The Ten Percent Rule

Life is long. Life is short.

As Capital expands, I’ve been thinking about how I want to spend the rest of my working life.

If life cooperates, I would love to work for another fifty years. Each new project — the big ones worth doing — will require at least five years of work.

Therefore, as I evaluate new projects, I ask myself one question:

“Am I willing to spend ten percent — 5/50 — of my working life on this project?”

A slightly different but equally important question would be:

“Am I willing to spend ten percent of my working life with this person or team?”

Talk about weighty questions.

Assessing an early-stage company/ team/opportunity is challenging, but if you are reading this essay, I assume you want to be part of an amazing team that is building an incredible company.

As you evaluate your path forward, I would recommend asking yourself the ten percent questions.

Either way, the answers will be clarifying.