David Cummings on Startups

How I Get Things Done

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David Cummings

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People like to ask me how I get so many different things done. Of course, I’m flattered, and I need a better, more self-deprecating answer. The answer lies somewhere in being able to read something once, make a gut decision, and never look back. I move quickly.

On a tactical level, I have a few simple guidelines I follow:

  • Every day the first thing I do when I get in the office is review what I accomplished yesterday and write down what I’m going to do that day
  • I only read emails once and handle them on the spot
  • I never go to bed with an email in my inbox (inbox zero was hard to get to but has been easy to maintain)
  • I love delegating to people smarter than me and watching what they produce
  • I read 100 blog posts a day and use that to generate ideas

I don’t believe there is one right way for people to get things done, but this method works for me.

Comments

5 responses to “How I Get Things Done”

  1. Elizabeth Pagano Avatar
    Elizabeth Pagano

    And what’s amazing is that you don’t multi-task in our accountability meetings. You’re completely focused on us – no email, no calls, etc. AND I’ve seen you out the door at a very reasonable hour to have dinner with your family. I’d be curious as to whether you have a designated part of the day when you read/reply to emails or if you do this all day long.

    Reply
  2. davidcummings Avatar
    davidcummings

    Thanks Elizabeth! I try and schedule 30 minute breaks between daily meetings and I use that time to respond to emails. I believe lightning fast email responses is a competitive differentiator.

    Reply
  3. Blogs I Read « B2B Tech Entrepreneur – David Cummings

    […] a comment » I mentioned earlier in the week that I read 100 blog posts per day (that’s blog posts and not blogs). The blog posts act like my personal version of a […]

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  4. Some Personal Life Goals « B2B Tech Entrepreneur – David Cummings

    […] Life by Alan Lakein. Now, I consider myself a productive person that efficiently uses time well (my post on how I get things done), but I’m always looking for ways to improve. The first part of the book has you write down […]

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  5. The 60/40 Time Allocation Rule « 10,000 Startup Hours – David Cummings

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