My First Million
The best business ideas come from noticing what's working and doing it better, faster, or for a different audience.
“If praise is affirmation, criticism is investment”
What It Means
Praise confirms what someone is doing right, but criticism invests in their future growth by showing areas for improvement
Why It Matters
Reframes criticism from negative judgment to positive investment, making it easier for leaders to give and receivers to accept
When It's True
When criticism is delivered thoughtfully with genuine intent to help someone grow
When It's Risky
When criticism is delivered poorly, emotionally, or without genuine care for the person's development
How to Apply
Prepare difficult conversations as investments in growth
Focus on helping rather than correcting
Balance criticism with praise to show complete investment
Example Scenario
“Instead of dreading telling employee they're consistently late, frame it as investing in their professional development and career success”
Related Knowledge
Rules for Productive Criticism
A systematic approach to giving feedback that positions criticism as investment in someone's growth rather than negative judgment.
The people that work for us don't need another friend. They need someone who's willing to step up an
Employees value leaders who help them grow and perform better, not leaders who prioritize being liked over being effecti
Three Categories of Unreasonable Hospitality
A systematic approach to customer experience divided into three categories: one size fits all (improving every touchpoint for everyone), one size fits some (pattern recognition for recurring situations), and one size fits one (personalized gestures for individuals).
Enable systematic execution of creative hospitality ideas without bandwidth constraints
Frontline staff consistently execute creative customer experience ideas because someone dedicated removes execution barriers.
Identify and enhance overlooked customer interaction points for maximum impact
Customers notice and remember your business because you care about details others ignore.
Go to the Tapes for Successes
When something works exceptionally well, analyze it as thoroughly as you would analyze failures to understand exactly what made it successful and how to replicate it.