13 ways to make money by doing less

Hey Contrarians,

People obsess about stocks vs Airbnb vs ecommerce.

The truth is, you can make millions doing just about anything. We know a guy who became a billionaire selling chicken byproduct. Yuck.

What you can’t do? Become a millionaire when the life you live doesn’t lend itself to wealth.

Sometimes making money isn’t about the tactic: it’s about the habit.

Let's look at some small decisions that compound to big results.

Today in 10 minutes or less, you'll learn:

✔️ Contrarian framework: The $1,000/hr Test

✔️ 13 habits so you can DO LESS

✔️ You don’t want to be rich

Contrarian framework: The $1,000/hr Test

When building, NOT all tasks are created equal.

Some are $10 tasks. Gnats buzzing in your ear. Low-ROI functions that consume time without adding much value. Think: replying to emails, updating tasks in Notion, bookkeeping.

Then there are $100 tasks. Dogs staying loyally at your side. You’ll see returns, but these things aren’t supercharging the biz. Think: sales & marketing, customer relations, design.

Finally, the golden $1,000 tasks. The white whales we hunt. This is the work with immense potential to build a brand people want in their lives. Think: product creation, partnerships, high-level decisions.

Sort all the tasks you do into these three buckets: $10, $100, and $1,000.

Now, we Marie Kondo this sh*t.

Keep what brings you joy, then delegate (or discard) the rest.

What brings me joy? Well, usually the stuff that makes millions of dollars.

So I embrace high-ROI tasks with passion. I hire thoughtfully. And then I dump $10 and $100 work off my plate.

​

Do this, and you'll unlock wins you only dreamed of when you started.

It’s one thing to remove items from your plate. It’s another to completely change how you set up your plate. You won’t see the growth you want 'til you instill the right habits…

13 habits so you can DO LESS

1. Do the thing you want to do least first.

Maybe you know you have to have a hard conversation with an employee.

Or you need to do a financial review deep in the spreadsheets.

Or you’re due for a tough workout.

And you’d rather sit in the middle row on a Spirit flight than do any of it.

Don’t just do it. Do it first.

Get this out of the way, and you'll have a clearer path for the rest of the day. Struggle early, and the rest of the day feels like dessert.

2. Check finances daily.

Numbers tell a story.

Whether it's your bank account balance or your net worth, take a snapshot to track your progress. (Or see where to cut costs).

3. Stop 60-minute meetings. 45 minutes or less.

Picture this: You're the CEO, and you're gathering your team for a meeting. Instead of dragging it out for an hour (cue blinking faces on mute), keep it snappy at 45 minutes or less.

You'll be amazed at how much more productive and engaged everyone becomes when they know there's a deadline for discussion.

And the best incentive for your team to get stuff done? Give them time back to actually do the thing.

4. Change one meeting a week to a walking call.

I’ll just say this. You get sh*t done, get some exercise, and get to watch how excited the other members become. There are loads of studies recording how beneficial walking meetings can be.

Or the ultimate cheat – take a meeting in the sauna. This is boujee as hell, but I try to hold at least 1x call a day in the sauna (no video, I'm not a complete psycho).

It helps me detox, and then I don't have to stare at another Zoom screen. Neither do they.

5. No meetups on school nights.

I treat myself like a schoolchild. I try not to have "activities" on school nights.

If I do, I mandate not more than 1x a week.

“Codie, do you want to see a movie and get dinner Wednesday?”

Nope, I'm in build mode right now.

You’re not boring. You’re building. And freeing up time to spend with people that matter.

6. Always the stairs, never the elevator.

Both literally and figuratively.

Opt for the harder route, embrace challenges, and push yourself out of your comfort zone. You'll learn so much about yourself and what you’re capable of. Maybe corny, but it’s still sage advice.

7. Never write to-dos in stone.

When’s the last time you heard a successful person say, “Ah, I did everything on my to-do list today”?

If they say that, they’re successful and a liar.

Here’s the secret: you’ll be 10x more productive if you reorder daily.

Instead of creating a rigid list, prioritize your daily tasks based on urgency and impact. Be adaptable, and you'll dance through your tasks like me after mezcal.

It’s not about blind productivity. It’s about getting one step closer to your goals every day.

8. No social media, email, or text when you wake up.

I’ve learned this is one of the hardest codes to crack. But again, this is about building habits.

Start by choosing 2-3 days during the week when you won’t do this.

Here’s what to do instead. Use that time and:

• Read a book
• Review your goals
• Write what you’d tell 18-year-old you
• Reflect on lessons that could be a good tweet (or Xeet – whatever the hell is going on over there)

I guarantee any of these are a better start to your day than opening the floodgates of Slack, catching up on Twitter’s latest shenanigans, or seeing if anyone’s still on Threads.

Set the day’s tone.

9. Add a ‘How vs. Won't’ check-in.

We often tell ourselves, "that WON'T work." Instead ask, "How could that work?”

Where are you saying “won’t” to yourself? I won’t reach $100k this year. Buying a business won't work. A side hustle won’t be worth it.

Let’s practice some reckless optimism. How could it happen?

Embrace creativity and explore solutions that might seem crazy at first. You never know; the most unconventional idea could be a winner.

10. Decentralize management.

Do not hire a dog and then try to bark for it.

Be relentless in hiring and relaxed in oversight.

We review short & sweet scorecards every Friday. Low scores, we know what to improve on. High scores, we evolve from what’s working.

11. Do not be the arrow, be the archer.

The most important people to hire are your COO, CSO or Chief of Staff.

Instead of a command-down structure, create a Team of Teams.

No need to reinvent the wheel every time. Focus on being the visionary who assembles a team who are better at the things than you.

Repeat this phrase: “I tell you the goal, and you pick the path.”

When you put the right person in the right role, your job becomes a whole lot easier.

12. Don’t Drown in Data.

K.I.S.S. (Keep it simple, stupid). More stats means more noise.

What are the 20% that drive the 80%? Pick the 3-5 stats that tell you whether your business is growing or decaying. Can't read a scorecard in 60 seconds? It's too complex.

Simple list of metrics sent daily in my content team’s Slack? Yes.

Whatever this madness is? Absolutely not.

13. Be the dumbest one in your friend group, then move on when you’re not.

I get a lot of push back on this one. The Twitter and Instagram echo chambers claim this is horrible human behavior. Here’s my take:

As they say, "If you're the smartest person in the room, you're in the wrong room."

By being the dumbest, you’re soaking up knowledge and using it as stepping stones. It’s like a game of intellectual leapfrog. You can still be friends and grateful for their wisdom.

Think of these more like "allies" than friends.

Friends will look at the 5,000th picture of your baby without pulling their hair out. Friends are down for cocktail parties and nights on the town. Friends will ask why you work so much. Friends say, “why don’t you just slow down?”

Allies, though. Allies tell you to keep f-ing going. They’re the wet blanket when you need it. They don’t accept anything but your best. Shared goals, shared vision.

New levels call for new allies.

You don’t want to be rich

You want to be free.

Too many entrepreneurs live in cognitive dissonance. They want a glamorous life, untouchable health, and fat bank account, but their lifestyle doesn’t match. They’re chained to their business like a job, drowning in stress.

Lord knows I still fall short, pull all-nighters, work in my business not on it, ask how when I should be asking who, and make my life harder than it needs to be. But I’m recovering. Because freedom is the point.

It’s freedom we all want.

Money can buy it, but freedom, paradoxically, also requires structure. Routine. Habits.

So make space to DO LESS.

Reply and let me know what habits I should add to this list that help you do less.

We don’t have to, we get to.
​

- Codie

🌎 All the world's billionaires = ~$11.8T. Guess how many individuals that is?

🎤 Paycheck (Taylor's Version): Bonuses for all Eras Tour workers total $55M+

💸 Speaking of artists' $$$... Money grows on royalties. Just ask Dolly.

🌮 Taco Bell lawsuit in the works. Reddit provides evidence: Exhibit A. Exhibit B.

🍺 Buzzkill: Anheuser-Busch axes 2% of staff, sales volume dropped 23.6% YoY

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