done it before successfully. So for example, our CEO, Mike Gullickson, was a president of our competitor called iProspect. And globally, I think, I don't know how many people they have now. My guess is 15 plus thousand people, but maybe at the time around seven-ish thousand people.

So he's ran an agency successfully, and not just once. Before that, he was the CEO of Cabario, did well, sold that. He was head of sales and then CEO of iCrossing, which sold to Hearst. So he's done it three times in our space for companies that aren't identical, but do exactly what we do, and they're close enough to identical. So having him do it the fourth time reduces risk.

So he's ran an agency successfully, and not just once. Before that, he was the CEO of Cabario, did well, sold that. He was head of sales and then CEO of iCrossing, which sold to Hearst. So he's done it three times in our space for companies that aren't identical, but do exactly what we do, and they're close enough to identical. So having him do it the fourth time reduces risk.

Having someone who headed up sales for Europe, for iProspect, which is one of our competitors, head up sales for us in Europe is usually low risk. Oh, what'd you do before this? I head up sales for this other competitor and I did great there.

Having someone who headed up sales for Europe, for iProspect, which is one of our competitors, head up sales for us in Europe is usually low risk. Oh, what'd you do before this? I head up sales for this other competitor and I did great there.

And when they work for your competition or multiple competitors and they continually got promoted within those organizations, it means that the organization found them valuable. When you interview someone, everyone says they're the reason that things happen great and the business boom. but you don't really know.

And when they work for your competition or multiple competitors and they continually got promoted within those organizations, it means that the organization found them valuable. When you interview someone, everyone says they're the reason that things happen great and the business boom. but you don't really know.

But if someone keeps getting promoted within an organization, it usually means the company found them valuable. So if someone stayed at a company for a while, kept getting promoted, and they worked at a few of your competitors and they got promoted at both of them, the chances are when they come to you, they're going to do well, assuming they're a cultural fit.

But if someone keeps getting promoted within an organization, it usually means the company found them valuable. So if someone stayed at a company for a while, kept getting promoted, and they worked at a few of your competitors and they got promoted at both of them, the chances are when they come to you, they're going to do well, assuming they're a cultural fit.

You work your way up to them. So there's a person who worked for your competitors who was great at growing them from zero to a million or two million in revenue or even five million. There was another person who's great at growing them from five to 10 and another person from 10 to 100, another person from 100 to a billion.