It’s April.
Filed my taxes. Pulled some weeds. Had some thoughts.
I shared a ton on my podcast (listen on Spotify or iTunes).
Here’s what’s been on my mind lately:
1- AI just saved me money on taxes
Quick plug for AppSumo: we are giving away ChatGPT PRO for LIFE (yes, this is what they’re doing behind my back!) – it’s free. Go enter here.
This tax season, I uploaded all my business tax docs to ChatGPT.
Then I asked: “What am I missing?”
Turns out, there were legit savings I hadn’t noticed. Especially around the new rules for R&D expenses (IRC 174 for fellow tax nerds).
It’s WILD what AI can do right now.
A friend used it to figure out how much to offer on a house and the messaging to send. Another guy redesigned his entire home with it. I’ve been asking it to pretend it’s Warren Buffet and give me feedback on my stock portfolio.
Eventually, everyone will catch up.
But right now, there’s a massive arbitrage opportunity. Especially if you’re in the wealth generation phase of your life, you need to be learning and implementing AI.
2- Weeds are stealing your best stuff
The other day I was pulling weeds in the front yard when I realized something:
If you don’t rip them out fully by the roots, they grow back. Not only that, they spread. And when you water your yard, the weeds steal the water from the grass.
Then I realized how weeds can impact our businesses:
- That teammate who talks behind people’s backs infects company culture.
- That marketing channel that doesn’t work steals time from a better one.
- That client who sucks up all your time prevents your team from serving the ones who actually grow the business.
What’s 1 weed in your business that you can remove today?
3- Raise your PERCENTAGE line
In your 20s and 30s, you should probably just say yes to everything. That’s how you figure out what you like and build your career.
But over time, that line should go up.
I call it the 80% line.
If someone hits me up and says, “Hey, want to go for a walk?”
I ask myself: Do I actually want to do that?
If it’s not at least 80%, I say no.
It’s not about thinking you’re too good for other people. It’s about being clear on what matters and how limited your time is. I have a kid now. I have family dinners. There’s not a lot of space left.
The more I say no to things below the line, the more I notice something better shows up.
4- This airline book is fire 🔥
I read a book on Ryanair, the European budget airline.
I’ve only flown them once. They’re not really talked about in America.
But the book? So damn good.
What I loved: they figured out their business model and stayed honest about it.
A few favorite quotes from Michael O’Leary, the CEO:
“We bow down to nobody. We’ll stuff every one of them in Europe.”
“No, we shouldn’t give you a cup of coffee. We only charge €19 for the ticket.”
They didn’t try to please everyone. They knew what they were – and stuck to it.
Most companies eventually go vanilla. They forget what made them great.
Look at Southwest. They’re not the cheapest anymore. They charge for bags. They’ve lost their edge. So now I fly Delta.
So a question on my mind is: How do you evolve, but stay true to what made you great?
5- What’s a good life… right now?
I’ve been thinking about this a lot lately.
What is a good life?
There were times when working a bunch was a good life.
And there are times now when walking around my neighborhood with my baby is a good life.
And maybe both are true.
For me today, a good day looks like:
- Working on AppSumo for an hour,
- Checking my finances,
- Doing a crucigram (aka crossword),
- Biking,
- And spending time with my family.
That’s it. That’s the good stuff.
Some people tell me I should be working more. Making more YouTube videos. Trying to get to $100 million net worth.
Why?
I already get to do what I want.
I already like how I spend my days.
So here’s the question:
Are you living your version of a good life… right now?
If not, change it.
If you are, don’t miss it while chasing something else.
Rooting for you,
Noah 🌮
Ps. I still love seeing everyone sharing pictures of my book and changing their lives. Have you grabbed a copy of Million Dollar Weekend for a friend?