Make It Happen: When to trust your gut

Summary

In this insightful talk, Matt shares five key lessons that shaped his journey in business and personal growth. He emphasizes the importance of building assets to complement ambition, trusting your gut, and taking unconventional paths despite external criticism. Matt reflects on his own experiences, highlighting how following his inner voice led him to make difficult yet rewarding decisions. From being a student with no connections to working with Silicon Valley’s top founders, he demonstrates how giving yourself a competitive edge early on can lead to success, even if it looks unconventional.

Takeaways

• 😀 Ambition alone is not enough; you need to build tangible assets like a podcast, book, newsletter, or startup to complement it.
• 😀 Trusting your gut is crucial for navigating life and business decisions, even when it goes against external pressures or expectations.
• 😀 Your gut represents your true self before the world shapes you, and listening to it can guide you towards the right path.
• 😀 The journey may not always look conventional, but following your intuition can lead to long-term success.
• 😀 Sometimes, making tough decisions, like shutting down a company, may seem like failure but can ultimately lead to better opportunities.
• 😀 Being misunderstood and criticized is often a sign that you're on an unconventional but right path.
• 😀 Starting with no business experience or connections doesn’t define your potential; trust yourself and build from there.
• 😀 Building assets that reflect your ambitions, like a startup or personal projects, can provide a competitive edge in your career.
• 😀 Even when you feel uncertain, betting on yourself and trusting your instincts can pay off in the long run.
• 😀 Being misunderstood can be a sign that you're pursuing something unique that others might not yet see or understand.
• 😀 Five years ago, Matt had no business connections, but today he's working with top VCs and influential founders in Silicon Valley, proving the value of perseverance and self-belief.

Q & A

What is the primary focus of Matt's five key lessons shared in the transcript?

Matt's five key lessons focus on the importance of ambition, building assets to support that ambition, trusting your gut, navigating uncharted paths, and leveraging a competitive edge to ensure long-term success.

Why does Matt emphasize the importance of building assets to complement ambition?

Matt believes that ambition alone isn't enough to make meaningful progress. By building tangible assets, such as a podcast, book, or startup, you can create real value that complements and drives forward your ambition, turning it into actionable outcomes.

What does Matt mean by 'trusting your gut' and how does it relate to business decisions?

Matt views 'trusting your gut' as following your inner sense of what feels right, rooted in a pure, childlike perspective before the world distorts it. In business, it involves making decisions based on instinct rather than external validation, especially when the situation feels misaligned with your values.

How does Matt's personal experience with Pub Loft illustrate the importance of trusting your gut?

Matt decided to shut down Pub Loft, even though they had money and energy left, because his gut told him it was the right time. Despite the external criticism and financial loss, he trusted his instincts and believes that ultimately, it was the right decision.

Why does Matt believe following your gut may often make you look 'weird' or 'different'?

Matt argues that choosing a path based on your instincts, rather than following conventional routes, may lead to actions that are misunderstood or criticized. People might see you as strange or unconventional, but in the end, it's this very uniqueness that sets you apart.

What was Matt's journey like over the past five years, and how does it reflect his key lessons?

Matt's journey transformed from a student with no business experience to working with top figures in Silicon Valley. His success reflects the key lessons of building a competitive edge, trusting his gut, and staying committed to his path despite external doubts.

What role does the competitive edge play in Matt's success?

The competitive edge, in Matt's view, comes from starting early, making unconventional choices, and developing skills or assets that give you an advantage. This edge helped him break into Silicon Valley and gain valuable experience working with world-class founders.

How does Matt's perspective on failure differ from conventional views?

Matt sees failure not as a permanent setback but as part of a larger process of following your instincts and building something of value. In his case, shutting down Pub Loft was seen by some as a failure, but he viewed it as a necessary decision for his personal and professional growth.

What does Matt mean by 'the world is twisted' and how does this connect to trusting your gut?

When Matt says 'the world is twisted,' he refers to situations where external circumstances don’t align with your inner moral compass. In these moments, trusting your gut helps you navigate through confusion and make decisions that feel right despite what others might say.

How does Matt's story challenge the idea of conventional career paths and success?

Matt's story challenges conventional success by showing that taking an unconventional path, trusting your gut, and building assets that may not immediately pay off can ultimately lead to greater success. His journey illustrates that personal and professional growth often requires navigating through uncertainty and misalignment with traditional expectations.