At 17, Ben Franklin arrived in Philadelphia with a few $$ t…

So what’s this magical model and how does it work?

It’s simple. But it feels like magic.

First, Franklin believed that he had to pick 13 things that would enable his success. He chose them carefully based on what he aimed to achieve.

Here's the 13 principles Franklin picked (& then I’ll show you a modern spin on this).

Now those are obviously outdated, but the point is you have to start with the end in mind.

What do you want to become?

What skill sets would you have to master to achieve those things?

Look at people who have achieved what you want. What are they exceptional at?

Let’s look at a modern version.

A few years ago I compiled my own list of Franklin’s Principles - the 13 things I wanted to master 👇

1. Asking Questions
2. Thinking In Others’ Interest
3. Fundraising & Storytelling
4. Appreciation & Praise
5. Writing & Reading
6. Public Speaking
7. Listening
8. Recruiting
9. Vision
10. Leadership
11. SaaS
12. Software Sales
13. Venture Capital & Angel Investing

Try this for yourself!

Once you’ve picked your 13, Franklin had very specific instructions on HOW to master them.

Work on 1 principle every day for 1 week straight.

Spend the time you can - whether it’s 30 minutes or 2 hours a day.

When you’re working on a principle, you should be deeply STUDYING it. It’s like hitting the driving range, NOT playing 18. It’s practice time.

After the week is up, you move on to the next principle.

13 principles.

1 per week.

By the end of the year you will have spent 1 FULL MONTH of study in each key area.

This compounds FAST.

After 10 years you will have spent time every day for 40 months exclusively studying the items you want to master.

Most people don’t put in the work that it takes to become great.

They show up to work, clock in, and basically wing it.

If you put in the work you will find yourself getting really good at your principles, even within the first year.

By Year 10, you’ll be unstoppable.

I have a long way to go, but after a few years this model has done so much for me.

It’s helped me:
-Be a better leader and teammate
-Become very proficient in SaaS
-Raise $25M+
-Hire a team of 100+
-Acquire 200+ customers

It can do the same for you.

Thanks for reading. If you enjoyed or learned something from this please like/rt so others can too.

I share lessons learned from founding, operating, and investing in vertical software businesses. For more drop a follow @lukesophinos

Many more on the way in ‘22 🚀

PS - When I started tracking my principles I did it in @NotionHQ

Happy to share my template, just comment on the thread you’d like it and I’ll DM it to you!

At 17, Ben Franklin arrived in Philadelphia with a few $$ to his name.

By 42 he's rich & successful beyond his wildest dreams.

How?

He attributed his achievements to a “13 Principles" model.

This SIMPLE framework changed my life & will change yours too 👇🧵

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At 17, Ben Franklin arrived in Philadelphia with a few $$ to his name.By 42 he's rich & successful beyond his wildest dreams.How?He attributed his achievements to a “13 Principles" model. This SIMPLE framework changed my life & will change yours too 👇🧵

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At 17, Ben Franklin arrived in Philadelphia with a few $$ to his name.

By 42 he's rich & successful beyond his wildest dreams.

How?

He attributed his achievements to a “13 Principles" model.

This SIMPLE framework changed my life & will change yours too 👇🧵