### Amp It Up! - Frank Slootman Cheatsheet This cheatsheet captures key principles from Frank Slootman's "Amp It Up!", focusing on mission, execution, people, and mindset. --- ### 1. Mission: Be Big, Clear, and Ambitious A great mission is the foundation for focus and intensity. It should not be about money. * **A Great Mission is Clear:** * A defined and intense mission makes it easier for everyone to focus. * It acts as a filter, preventing distractions and diluting energy on unrelated topics. * **A Great Mission is Big (but Not Impossible):** * Set wildly ambitious goals that force a fundamental rethinking of the problem. * **Example (Data Domain):** "Put tape automation out of existence." Mantra: "Tape sucks." * **Example (ServiceNow):** Become the new global standard for IT service management. * **Example (Snowflake):** "Mobilize the world's data by building the world's greatest data and applications platform... in the history of computing." --- ### 2. Execution: Fight Incrementalism, Pick Up the Pace Strategy is about bold action and moving with urgency, not cautious, marginal improvements. * **The War Against Incrementalism:** * Incrementalism is a human tendency to build cautiously on what already exists. It feels safe but is a losing strategy in most fields. * It's a "lack of audacity and boldness." * **"Maybe you won't lose, but you won't win either."** * **Pick Up the Pace & Be Realistic:** * Be aggressive and think big enough to outpace competition. * Ensure the team is fully bought into the targets and timelines. * **Avoid premature scaling:** Don't staff a full sales team before you've crossed the chasm and figured out what distinguishes top performers from weak ones. * Invest decisively when the conditions are right; don't hesitate. --- ### 3. People: Recruit Drivers, Not Passengers The type of people you hire determines the company's momentum and problem-solving capacity. * **"Drivers Wanted":** * **Passengers:** Are carried along by the company's momentum. They offer little input, don't challenge the direction, and avoid "heavy lifting." They can identify problems but have no investment in solving them. They are pleasant and fit in but don't create forward motion. * **Drivers:** (Implied) Actively shape the direction, take initiative, and are invested in solving problems. They do the heavy lifting. * Your goal should be to recruit a team of drivers. --- ### 4. Mindset: Be in the Arena The credit goes to those who are actively participating, not those who criticize from the sidelines. * **The Man (and Woman) in the Arena (Theodore Roosevelt):** * It's not the critic who counts. * The credit belongs to the person "marred by dust and sweat and blood." * Strive valiantly, dare greatly, and embrace the struggle. * Even failure is honorable when you are "daring greatly." It's better than the timid souls "who neither know victory nor defeat." #business #entrepreneurship #mission-execution