The Twenty Percenter
Weekly advice for top business professionals.
Two Laws Every Leader Should Know About Time (4 Min Read) | Vol. 192 February 27, 2026 “It always takes longer than you expect, even when you take into account Hofstadter’s Law.” – Douglas Hofstadter Two Laws Every Leader Should Know About Time Read that quote again. It’s a riddle wrapped in a truth bomb. …
Marco Polo (3 Min Read) | Vol. 191 February 20, 2026 “The fight is won or lost far away from the witnesses, behind the lines, in the gym and out there on the road, long before I dance under those lights.” – Muhammad Ali Marco Polo A surprising favorite from my 2025 reading stack was …
The Solomon Paradox (2 Min Read) | Vol. 190 February 13, 2026 “The saddest aspect of life right now is that science gathers knowledge faster than society gathers wisdom.” ― Isaac Asimov The Solomon Paradox King Solomon University of Waterloo psychological scientist Igor Grossmann studies wisdom. He explores the times when we make good and …
6,000 Wiener Dogs Can’t Be Wrong (2 Min Read) | Vol. 189 February 6, 2026 “The aim of marketing is to know and understand the customer so well the product or service fits him and sells itself.” — Peter Drucker 6,000 Wiener Dogs Can’t Be Wrong “I feel like I’m on a rocket ship and …
There’s a Lot Between All and Nothing (2 Min Read) | Vol. 188 January 30, 2026 “The most important step a man can take. It’s not the first one, is it? It’s the next one. Always the next step.” – Brandon Sanderson. There’s a Lot Between All and Nothing When I was a grad student …
One Room. One Book. Radical Simplicity (3 Min Read) | Vol. 187 January 23, 2026 “Perfection is achieved, not when there is nothing more to add, but when there is nothing left to take away.” – Antoine de Saint-Exupéry One Room. One Book. Radical Simplicity In April, I’m taking my first trip to Japan. While …
Switch Off Your Should-O-Meter (1 Min Read) | Vol. 186 January 16, 2026 “‘Should,’ is a shame-based statement that creates stress and anxiety in your body and mind.” – Suzanna Newsonen Switch Off Your Should-O-Meter Earlier this month, I went for a walk with my friend Juanpablo. He’s in a career transition and shared how …
Sliding Doors, Time Blocking, and the Battle for Your Life (2 Min Read) | Vol. 185 January 9, 2026 Quick Note: Today’s email is about the battle for your calendar. If that battle feels real to you, the First Domino is designed to help. Doors are open until January 14th, with just a few spots …
The Only Question You Need to Answer for 2026 (2 Min Read) | Vol. 184 Before you set another goal for 2026, there’s something you need to know. Most of what fills our calendars won’t matter three years from now. But ONE thing will. On January 6th, I’ll show you how to find it – …
Permission to Pause (2 Min Read) | Vol. 183 December 26, 2025 “The enemy echoes what we’re afraid of until fear feels familiar and peace feels peculiar.” — Jeremy Johnson Permission to Pause My friend Jen Davis led one of the largest coaching companies in real estate. She was great at it. Then, in June …