#20 — Chutzpah/Mensch
I’m hoping to get the Chutzpah-Mensch Matrix added to business school textbooks.
The idea came from a conversation Glenn Kelman. When talking about the importance of humility, he said:
“Well, you have to have some chutzpah. […But] you have to subject your deepest held convictions to the possibility that you are totally wrong.”
I figured we could double down on the power of #BusinessYiddish and say: 1.) You need some chutzpah; 2.) But it’s more important to be a mensch.
And since I’m obsessed with 2x2s, I think it works this way:
Built in Seattle Podcast
🎙NEW EPISODE:
Galen Ward (co-founder & former CEO at Estately) talks about profitable growth, the story behind his acquisition, and finding the next idea.
On sticking with it:
“We really had no business starting Estately. Thankfully neither of us was employable at a tech company at that time. So we couldn't get a job and we had to just keep sticking with it, until it worked.”
On setting expectations:
“I had run a company that was good and was never a rocket ship long enough that I knew to keep my expectations reasonable. I'm not a golden child where everything just is perfect. So I didn't expect that this would go perfectly.”
Thank you for reading! Replies always welcome. 🙏
— Adam