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Whatever excites you, go do it. Whatever drains you, stop doing it.

Derek Sivers

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Derek Sivers
Age: 55
Born: 1969
Born: September 22
Businessperson
Musician
the United States of America
Whatever
Excites
Drains
Stop

More quotes by Derek Sivers

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It's only a little difficult to say no. You've got to believe that the work you're doing is ultimately more useful to the world.
Derek Sivers
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Make every decision—even decisions about whether to expand the business, raise money, or promote someone—according to what's best for your customers.
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The first follower is actually an underestimated form of leadership in itself. … The first follower is what transforms a lone nut into a leader.
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If you keep thinking about putting on a conference or being a Hollywood screenwriter, and you find the idea terrifies but intrigues you, it's probably a worthy endeavor for you. You grow (and thrive!) by doing what excites you and what scares you everyday, not by trying to find your passion.
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If I’m not saying ‘Hell Yeah!’ to something, then I say no.
Derek Sivers
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Learning. It's really the primary reason behind everything I do. Programming, entrepreneuring, writing.
Derek Sivers
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Are you helping people? Are they happy? Are you happy? Are you profitable? Isn't that enough?
Derek Sivers
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If it's not a hit, switch.
Derek Sivers
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You're free to do anything you want with your company. It's more like art. You don't have to follow any norms. It's an expression of how you feel the world should be. When you make a company, that's your little place to make your own little utopia.
Derek Sivers
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You can't please everyone, so proudly exclude people.
Derek Sivers
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Ideas are just a multiplier of execution.
Derek Sivers
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The most brilliant idea, with no execution, is worth $20. The most brilliant idea takes great execution to be worth $20,000,000.
Derek Sivers
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The single most important thing is to make people happy. If you are making people happy, as a side effect, they will be happy to open up their wallets and pay you.
Derek Sivers
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Don’t pursue business just for your own gain. Only answer the calls for help.
Derek Sivers
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Five years after I started CD Baby, when it was a big success, the media said I had revolutionized the music business. But 'revolution' is a term that people use only when you're successful. Before that, you're just a quirky person who does things differently.
Derek Sivers
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If you're not saying 'Hell Yeah' about something, say 'No'.
Derek Sivers
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Customer service is the new marketing.
Derek Sivers
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The most important lesson is probably to spend less than you earn.
Derek Sivers
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Most people don't know what they're talking about. They move their mouth and say things because they don't want to admit they don't know. Or they think they know, but it's just confabulation and biases. So ignore them unless what they say resonates with some real wisdom inside of you. Assume they're a fool and find out the truth for yourself.
Derek Sivers
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If you want to be useful, you can always start now. It will be a humble prototype of your grand vision, but you’ll be in the game. Start by teaching someone this week. Starting small puts 100% of your energy into solving real problems for real people.
Derek Sivers