How you know you've made it:

You get to stop doing business with assholes.

No asshole clients.

No asshole partners.

No asshole investors.

In the early days, when you're hungry, you have to do what you have to do.

Bend over backwards for customers.

Deal with disrespectful partners.

Take investments from folks who don't have the same vision as you do and bend the terms to their liking.

As you build enough experience and wealth this slowly shifts.

And you can start firing the bad customers.

Breaking up with the bad partners.

And buying out the bad investors.

This is different than F U money.

F U money is the next phase...

It happens a few million later when you become one of the assholes.

Tip:

Get F U money but don't become an asshole.

This transformation happens through leverage.

When we start, we have none. Others have it all.

You have no negotiation power because they have everything YOU need and YOU are a commodity.

But when you get some skill and experience you get a little bit of leverage.

Not just anyone can do what you can do. So you can negotiate more for yourself.

You aren't a commodity anymore.

Sometimes the other person becomes the commodity. And you have all the leverage.

And you set the terms and the other person doesn't get to act like an asshole.

Clients need you more than you need them.

Partners need you more than you need them.

And eventually, when you get really good, something amazing happens.

CAPITAL becomes a commodity.

Cash needs you more than you need cash. And investors lose the leverage and you gain the leverage.

Thats when you have an opportunity to carve out better terms and more ownership.

And then you get even more leverage.

And even more money.

And the snowball continues to roll down the hill.

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