Execution is King: How to Stop Overthinking Strategy and Execute Like the Top 1%

Company ideas are worthless.

Execution is King.

In the limit, the pace of technological progress is the only competitive advantage.

How to stop overthinking strategy and execute like the top 1%:

— Brett Adcock (@adcock_brett) April 8, 2023

Context:

My background has been building tech companies for 20 years.

I've work hard over the years to better my execution.

This is not the "ultimate list" of tips, but it will give you a clear advantage.

None of this is rocket science, it's super simple.

— Brett Adcock (@adcock_brett) April 8, 2023

Be Product Focused

Use technology to your advantage to better the product or service.

A better product will yield:

• More word of mouth referrals
• Less user attrition
• Higher revenue and margins

A constantly improving product/service is what you’re here to deliver.

— Brett Adcock (@adcock_brett) April 8, 2023

Set Measurable Goals

Define specific, achievable objectives to track progress.

• Use OKR framework
• Break goals into milestones
• Communicate goals to the team

*these must be documented and I’ve found it best to do both current year and 5 year goals.

— Brett Adcock (@adcock_brett) April 8, 2023

Build User Acquisition Flywheels

I’ve seen too many great ideas fail because of poor user acquisition.

You want to find an acquisition channel to deliver low CAC. And it must be scalable.

Lean into SEO, Outbound Sales/Mkting.

Avoid high CPC Social.

— Brett Adcock (@adcock_brett) April 8, 2023

Speed Up Decisions

Reduce overanalysis by making informed decisions faster.

• Set decision deadlines
• Gather essential data
• Use Probability Weights

*in many cases, not making a decision is just causing you a time delay & kicking your lessons to be learned down the road

— Brett Adcock (@adcock_brett) April 8, 2023

Go Agile

Iterate rapidly and adapt to changes efficiently.

• Use sprints for projects
• Hold daily stand-up meetings
• Build a culture of internal demo’s

This means making mistakes & shipping a ~70% product and iterating on those quickly.

*this can work for hardware too

— Brett Adcock (@adcock_brett) April 8, 2023

Set Up Feedback Loops

Continuously improve by integrating feedback.

• Collect team input
• Talk to users/customers weekly
• Implement improvements promptly

*building in public can be a great asset here

— Brett Adcock (@adcock_brett) April 8, 2023

Delegate and Empower

Maximize team potential by distributing responsibility.

• Identify team strengths
• Assign tasks accordingly
• Trust team members' expertise

*Your job as a Leader is to instill a common vision from the top

— Brett Adcock (@adcock_brett) April 8, 2023

Maintain Focus and Discipline

Stay committed to your vision and goals.

• Eliminate distractions
• Establish routines
• Review objectives regularly

*sometimes there’s no substitute for hard work

— Brett Adcock (@adcock_brett) April 8, 2023

Have a Learning Mindset

Learn from setbacks and adapt your approach.

• Encourage experimentation
• Share lessons learned
• Promote continuous learning

*myself and some of my team at Figure regularly stay late and take deep learning courses. We all look forward to it 🙃

— Brett Adcock (@adcock_brett) April 8, 2023

Optimize Performance

Track and enhance performance over time.

• Define key performance indicators
• Analyze data frequently
• Implement data-driven improvements

— Brett Adcock (@adcock_brett) April 8, 2023