Bias To Action Framework
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A framework for taking action quickly and avoiding analysis paralysis, emphasizing immediate execution over perfect planning.
Core Philosophy of Bias to Action
- Better to execute a bad plan than no plan at all
- Most business decisions are reversible, so starting is more important than perfection
- Planning can become "self-masturbation" - a way to feel productive without actually doing anything
- The world pushes people toward being "vanilla" and safe through excessive planning
Key Implementation Strategies
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Get something live within 5 days
- Focus on getting first dollar of revenue quickly
- Use simple platforms to launch immediately (e.g., Substack for blogs)
- Goal is to taste success and get addicted to progress
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Different Approaches Based on Experience:
- Rookies: Jump right in, get immediate feedback
- Proven experts: Can take more time for research and planning
- Example: Brett Adcock investing 200M and 5 years of research after previous success
The Roman vs Greek Approach
- Greeks: Academic, theoretical, planning-focused
- Focused on perfect mathematical solutions
- Spent time calculating and theorizing
- Romans: Action-oriented, practical learning
- Built bridges through trial and error
- Never knew the math but found what worked through doing
- Ended up with better results through iteration
Benefits of Immediate Action
- Generates data for decision-making
- Creates momentum and motivation
- Provides immediate feedback
- Triggers dopamine response from early wins
- Example: Shopify's "ka-ching" sound creating addiction to sales
- Motivates continued action and improvement
Warning Signs of Over-Planning
- Tasks listed as "plan X" instead of actual action items
- Excessive focus on perfect positioning
- Waiting for perfect conditions
- Analysis paralysis in choosing platforms or tools
Sam Parr
Host of MFM and fitness influencer
Sam Parr is a serial entrepreneur and business media pioneer.
In 2016, he founded The Hustle, a business news media company that started in his kitchen with just $12 and grew to eight figures in revenue.
Sam led the charge in making newsletters popular when few believed in their potential.
After four successful years, he sold The Hustle to HubSpot, a publicly traded company. Now operating as HubSpot Media, The Hustle reaches 3 million readers daily, employs a team of nearly 100, and has been the launchpad for dozens of its staff to found their own media companies and newsletters.
Sam remains the host of the popular business podcast, My First Million, and continues to start and sell companies. He also co-founded Hampton, a highly vetted community for entrepreneurs, founders, and CEOs, and teaches people to write better through his platform, Copy That.