Immigrant Asking Advantage

Sam Parr and Noah Kagan discuss how the immigrant mentality of being "shameless" about asking for things has been a significant advantage in business and life. This perspective comes from observing friends and colleagues with immigrant backgrounds and their approach to negotiations and opportunities.

Key Points:

• Immigrant Mentality Characteristics:

  • Shameless ability to ask for things others might be embarrassed about
  • Willingness to negotiate in situations where others wouldn't
  • Ruthless approach to requesting opportunities

• Personal Evolution:

  • Sam initially was embarrassed to make requests or complain
  • Changed perspective after observing friends with immigrant backgrounds
  • Learned to be more assertive about asking for things
  • Results showed this approach "100% worked"

• Business Application:

  • Business fundamentally comes down to asking:
    • Will you be my sponsor?
    • Will you be my customer?
    • Will you be my partner?
    • Will you be my employee?

• Real-World Examples:

  • Coffee Challenge:
    • Exercise of asking for discounts at coffee shops
    • Getting comfortable with rejection
    • Learning that rejection is okay and survivable

• Cultural Contrast:

  • Most successful friends have immigrant families
  • They naturally ask for things others would be too embarrassed to request
  • This trait gives them an advantage in business negotiations

• Impact:

  • Changed from accepting poor service to being willing to speak up
  • Transformed approach to business negotiations
  • Led to better outcomes in various situations