Agreeing with billionaires

This week I've interviewed 3 self-made billionaires for my Forbes column.

They run wildly different businesses, but they all have these 5 things in common:

1. They think at scale

They don't want to enter an industry they can't own. They know you get the same problems at all levels, so they aim to play at the highest one.

They're just not bothered about doing anything that doesn't change the world in a big way.

2. They expect things to go wrong

They've each had to lay people off and go through economic crashes and supply chain issues. They're not deterred by challenges. They actively look for problems to solve.

They know that the road is going to be bumpy. They're not emotional about the struggle.

3. They focus on people

One charges more so he can hire better people to solve bigger problems. One notices how any new hire treats the receptionist.

They all don't let anyone join their company without meeting them. They're all playing long-term games with the people they work with.

4. They can switch into different modes

One wrote a business book inspired by military strategy but comes across as jovial in interviews. One is completely respectful of clients until they are tough on his team members, then he is tough on them.

They each switched between completely serious and completely silly within our interview 😜

5. They are ridiculously hands-on

All 3 were insanely familiar with the front line of their business despite each hiring over 1,000 people. Who is the customer? What are they buying, and what is going on in every small component of the delivery?

They're not micro-managing the people. They're micro-managing the work alongside great people.

And one thing I noticed: they all agree on only one thing

Different industries, different scale, different problems they're solving, different ways they're approaching it. One bootstrap, one took investment, one went public.

And the one thing:

Never give up.

P.s. A voice in a dream told me I had to write this book. And now I know why:

On Kindle, paperback and hardback here.