Life Mottos

Unlocking Potential #11: Q&A With John Saddington

Garth Beyer

John Saddington

I regularly write about the importance of being human, of momentum and of the need to continuously try new things. Top experimenter John Saddington is a living example of doing all the above.

John is linchpin who I recall wore a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle t-shirt to Seth Godin’s Pick Yourself event in Tribeca, and asked Seth a question about blogging platforms. It should have come as no surprise to me that John was asking for input because he was in the process of developing his new (and awesome!) blogging platform app, Desk.

John has been blogging for more than 14 years, so it goes without saying how much of a privilege it is to have him be part of this series. Without further ado, welcome John.

Q: You’re a hacker and a human. Tell us how you got into hacking. What’s your story?

John: Yes, that’s my tagline. I think it’s important to let others know that I am a human being. This is one of those “duh” statements but it carries a lot of personal importance to me. It means that I suffer and struggle with just as many things as the next person. But, I have “hacked” my way to a solution that works for me.

I will always be looking for more solutions to life, just as the next person, to ensure that I can survive and thrive in the limited amount of time that I have on planet earth.​

Q: What qualities are needed in a person for them to become successful hackers, humans, entrepreneurs? 

John: A willingness to experiment, be wrong, and fail. A desire to get help, all the time, and to stay humble. To be curious about learning new things and tenacious about not giving up. To be a person of integrity, honest, and true.​

Q: For this next question, I’m sure there are hundreds of answers, but just write about the first two or three that come to mind. What are some hacks you can share about entrepreneurship?

​John: Time box everything. What I mean by this is create a “start” and “end” point to all your experiments and projects. This helps create momentum and helps you establish objective markers for whether or not it’s actually working.

Secondly, get help. Do more things with others and less alone.​

Q: Tell us a bit about Desk PM: How did you go about strategizing a publishing app so it would be as successful as it is? What sort of questions did you ask and answer before you built and shipped the app?

​John: There wasn’t a strategy. It was luck and a long marinating process (over 12 years) as I thought about this application as it tied so closely to my writing and blogging over the last 14 years. Then, I executed. That’s about it. I didn’t deliberate or try to do massive planning or anything like that. The only question that I asked was this (and one that I continue to ask): Do I still love this app? Am I using it every single day?

If the answer ever becomes “No” then I’ve lost the original vision and I should throw it all away.​

Q: What’s the most recent big decision you’ve had to make and how did you rationalize your decision?

John: The biggest decision recently was to join with some friends to work @ The Iron Yard.​ This was the culmination of long-standing relationships and a deep love for education (I got a Masters in Education). I joined them full-time in late 2013.

Q: Would you mind sharing one of your biggest failures and how you worked past it or what you learned from it?

John: I raised ~ $300,000 and spent much more than that on a failed iOS app that netted, over a two year period, just north of $1,300 dollars. I am still learning from this fiscal failure of an app and project. I am still recovering. I wrote a few things here.​

Q: Who and where do you go to for motivation? Any particular mentors or bloggers?

John: I go to my friends and most importantly my wife and kids. I find a ton of motivation in my quiet times as I reflect on spiritual topics, God, and through meditation.​

Q: Perhaps there’s a couple quotes or life mottos you live by?

​”Never give up.” – Dad

“Always have options.” – Dad

“It never hurts to ask.” – Dad

Q: What is the biggest challenge todays entrepreneurs are faced with? 

​John: I’m not sure. Does that matter?​

Q: This one might be a toughie, answer however you would like. What does it take to create something remarkable?

John: It starts with a decision to pursue it and then it requires the courage to not quit.​

Q: Where can people find you and you art? What’s the best way to reach you?

​John: My personal blog: http://john.do

 

Stay Positive & Publish On

Simple Ways

Garth Beyer

The saddest sum of life contains three descriptions: could have, might have, and should have. It is for that exact reason that I have compiled a list of simple ways, or proverbs if you will, that if you at least focus on a new one each day, you will undoubtedly reach a higher potential, gain greater insight of the depth of success and overall make a life lasting ruckus.

Don’t only find resources, but share them – Treasure your time – Find the silver lining – Wake up early – Be informed – Define your goals – Critique yourself – Remember, what you don’t understand, you can make mean anything – Stay prepared – Shut out the debbie-downers and naysayers – Learn from others – Laugh as much as you breathe – Be focused and intense, push your effort – Live substantially below your means – Only keep items that can have a permanent place – Nothing worth having comes easy – You can make a wish, or you can make it happen – Passion is credibility

Now, each one of these reminders, mottos and life improvement laws can make a direct and subjective impact to critical parts of your life. Though, notice them as a whole because it does well to understand that it is the tiny, but direct, actions and attitudes that add up, eventually inventing the life you truly want. Every little detail adds up into something incredible, so long as each detail is brought to its fullest potential.

The time you enjoy wasting, is not wasted – Where there is a will, there is more than one way – Life is only easy to those who accept that it is not – Standing still will kill you – It is never too late – Nor is it ever too early – Open your mind before your mouth – Life doesn’t stop for anything. Why should you? – The brain makes no difference between visualizing and doing – Defeat your enemies with success – Everything beautiful has been through pain – If you go over a speed bump fast enough, you can actually fly for a bit – Scratch your own itch – Follow dreams, not orders – Sometimes we just need to take a step back from everything to launch ourselves forward

Collectively, these are reminders that were learned the hard way and that is why I want to share them with you. However, I do not share these life lessons so that you do not fail. I share them so that you can fail smartly, so that you can fail the best anyone has ever failed and in failing large, you do not fail as often which creates longer time periods for you to bask in your success.

90% of any physical battle, is a mental one – Success is not the next exit, it is the next entrance – You know what they say about worrying? Don’t. – You better not tell me that you are going to live today without trying to beat yesterday; Life is a competition, our days are our competitors – The benefits always outweigh the costs – Let’s make better mistakes tomorrow – Finish each day and be done with it – The world is only as flat as you make it out to be – I like nonsense, it wakes up the brain coils – Willpower is a muscle that can be trained – Make it as clear who you are, as who you aren’t –

Feel free to share these with friends, email them to a relative, tweet a few or share on facebook. However, I must warn you that now that you have read these, if only a few, you are held accountable to implement them into your life. Knowing what can make your life full of valuable animation, you have the responsibility of making it so. To know how to reach your goals, find balance and attain more happiness but not following through is a great injustice. Remember, there are magnificent benefits to being selfless and helping others, but there are endless benefits to setting an example for all to follow. Growing through self-improvement benefits others, far more than it does yourself.

Determine your best time of day – Change comes through hard work – Take all responsibility even if you are only slightly involved – Know and remember your “why” – Participate with questions and actions – Take time for yourself – Talk about your goals, get accountable – Don’t just prepare, research every detail, even if it’s against you – Identify procrastinations to overcome – and of course…

 

Stay Positive & Practice, Practice, Practice

Garth E. Beyer