The SECRET To Becoming A PRODUCTIVITY MASTER (Never Be Lazy Again) | Noah Kagan

Summary

In this motivational video, the speaker shares their journey of failures and eventual success with Appsumo.com, emphasizing the importance of persistence. They introduce the 'Law of 100,' urging viewers to commit to a 100-day challenge to build momentum in any endeavor. The video offers nine practical strategies to maintain consistency, such as setting a specific day for tasks, reducing friction, and having a clear 'why.' The speaker encourages viewers to visualize their progress and rewards, fostering motivation to stick with their goals.

Takeaways

• 😀 The speaker emphasizes the importance of perseverance by sharing their own experiences with quitting jobs and businesses, and how they eventually found success with appsumo.com.
• 🔄 The 'Law of 100' is introduced as a strategy to help individuals stick with their projects or goals, suggesting that one should focus on completing 100 iterations of a task before evaluating success.
• 🎯 Setting realistic goals and having a clear 'why' behind one's actions can be crucial for motivation and long-term commitment to a project.
• 🤔 The speaker encourages self-reflection on past projects that were abandoned too early and prompts viewers to consider what could have been achieved if they had continued.
• 📈 Success often requires time and iteration, as illustrated by the contrasting stories of the speaker's podcast and the growth of buffer.com over a decade.
• 📚 A study from the University of Miami is cited to support the 'Law of 100', showing that a focus on quantity (taking 100 photos) led to better learning outcomes than a focus on quality (submitting one perfect photo).
• 🎯 Picking a specific day for a routine task and reducing the effort required to start it can help in building and maintaining habits.
• 🤝 Accountability is highlighted as a key factor in sticking to goals, with the speaker sharing their personal practice of weekly check-ins with a friend.
• 👥 Joining a supportive community can provide encouragement and a sense of belonging when working towards a goal.
• 🛑 Taking breaks is acknowledged as a valid strategy to avoid burnout and maintain momentum in the long run.
• 🎁 Setting up rewards for reaching milestones can provide additional motivation and a sense of achievement.
• 🎉 The speaker invites viewers to commit to a 100-day challenge and join a community for support, emphasizing the importance of starting immediately and not waiting for the 'perfect' time.

Q & A

What was the speaker's initial experience with job stability after college?

The speaker quit their first job at Intel after 14 months, was fired by Facebook after nine months, and had a mixed experience at Mint.com, indicating early struggles with job retention.

What is Appsumo.com, and how successful has it become?

Appsumo.com is a business venture the speaker eventually founded after multiple failed attempts, which has grown to become an eight-figure company.

What are the three main topics the speaker plans to cover in the video?

The speaker intends to discuss why most people struggle to stick with things they start, how to interrupt that pattern using the Law of 100, and provide nine proven strategies to succeed and accomplish personal goals.

Why did the speaker give up on their podcast, 'Noah Kagan Presents'?

The speaker gave up on the podcast because they were aiming for 100,000 downloads per episode and only reached 30,000, which led to discouragement.

What is the contrast between the speaker's podcast experience and the story of Buffer.com?

The contrast lies in persistence; while the speaker gave up on their podcast due to not meeting their goals, Buffer.com stuck with their business idea and eventually achieved significant success, reaching 20 million dollars in recurring revenue.

What is the 'Law of 100' and how does it relate to the speaker's message?

The 'Law of 100' is a concept where one should focus on completing 100 iterations of a task without worrying about the results, which is central to the speaker's message about persistence and overcoming the tendency to give up too early.

What study from the University of Miami does the speaker reference, and what was its outcome?

The study involved a photography class split into two groups: one required to take 100 pictures for an 'A', and the other required to submit one perfect photo. The 'quantity' group outperformed the 'quality' group, supporting the idea that more iterations lead to better results.

What are some of the nine crucial tips provided by the speaker to help achieve the 'Law of 100'?

Some of the tips include picking a specific day for a task, reducing friction to make the task easier, getting an accountability buddy, joining a community, taking breaks when needed, noticing what's working, having a clear 'why', making the task fun, and setting up a reward for reaching the goal.

What is the significance of the 'why' in the context of the video?

The 'why' refers to the underlying reason or motivation for undertaking a task or project. It serves as a reminder and source of inspiration to keep going, especially when facing challenges or feeling discouraged.

How does the speaker suggest making the process of reaching the 'Law of 100' more enjoyable?

The speaker suggests making the task fun by identifying and focusing on the enjoyable aspects, changing things up if it starts to feel like a chore, and potentially outsourcing or adjusting the format to keep it engaging.

What is the final reward the speaker has set for themselves if they reach 250,000 subscribers on their YouTube channel?

The speaker has set a reward of getting a Rolex Explorer 2 watch, which is a symbol of their journey as an 'explorer' in various aspects of life, including their YouTube channel growth.

Outlines

00:00

🚀 Overcoming Failures and Embracing the Law of 100

The speaker shares their personal journey of quitting or being fired from various jobs and businesses, culminating in the successful establishment of appsumo.com. They introduce the concept of the Law of 100, a strategy to overcome the common struggle of not sticking with endeavors. The speaker also discusses their failed podcast and contrasts it with the success story of Buffer.com, emphasizing the importance of persistence and finding the 'why' behind one's actions. They encourage viewers to reflect on their past failures and to visualize the potential of their current projects in the future, using the Law of 100 as a motivational tool.

05:03

🔑 Nine Strategies for Sticking to Your Goals

The speaker outlines nine strategies to help individuals achieve their 'Law of 100' without giving up. These strategies include picking a specific day for a task, reducing friction to make the task easier, finding an accountability buddy, joining a supportive community, taking breaks when needed, noticing what works, having a clear 'why' for the task, making the process enjoyable, and setting up rewards for reaching milestones. The speaker also shares personal anecdotes and examples to illustrate the effectiveness of these strategies and encourages viewers to commit to their own 100-day challenges.

10:04

🌟 Committing to the Law of 100 for Long-Term Success

In the final paragraph, the speaker emphasizes the importance of committing to the Law of 100 as a path to long-term success. They remind viewers to remember their 'why' for undertaking a task and to visualize the potential outcomes of their efforts. The speaker also encourages viewers to take action immediately, offering support through their online community and highlighting the inspiring results of others who have embraced the 100-day challenge. The call to action is to subscribe and engage with the content, with the promise of exclusive resources and a supportive community.

Keywords

💡Consistency

Consistency refers to the ability to maintain a regular and persistent approach towards a task or goal. In the video's theme, it is a core concept for achieving success in any endeavor. The speaker emphasizes the importance of sticking with a project or idea, such as creating 100 episodes of a podcast or helping 100 customers, as a means to build momentum and achieve long-term success. An example from the script is the speaker's own experience with his podcast and how he gave up after not reaching his download goal, contrasting with the success of Buffer, which continued to grow due to their consistent efforts.

💡Law of 100

The Law of 100 is a concept introduced in the video that suggests focusing on completing 100 iterations of a task to build skill and experience. It is related to the video's theme by illustrating a strategy for overcoming the initial challenges and setbacks that often lead to giving up. The speaker uses the Law of 100 to encourage viewers to focus on the process rather than immediate results, as seen in the study from the University of Miami where students were tasked with taking 100 photos versus creating one perfect photo.

💡Accountability

Accountability is the expectation and verification of performance and results. In the context of the video, it is a strategy for ensuring that one follows through on commitments and goals. The speaker mentions having an accountability buddy, which is a person who helps keep you on track by checking in on your progress. This concept is exemplified when the speaker talks about emailing his friend Adam Gilbert every Sunday to report on his weekly goals and achievements.

💡Iteration

Iteration refers to the process of repeating a process with the aim of improving upon it. In the video, iteration is a key component of the success formula presented by the speaker, which includes work, time, and iteration. The idea is to learn from each repetition and make incremental improvements, as illustrated by the photography class example where the quantity group improved by taking more photos and learning from their mistakes.

💡Why

The 'why' in the video represents the underlying reason or motivation for undertaking a particular task or project. It is crucial for understanding the video's message as it is the driving force that helps individuals to persevere through challenges. The speaker encourages viewers to remind themselves of their 'why' when feeling discouraged, as seen in the example of Leo from Buffer, who was motivated by not wanting to return to poverty.

💡Underdog

An underdog is someone who is at a disadvantage or not expected to succeed but manages to do so despite the odds. In the video, the term is used to describe individuals who may not have started out with an advantage but have the potential to achieve success through perseverance and hard work. The speaker features an 'Underdog of the Week' to inspire viewers and show that anyone can overcome challenges and achieve their goals.

💡Habit

A habit is a routine behavior that is regularly followed until it becomes almost automatic. In the video, the speaker discusses the importance of forming habits as part of the process of achieving the Law of 100. By reducing friction and making the habit easy to perform, such as having a camera ready for a YouTube video or having chess pieces set up on a table, one is more likely to stick with the activity and reach their goal.

💡Community

Community refers to a group of people who share common interests or goals. In the video, joining a community is presented as a strategy for support and motivation. The speaker's friend who is trying to quit caffeine finds support in a Facebook group, which helps him feel less alone and more capable of achieving his goal. This concept is used to encourage viewers to find like-minded individuals who can provide encouragement and a sense of belonging.

💡Break

Taking a break is a strategy mentioned in the video for maintaining motivation and preventing burnout. It is important to recognize when one needs to step away from a task to recharge. The speaker suggests that taking a break, such as going for a walk or getting more sleep, can help refresh the mind and provide the energy needed to continue with the Law of 100.

💡Reward

A reward is something given in recognition of an achievement or as a means of motivation. In the video, setting up a reward for oneself is presented as a way to stay motivated and focused on reaching the goal of the Law of 100. The speaker talks about his own reward of getting breakfast tacos on Friday mornings if he accomplishes his weekly goals, illustrating how rewards can serve as a tangible incentive for continued effort.

Highlights

The speaker quit their first job at Intel after 14 months and experienced termination and quitting at subsequent companies before building a successful business.

The speaker will cover three main topics: the reasons most people struggle to stick with their projects, the law of 100, and nine proven strategies for success.

The speaker's podcast 'Noah Kagan Presents' achieved significant downloads but was eventually given up, highlighting the struggle with persistence.

Buffer.com is presented as a contrast, having built a successful business over ten years by sticking with their project despite initial skepticism.

The importance of persistence is emphasized, with the speaker asking the audience to reflect on their reasons for giving up on projects.

The 'Law of 100' is introduced as a method to improve and gain momentum by focusing on quantity over quality initially.

A study from the University of Miami is cited to illustrate the benefits of focusing on quantity for learning and improvement.

The speaker suggests starting with the first 100 iterations of any project without worrying about the outcome.

Nine strategies for sticking to the 'Law of 100' are teased, offering practical advice for maintaining commitment.

The speaker provides personal anecdotes and examples to illustrate the challenges and solutions for sticking with projects.

A visualization exercise is suggested to motivate the audience to imagine their success after 10 years of persistence.

The importance of having a clear 'why' for one's project is discussed as a motivational factor.

The speaker encourages making the project enjoyable and adjusting it if it starts to feel like a chore.

Accountability is highlighted as a key factor in sticking with projects, with the suggestion to find an accountability partner.

Joining a community for support and encouragement is recommended as part of the strategies to maintain commitment.

The speaker emphasizes the importance of taking breaks and recognizing what is working to stay motivated.

A reward system is suggested as a motivational tool to look forward to upon completing the 'Law of 100'.

The final highlight calls for immediate action, encouraging the audience to commit to their own 100-day challenge and join a supportive community.

Transcripts

i quit my first job out of college intel

after 14 months then i was fired by

facebook after nine months

and then i quit slash fired at mint.com

and 24 business ideas later i was

finally able to build appsumo.com which

has now become an eight-figure company

so maybe that resonates for yourself if

you haven't found out what you want or

maybe you've started a bunch of things

that you have not stuck with here are

the three things we're going to cover

today

number one we are going to break down

exactly why most people probably not you

but most people struggle to stick with

things they start

secondly we're going to show you how to

interrupt that pattern using the law of

100.

finally make sure you stick around to

the end of this video as i give you nine

proven strategies so that you can start

succeed and accomplish all the goals you

have for yourself

in 2018 i started a podcast called noah

kagan presents

did around 50 episodes total and 30 000

downloads an episode which is amazing

and then i gave up completely does that

sound familiar to you maybe you try to

learn chess

maybe it was guitar maybe it's a

business maybe it's podcast

and you gave up a little bit early so

comment with the one time below that you

actually gave up too early and we're

gonna help fix that for your future let

me contrast that story with the story

from buffer.com i remember these guys

commenting on my blog in 2010

and i remember they're saying we're

doing social sharing blah blah we're

starting this business and i remember

thinking distinctly to myself

they are so going to fail i can't wait

for them to fill i don't know why i was

such a hater

and 10 years later now their business is

doing 20 million dollars recurring

uh and they've built a team and it's

really impressive so what is the

difference between my podcast

and buffer the main most important thing

is that they stuck with it

and success takes time what discouraged

you the last time you gave up

i know for me with my podcast i wanted

to get a hundred thousand dollars an

episode

and so when i only got to 30 000

downloads i was discouraged and gave up

completely

well now that would actually be amazing

i'd love to be at 30. so i did ask the

buffer guys i said

hey how did you keep going all these

years when maybe you were getting

attention

maybe you were failing maybe you weren't

making that much money at all and leo

said that when he was growing up he was

so poor

that doing anything with buffer was

better than going back to where he was

from

and that was inspirational and what the

real thing for him is the why so it

might be something interesting for you

to think about is what is the why

on what you're working on and reminding

yourself of that as you're proceeding

my podcast on the other hand i had an

unrealistic goal and i turned it into a

job

but the reality for both those

situations is that they're solvable i

should have just figured out all right

how do i change and make these something

more sustainable and enjoyable

all right we're gonna do a little quick

experiment i want you guys to jump in

with me so close your eyes for a second

i can't see you you can't see

me no if you're driving don't do this

but imagine the project you stopped

years ago maybe for me it's the podcast

when i stopped back then

imagine where you'd be today if you

would have kept going

just let that sit for a second now we're

gonna do something new think about

something you're starting today maybe

it's chess

maybe it's a newsletter maybe it's a

business maybe it's a relationship

maybe it's a blog or a hobby like guitar

now i want you to just literally picture

10 years ahead and imagine how great

you'll be at that moment

that was pretty nice so i think about

that with chess when i wasn't feeling

good playing yesterday

and think about well in 10 years how

much better and how great that

experience will be

and that will motivate you and help you

keep going through it

[Music]

the answer is the law of 100 let me give

you a crazy study from the university of

miami this is amazing

they had a photography class and they

broke it up into two groups quantity

and quality the quantity group had to

take a hundred pictures

to get an a by the end of the semester

and the quality group could turn in just

one photo by the end of the semester but

it had to be perfect to get the a

you guys can come on results you know

what's going to happen the quantity

group kicked the quality group's ass

why the quantity group experimented more

they learned from their mistakes and

they got better with time and that's

what the law of 100 is about

so the solution for you is start with

your first 100

whatever it is for you with complete

disregard of your results

i know that's a little counterintuitive

and backwards but that is how you're

going to accomplish the things you want

so number one if you want to start a

podcast or you want to start a youtube

channel

maybe for the law of 100 but it's put

out 100 episodes don't worry about let's

say if people are watching them

just put them out if you're doing a

newsletter get 100 subscribers

that's it just get your 100 subscribers

if you're doing a new hobby like chess

or guitar

just practice for 100 days and then you

could decide whether you want to give it

up or not if you're starting a business

get your first hundred customers just

focus on that help

100 people so the reason i say ignore

the results is that you get so fixated

on your views

or on your revenue or on how many

downloads it might discourage you from

keep going so just focus on knowing that

you have to

abide by the law of 100 which is to get

to the 100th and at 100 then you could

start thinking all right there's a

formula for success it is work

times time times iteration so you're

able to do the work which i can believe

you can do

you put in the time to make it happen

now you've got to start iterating to

grow to that next level of success that

you want

so for me i didn't become joe rogan

overnight maybe you're not a millionaire

overnight

but once you've built up that momentum

and you've got the law of 100 now

you might want to keep doing that system

goals of two a week or five a week or

one customer a week

or put it into a numerical all right now

i want to get a thousand customers or i

want to make a million dollars or i want

to do whatever

but the point being is especially

whenever you're starting and you want to

be able to stick with what you're

starting think about the law of 100 for

yourself how do i just get to the

hundred so my producer by the way told

me if you liked the video you're

enjoying this stuff

do that thumbs up like button below

here are nine crucial tips to help you

make sure you get to that 100 without

giving up

because i know you might struggle and

i'm here for you as well in the comments

i'll make sure to do my best to respond

to any problems that you're having

number one

pick your day so every wednesday on

okdor.com i send out a newsletter

no matter what you can go to sendfox.com

to subscribe

so no matter what until 100 every

wednesday i'm sending an email so pick

your day of the week

number two reduce the friction no this

is not a sexual thing

but if you're doing youtube like this

have your camera out all the time so you

come in

hit the button record and make your

video easy if you want to make chess a

habit have

chess on your table so for business if

you want to email a customer every day

have a list of your 100 customers and

every day say i have to email at least

one of them

so my point being is that keep it easy

to make that a habit and reduce the

friction stopping you from doing it

number three get an accountability buddy

so every sunday for the past eight years

i emailed my buddy adam gilbert from

ibodytutor.com

everything i said i would do last week

and everything i said i'm gonna do this

upcoming week

and it's super helpful he calls me on my

he asks me how things are going and

it keeps me accountable to making sure

i'm progressing who is someone in your

life that you respect

and that will help you on your journey

so get an accountability buddy you can

join

okdor.com group and there's a lot of

smart people in our group that will help

you for free

number four join a community one of my

good friends is giving up caffeine he's

trying to do at least 30 days

i recommend 100 the law of 100 and for

him he's actually joined a facebook

group about quitting caffeine

and it's actually surprisingly

supportive to see that other people are

struggling

and other people are succeeding on the

same journey that you're on so you don't

feel so alone and that you know that you

can do it so find a community that you

can support yourself win

on whatever it is that you're trying to

accomplish so number five

take a break and i know that's not what

you're expecting but yes some of the

days where i'm feeling a little bit out

of it i go for a walk go for a bike ride

maybe get a little bit more sleep

and i come back refresh and get it at

the next day so take a break if things

aren't feeling really well but do not

give up on the law to 100. number six

notice what's working it is so much fun

to be improving and feeling like you're

making progress two things in our life

that we all feel good about is creation

and progress

so as you're doing videos as you're

doing a business as you're doing a hobby

maybe even a relationship

notice if things are going well and

what's going on do more of that

as long as you're going but really focus

on making sure you do it but if you can

progress and improve along the way

double thumbs up number seven have a

very clear why of what you're doing so

if you're starting the business

remind yourself daily why you're doing

this for me i want to see you guys get

results for yourself

for leo he didn't want to go back to

being poor what is it for you about why

you're doing a podcast why you're doing

the business why are you doing the hobby

maybe it's learning a new language to

talk to someone you want or maybe meet a

new guy or girl

but remind yourself of that especially

if you're feeling discouraged number

eight

make it fun if something's not fun guess

what you can change it

uh when i was doing my podcast and it

started feeling like a job and i felt

obligated to do it

i could have actually just taken a step

back and said well what parts of my

podcast are fun which parts are not fun

maybe stop doing them

hiring for them and which stuff is fun

let's do more of that or what do i need

to change up in my recipe

to make it more enjoyable do you need to

outsource it can you switch up the

format can you change your day of the

week

it doesn't mean give up it just means

how do i put a little bit of hot sauce

in something and mix it up a little bit

so that i can keep going to the law of

100 and beyond number nine the final one

set up a reward for yourself so you have

something to look forward to on the law

of 100 when you finally get to the end

it could be a trip to the bahamas for me

every friday morning i aim to go get

breakfast tacos if i've accomplished a

lot of things i want to get done this

week

and it's my reward for staying

consistent with the things that i really

want so what's a reward that you're

excited about when you complete your law

of 100

so here's a weird one for myself with

this youtube channel i want to get 250

000 subscribers and this year one of the

things i've been feeling like is an

explorer i'm exploring youtube

exploring relationships exploring work

exploring health and so there's the

rolex explorer 2

which is like a 8 000 watch i don't even

wear watches

i just think it's really neat and that

is my reward if we hit our subscriber

count

honestly even if we don't get it i'm

really proud of making these videos and

i'm focused on just staying with the

process

by the way make sure to hit that

subscribe button and notification bell

we do exclusive office hours and give

out a lot of freebies to people who are

subscribed and notified make sure you

don't miss out hit that stuff below

[Music]

100 day challenge yes this is not a

freeloader video i want you to commit

right now you don't have to wait till

next week you don't need more money

you can start it now come join me at

okdor.com

group and post what you are going to

commit to for the next hundred days of

the next hundred experiences

and i wanna support you in our group

make sure you come do it below there's

five thousand other people

who wanna see you succeed and by the way

speaking of amazing people underdog of

the week this is super exciting for me

it's trust visuals left this comment

saying he started the 100 challenge

six weeks ago and that's six out of a

hundred and he had the right mindset and

his channel grew by

over 40 percent that is so inspiring to

see and i'm so excited for him and i

want people like you to have the same

results as well for your business

for your book for your blog youtube

senfox.com newsletter whatever it is out

there

make sure you leave a comment with your

results below so i can feature you yes

you the underdogs that watch these

episodes

in a future episode so we talked about a

lot in terms of law of 100

there's only really two things that

matter from this whole entire video

number one

remember your why why the hell are you

doing it it doesn't have to be overly

complicated it could just be fun

or maybe it's to talk to your dad in a

certain language or maybe it's a certain

business you want to do or maybe you

want to share your love of gardening

and the second thing is just commit to

the law of 100 i'm giving you tactics

and things that you can do for yourself

but just commit to a hundred of them and

i promise you even though it'll be

challenging remember that visualization

about where you can be in 10 years or

just in 100 videos or 100 customers

you can make that a reality if you like

this video you might enjoy my video

about starting a business

above or an entrepreneur playlist

that'll help you continue success on

your business journey i'll see you out

there and i love you