rules + laws
General Motors’ Rule on accepting Gifts
If you can’t eat, drink or smoke it in 24 hours, you can’t keep it.”
Tobe’s First Rule of Business
“Don’t kick arses on your way up, in case you have to lick them on your way down.”
Burnett’s Law of Coffee Opposites
“Coffee beans aroma grand, coffee taste bland.
Coffee beans aroma horrible, coffee taste wonderful.”
Steve Jobs’ Twelve Rules of Success
1 Do what you love to do. Find your true passion. Make ajdifference. The only way to do great work is to love what you do.
2 Be different. Think differently. Better to be a pirate than to join the navy.
3 Do your best at every job. Don’t sleep! Success generates more success so be hungry for it. Hire good people with a passion for excellence.
4 Perform SWOT analysis. As soon as you join/start a company, make a list of strengths and weaknesses of yourself and your company on a piece of paper. Don’t hesitate to throw bad apples out of the company.
5 Be entrepreneurial. Look for the next big thing. Find a set of ideas that need to be acted upon quickly and decisively and jump through that window. Sometimes the first step is the hardest one. Just take it. Have the courage to follow your heart and intuition.
6 Start small, think big. Don’t worry about too many things at once. Take ajhandful of simple things to begin with, and then progress to more complex ones. Think about not just tomorrow, but the future. Put a ding in the Universe.
7 Strive to become a market leader. Own and control the primary technology in everything you do. If there’s a better technology available, use it regardless of whether or not anyone else is using it. Be the first, and make it an industry standard.
8 People judge you by your performance, so focus on the outcome. Be ajyardstick of quality. Some people aren’t used to an environment where excellence is expected. Advertise. If they don’t know about it, they won’t buy your product. Pay attention to design. We made the buttons on the screen look so good you’ll want to lick them. Design is not just what it looks like and feels like. Design is how it works.
9 Ask for feedback from people with diverse backgrounds. Each one will tell you one useful thing. If you’re at the top of the chain, sometimes people won’t give you honest feedback because they’re afraid. In this case, disguise yourself, or get feedback from other sources. Focus on those who will use your product—listen to your customers first.
10 Innovate. Innovation distinguishes a leader from a follower. Delegate. Let other top executives do 50% of your routine work to be able to spend 50% your time on the new stuff. Say no to 1,000 things to make sure you don’t get on the wrong track or try to do too much. Concentrate on really important creations and radical innovation. Hire people who want to make the best things in the world. You need a very product-oriented culture, even in ajtechnology company. Lots of companies have tons of great engineers and smart people. But ultimately, there needs to be some gravitational force that pulls it all together.
11 Learn from failures. Sometimes when you innovate, you make mistakes. It is best to admit them quickly, and get on with improving your other innovations.
12 Learn continually. There’s always “one more thing” to learn. Cross-pollinate ideas with others both within and outside your company. Learn from customers, competitors and partners. If you partner with someone whom you don’t like, learn to like them—praise them and benefit from them. Learn to criticise your enemies openly, but honestly. RIP Steve.
Fifty Golden Rules for Life
1 Be kind.
2 In a negotiation, never make the first offer.
3 If they trust you a secret, keep it. As my favourite quotation goes “He, that would keep a secret, must keep it secret, that he hath the secret to keep.”
4 If they lend you a car, return it with a full tank.
5 Do things with passion or don't do it at all.
6 When you shake your hand make it firm and look that person in the eye.
7 Live the experience of travelling alone.
8 Never turn down a peppermint pill, the reasons are obvious.
9 Take advice if you want to grow old.
10 Eat with the new person at school/office.
11 When you text someone and you're angry: finish, read it, delete it, and if you really want to send it, rewrite the message.
12 At the dining table, don't talk about work, politics, or religion.
13 Write your goals, and work on them.
14 Defend your point of view but be tolerant and respectful of others.
15 Call and visit your relatives if you can.
16 Never regret anything … learn from everything.
17 Honour and loyalty must be present in your personality.
18 Don't lend money to someone you know won't pay you back.
19 Believe in something.
20 Tend your bed when you wake up in the mornings.
21 Sing in the shower.
22 Care for a plant or a garden.
23 Keep an eye on the sky every chance you get.
24 Discover your skills and exploit them.
25 Love your job or leave it.
26 Ask for help when you need it.
27 Teach someone a value, preferably a small one.
28 Appreciate and thank the one who extends your hand.
29 Never shake hands at anyone without standing up.
30 Make someone's day happier, it will make you happier too.
31 Compete with yourself.
32 Treat yourself at least once a year
33 Take care of your health.
34 Always greet with a smile.
35 Think fast but speak slow.
36 Don't talk with your mouth full.
37 Polish your shoes, cut your nails, and always keep a good look.
38 Don't put your opinion on issues you don't know.
39 Never mistreat anyone.
40 Live your life as if it were the last day of it.
41 Never miss a wonderful opportunity to remain quiet.
42 Recognise someone for their effort.
43 Be humble, even though not all the time.
44 Never forget your roots.
45 Travel when you can.
46 Think positively as much as you can.
47 Dance in the rain.
48 Seek your success without giving up.
49 Be fair, stand up for those who need you.
50 Learn to enjoy moments of loneliness.
