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Idea to Execution
How to Optimize, Automate and Outsource Everything in Your Business
Based on the true story of two friends who founded a company overnight with zero cash investment and built it up over the following year, Idea to Execution (2016) is about the everyday challenges entrepreneurs face when launching a start-up. These blinks show you the steps to success, from sketching a business plan to putting tools in place that optimize your company’s performance numbers.
- Aspiring entrepreneurs with limited capital
- Virtual assistants looking for ways to optimize performance
- Productivity enthusiasts who use apps to reach personal and professional goals
- Small business owners and employees of large corporations who want a different way of getting things done
Ari Meisel was a real estate developer before he was diagnosed with Crohn’s disease in 2006, making it impossible for him to work. He had to develop a new way of getting things done, so he founded the Less Doing system of productivity, detailed in his book Less Doing, More Living.
Nick Sonnenberg was a high-frequency trader on Wall Street for eight years before becoming an entrepreneur specializing in efficiency. He developed CalvinApp, which connects people to make plans or share ideas. Along with Ari Meisel, he is the cofounder of Less Doing.
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Idea to Execution
How to Optimize, Automate and Outsource Everything in Your Business
- Read in 16 minutes
- Audio & text available
- Contains 10 key ideas
Synopsis
Based on the true story of two friends who founded a company overnight with zero cash investment and built it up over the following year, Idea to Execution (2016) is about the everyday challenges entrepreneurs face when launching a start-up. These blinks show you the steps to success, from sketching a business plan to putting tools in place that optimize your company’s performance numbers.
Key idea 1 of 10
It’s possible to start a company in just 24 hours if you need to seize an opportunity while it’s hot.
Many people believe that starting a company requires years of careful planning and diligent market research. But sometimes it’s best to seize an idea spontaneously and run with it.
While it might sound crazy, it’s possible to bring a start-up to life in just 24 hours. This isn’t mere hyperbole, as it’s been done!
In August 2015, authors Ari Meisel and Nick Sonnenberg were having dinner when they came up with an idea: a company that provided virtual assistants. Both friends had extensive expertise in maximizing business efficiency and productivity, so it seemed quite feasible.
Just one day later, their business was up and running.
How did they realize their idea so rapidly? And why did they feel the need to act immediately?
Their timing was propitious, as Zirtual, one of the largest US-based virtual assistant firms, had just folded. This left 2,500 clients without assistants and 400 assistants without a job. Ari and Nick saw the opportunity of a lifetime – but only if they responded quickly.
The authors knew they had a narrow window of opportunity. This is, of course, true for all start-ups, regardless of industry. Savvy entrepreneurs know to grab an opportunity while it’s hot.
The duo that night made a quick sketch of their virtual assistant business. Their first clients and assistants were secured from the Zirtual fallout. Within 24 hours, their company, Less Doing Virtual Assistants, was up and running, using free online tools and apps as infrastructure. They didn’t need a penny to get started, and their business was scalable and profitable from day one.
Over the year, Ari and Nick consolidated their company, dealing with challenges as they arose. These blinks tell the story of that adventurous year.
Key ideas in this title
- It’s possible to start a company in just 24 hours if you need to seize an opportunity while it’s hot.
- The authors’ business acumen helped them identify the flaws in other virtual assistant services.
- Infrastructure can be built with free tools, but services should always be of the highest quality.
- Be clever when hiring. Have a plan and look for potential employees with a proactive attitude.
- Networking can help your company grow quickly, but growth can also present structural challenges.
- Don’t let negative feedback fester; use innovative problem-solving techniques to keep ideas moving.
- Once you’ve nailed a strategy for success, you can teach it to others.
- There are many ways to optimize a company’s processes, but getting clients hooked is priority one.
- Once your structures are solid, start working with your company’s numbers and keep investing.
- Final summary