Noah Kagan is the Chief Sumo at AppSumo.com, an 8-figure company that teaches lessons on how to start a business, grow a business, and improve your marketing. Before AppSumo and Sumo.com, he was the 30th employee at Facebook reporting directly to Mark Zuckerberg where he helped build the Facebook Ads platform. He’s the author of Million Dollar Weekend The Surprisingly Simple Way to Launch a 7-Figure Business in 48 Hours.

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The Learning Leader Show

  • “Rejection is a test if you really want something. The upside of asking is unlimited.”
    • “People are afraid of asking. The people who make it happen are willing to ask, be rejected, and keep going.”
  • One of the biggest lessons learned from working with Mark Zuckerberg? Pick one goal. Then focus relentlessly on reaching it. His was 1 billion users on Facebook. This is how Noah has grown App Sumo to $80m in revenue. Focus on one big goal and the system implemented to make it happen.
  • Noah’s parental influence:
    • Fearlessness – Ask for everything. Set rejection goals. You learn that selling copiers door to door.
    • His mom is very disciplined. Always working out in the gym. She follows through. She’s persistent. She grinds. His mom also hated her job.
  • “I don’t want to live a ‘what-if’ life”
  • “Are we getting what we get or are we getting what we want?”
  • The law of 100 — Do the thing 100 times before you quit.
  • Get going, get started. It’s about now, not how.
  • Create an exciting vision: “What are we looking forward to?”
  • Million Dollar Weekend:
    • Start it
    • Build it
    • Grow it
  • Noah’s philosophy on interviewing:
    • 1) Talk with people you’re genuinely interested in
    • 2) Tell them how they’ve positively impacted your life. People love genuine compliments. And they loved to hear that they’ve helped others.
    • 3) Tell them what’s in it for them. Create questions that make your guests excited to answer (set them up to tell interesting stories)
  • Entrepreneurship is not risky. Risky is spending your life at a job you hate, with people you don’t like, working on problems you don’t care about.
  • Freedom is about gaining control of your schedule. Money is the tool, not the goal.
  • This trip was one of my highlights of the fall. Nothing like biking across America. So much good time to think and reflect. Reminds me that whenever you’re in a funk, just get moving. (Helps to be surrounded by beautiful landscapes)
  • The future of big business is small teams. One person. No employees. Everything automated. Solopreneurs are the future.
  • Acknowledgements:
    • Adam Gilbert for our bike ride ten-plus years ago where I shared a dream to put my knowledge into a book for other people. And for always always being my guardian angel.
    • Tahl Raz – I dreamed for years of the chance to work with you on a book. Thank you for taking a chance on me. Somehow you were magically able to take all my adventures/theories/ideas/antics and put them together in a helpful narrative better than I could have ever dreamed. Thank you! Also for being a mutual lover of schvitzing.
  • Apply to be part of my Leadership Circle
Resources:

Time Stamps:

00:38 – Figure Out Who You Can Become

09:00 – What is Your Dream Job?

13:36 – No Ask, No Get

17:40 – Learn to Handle Rejection

19:28 – Noah’s Approach to Interviewing

26:42 – Find Your Guardian Angels

29:37 – Lessons From Mark Zuckerberg

32:08 – Vision vs Goals – What’s the Optimal Way?

41:14 – Can You Become a Time Millionaire?

46:01 – The Million Dollar Weekend Process

53:54 – Noah’s Business Advice for Me

More Learning:

Episode 078: Kat Cole – From Hooters Waitress To President of Cinnabon

Episode 216: Jim Collins — How To Go From Good To Great

Episode #300: AJ & Keith Hawk – How To Instill Work Ethic & Curiosity In Your Children

Episode #303:  General Stanley McChrystal – The New Definition Of Leadership