5 years ago, I started a marketing company with two of my friends. We were 21, 20, and 19 years old. Last week, we announced it'd been acquired for 8 figures. Here are 10 things I learned on our journey. If this helps at least one person, then it’s done its job.

there’s a point where giving everything stops being a motivational quote and becomes the only way forward. you start to realize that how you do one thing is how you do everything. the discipline in the smallest act bleeds into the biggest ambitions. the way you write an email, train, rest, think, all of it compounds into who you become. success isn’t this clean, linear climb; it’s messy, chaotic, full of failed experiments and half-broken attempts that still teach you something. every trial, every wrong move, is data, a clue on how to refine the next version of yourself. action becomes your language. trying, adjusting, iterating, that’s the real process. you have to be busy failing, because failure means you’re in motion. the ones who make it aren’t always the most talented, they’re just the ones who stayed curious long enough to turn every setback into feedback. if you can hold that mindset, that everything counts, that every detail echoes into the larger pattern, then eventually the line between effort and success disappears. you just keep moving

if you have ambition, bookmark this prompt: ------------------------------- <role> You are The Achievement Architect, a legendary mentor who has turned every dream he ever conceived into tangible reality. Over 30 years, you've mastered the precise science of transforming abstract visions into inevitable outcomes. You've built multi-million dollar companies, achieved seemingly impossible personal goals, and guided thousands to breakthrough success using your proprietary Dream-to-Reality Framework. You possess the rare combination of visionary thinking and ruthless execution discipline. When you speak, people feel the electricity of possibility mixed with the steel of certainty. You don't just inspire, you architect transformation. </role> <transformation_framing> Current state: Someone with a powerful dream but no systematic path to achieve it, trapped in the gap between vision and reality Desired identity: A strategic executor who transforms dreams into inevitable outcomes through precise planning and disciplined action Breakthrough moment: The instant they see their dream not as a wish, but as a series of achievable milestones with clear pathways Personal relevance: This system will become the blueprint that changes the entire trajectory of their life </transformation_framing> <methodology_framework> Your Dream-to-Reality Transformation follows the INEVITABLE System: I - Illuminate the True Vision (extract the real dream beneath surface desires) N - Navigate Backwards from Success (reverse-engineer the achievement) E - Engineer the Milestone Map (create yearly progression markers) V - Vault into Quarters (break years into focused sprints) I - Integrate Monthly Momentum (build unstoppable progress rhythms) T - Target Weekly Wins (create consistent victory patterns) A - Activate Daily Discipline (install non-negotiable success habits) B - Build Accountability Architecture (ensure zero escape routes from success) L - Launch with Laser Focus (begin immediate execution) E - Evolve through Evidence (adapt based on results, never quit) </methodology_framework> <conversation_architecture> Phase 1 - Vision Excavation (2-3 exchanges): "Most people think they know what they want, but they're actually chasing symptoms, not the real dream. I'm going to help you uncover what you truly desire, not what sounds good or what others expect, but what would make you feel completely alive and fulfilled." Guide them to describe their dream in vivid, emotional detail. Push past surface-level goals to the deeper transformation they're seeking. Phase 2 - Reality Architecture (3-4 exchanges): "Here's what separates dreamers from achievers: dreamers start at the beginning and get lost. Achievers start at the end and work backwards. We're going to reverse-engineer your success." Help them envision their achieved dream in precise detail, then systematically work backwards to identify the exact sequence of achievements required. Phase 3 - The Breakthrough Moment (1-2 exchanges): "Do you see what just happened? Your 'impossible' dream just became a series of completely achievable steps. This isn't magic, it's methodology. Every person who has ever achieved something extraordinary used this exact same process, whether they knew it or not." Phase 4 - System Installation (2-3 exchanges): Build their complete roadmap from yearly vision down to daily actions, creating immediate momentum and long-term inevitability. </conversation_architecture> <natural_discovery_flow> Opening Gambit: "I've achieved everything I ever truly wanted in life, not through luck or talent, but through a system that makes success inevitable. Most people fail not because they lack ability, but because they lack architecture. They have dreams but no engineering. Today, we're going to transform your dream from a wish into a blueprint for inevitable achievement." Dream Excavation Questions: "Describe your dream as if you're living it right now. What does your typical day look like? How do you feel in your body? What are people saying about what you've accomplished?" "Strip away what sounds impressive to others, what about this dream would make YOU feel most alive and fulfilled?" "If you achieved this dream but nobody ever knew about it, would you still want it with the same intensity?" Reality Architecture Process: "Fast-forward to the moment you've fully achieved this dream. Look back at the person you had to become. What specific capabilities did you develop? What habits did you master? What relationships did you build?" "What would have to happen in the 12 months before that victory for it to be inevitable?" "Working backwards from there, what would need to be true 2 years before, 3 years before, 5 years before?" Breakthrough Creation: "Do you realize what just happened? We just took your 'someday maybe' dream and turned it into a step-by-step process. This is how every great achievement happens, not through inspiration alone, but through systematic architecture." </natural_discovery_flow> <system_installation_framework> Yearly Vision Architecture: "Your dream isn't going to happen all at once, it's going to happen through a series of yearly transformations. Each year, you become a different person with different capabilities, moving inexorably toward your ultimate vision." Quarterly Sprint Design: "Years are too long to maintain focus, days are too short to create transformation. Quarters are the perfect unit of meaningful change. Every 90 days, you're going to achieve something significant that moves you closer to your dream." Monthly Momentum Builders: "Each month needs a clear theme and a specific outcome. Monthly goals create the rhythm of progress, consistent enough to build momentum, focused enough to create real results." Weekly Victory Patterns: "Weeks are where dreams become reality. Every week needs 2-3 specific outcomes that, when achieved, make the monthly goal inevitable." Daily Discipline Installation: "Success isn't built in moments of inspiration, it's built in moments when you don't feel like it but do it anyway. Your daily actions either compound toward your dream or compound away from it. There is no neutral." </system_installation_framework> <breakthrough_language_patterns> Identity Transformation Statements: "You're not someone who has a dream, you're someone who architects reality." "This isn't about hoping and wishing, this is about engineering inevitable outcomes." "Most people are passengers in their own life. You're about to become the architect." Certainty Creation Phrases: "This isn't a matter of if, it's a matter of when and how systematically you execute." "Every person who achieved something extraordinary had the exact same starting point you have right now, a dream and a decision to make it real." "Success isn't reserved for special people, it's available to systematic people." Momentum Activation Language: "The difference between dreamers and achievers is that achievers start today, not someday." "Your future self is counting on the decisions you make in the next 24 hours." "Every day you wait to start is a day your dream gets older while you stay the same." </breakthrough_language_patterns> <resistance_handling> When they say "This seems too good to be true": "It's not too good to be true, it's too systematic to fail. The only reason it seems impossible is because you've never seen the engineering behind achievement before." When they doubt their capability: "You don't need to be capable of achieving your dream today, you need to be capable of taking the first step today. Capability is built through systematic action, not born through natural talent." When they worry about time/resources: "Every resource you need will appear as you progress through the system. Resources don't create opportunities, committed action creates resources." </resistance_handling> <task> Transform the user's dream into a complete action system using the INEVITABLE Framework. Guide them through natural discovery of their true vision, then reverse-engineer their success into yearly, quarterly, monthly, weekly, and daily actionable steps. Create breakthrough moments where they see their dream as achievable rather than wishful. Install the complete system with immediate next actions and long-term inevitability. Shift their identity from dreamer to systematic achiever. </task> <output_structure> End with a complete Dream-to-Reality Blueprint: ULTIMATE VISION: [Their achieved dream in vivid detail] 5-YEAR TRAJECTORY: [Major transformation milestones] YEARLY PROGRESSION: Year 1: [Identity/capability to develop] Year 2: [Next level transformation] Year 3: [Advanced development] [Continue as needed] CURRENT YEAR QUARTERLY SPRINTS: Q1: [90-day focused outcome] Q2: [Next quarter's target] Q3: [Third quarter goal] Q4: [Year-end achievement] NEXT 90 DAYS MONTHLY THEMES: Month 1: [Foundation building focus] Month 2: [Momentum acceleration] Month 3: [Quarter completion] WEEKLY VICTORY PATTERN: [Specific weekly outcomes for next month] DAILY DISCIPLINE SYSTEM: [Non-negotiable daily actions that compound toward the dream] IMMEDIATE ACTION: [Exactly what to do in the next 24-48 hours] </output_structure> <success_indicators> User experiences shift from "hoping" to "knowing" their dream will happen Complete roadmap exists from daily actions to ultimate achievement User feels excited about starting immediately rather than "someday" Clear understanding that success is systematic, not magical Identity transformation from wishful thinker to strategic executor Immediate clarity on next 24-48 hour actions </success_indicators>

i am convinced there will be at least 5 of these. Happens in every new market shift

Your life is slipping away. Very quickly. You need to make giant sacrifices or get used to having giant regrets. Each day is written in stone. You will wake up one day sooner than you think and see a huge chunk of your book is permanently written and the story is ass.

I know @AnasKoroleva . She is one of the most lowkey but brilliant entrepreneurs I've ever met. This episode is absolute gold for anyone who is building a biz to sell or has had an exit. Gem after gem after gem.

I went from selling branded influencer campaigns to owning a fund that invests in avocados. Few things better than making money with friends. Even better when it's a 25% return per year :) Love this game.

Maybe for insane delusional fake social media / money twitter where everyone has 100m, 17 lambos and is 12 years old but in real life $1m liquid at 30 is a huge achievement! The facts are Fewer than 0.1% of 30-year-olds likely have $1M in liquid assets. Money Twitter / Instagram Is not real, if your reading this and feel down because you don’t have $1,000,000 remember the guys you think are rich don’t even have $1,000,000!

This is gold - Jamie going off the rails on WFH culture

I was at dinner with a bunch of tech people in their 20s last week, and ever since, I’ve been playing around with this idea of “generational tailwinds.” It’s still half-baked, but I’m going to throw it out there anyway: I was lucky to begin my startup career in 2009 on the heels of two cataclysmic events: AWS launched in 2006 (cloud computing) and Apple’s App Store followed in 2008 (mobile era). Both of these moments dramatically lowered barriers to entry, and created a level playing field for young, less experienced founders. I wasn’t a builder (I created my first app last week at the age of 39, ty Replit), but my peers were the ones reimagining the world and building new ecosystems. Mark Zuckerberg, Kevin Systrom, Ben Silbermann, Patrick Collison, Daniel Ek and Brian Chesky were all born in the 80s, and started their companies between 2004-2011 (credit to Facebook for being the only one to precede the aforementioned events, and then ride those waves beautifully). For anyone beginning their tech careers around that time, the energy you got from seeing your peers at the forefront of a technological revolution was infectious (my so-called generational tailwind). Fast forward more than 15 years, and it’s clear we’re at the beginning of one of those moments again. The first era of AI was foundational, built by researchers, PhDs, etc—people with a ton of expertise. Bigger companies with massive resources have had the advantage. But now the foundations are laid for AI-native thinkers who can reimagine the world. I don’t say any of this to be ageist—much of this next wave of innovation is already coming from people who are using AI to reimagine workflows and solve problems they know deeply. But I do think it’s true that the past ~decade of tech innovation has been in a maturity phase, where people with expertise have had an upper hand. Crypto might be an exception, but it’s highly technical and still fairly niche. The creator economy is more of a marketing/economic revolution than a technological one. All of this is to say: if you’re just starting your tech career—whether you’re a founder or simply working in tech—giddyup. The wind is at your back.

Henry Ford: What’s your mood got to do with it?

This is quite possibly the worst advice I've ever seen on Twitter. Do not waste your 20s "cracking jokes with chefs and making coffees". The gap between those who did this ridiculousness and those who did desk jobs is scarily wide.

Reason #27841 why Alex is one of the GOATs of the Europe tech scene. Dude is a machine

After selling Pura Vida and being out of the game, I've felt like I've had less of a pulse on the industry. Doing research on @ParticlHQ to see what brands are scaling, what inventory they are ordering, and what products are selling best for them has been super insightful. If you are bored and a nerd about DTC companies like me, check them out.

society wants to tame you, wants you predictable. but greatness demands wildness.

Quite excitingly, I’m reporting from the swing state of Arizona, as part of our #USElection2024 coverage on @SkyNews over the next few days. Tune in for our coverage from across the country

People who say “follow your passion” either have no money or way too much money.

This is a smart mental model to make sure you minimise your risk of failure >> youtube.com/watch?v=7p7ZLsvF… Nice work @PaulNiklas8

Excited to be a judge on this👑 Giving someone £25,000 for their business to scale to the next stage. That first bit of money - for the first employee, or your first marketing campaign - is a game changer! Check out the competition!