I’m 42.
The first 10 years of my career were a roller coaster of emotions:
我 42 岁了。
我职业生涯的前十年经历了情绪的过山车：
- Rejected by MSFT
- Rejected by Google (2x)
- Fired by FB after 9 months
- Fired by mint .com after 10 months
- Built 20+ startups that didn’t work out
But I’ve also:
- Built AppSumo to $100M/year in revenue (AppSumo 的年收入达到 1 亿美元)
- Grew my YouTube channel to 1M+ subscribers (我的 YouTube 频道订阅者数量超过 100 万)
- And have interviewed 1% of the world’s billionaires (并采访过全球 1% 的亿万富翁)
In short… I’ve made A LOT of mistakes. But I’ve also learned a lot.
简而言之……我犯了很多错误。 但我也学到了很多东西。
Today, I want to share a few pieces of brutally honest career advice that I’d give to my younger self (so you can avoid some of my pitfalls).
今天，我想分享一些我给年轻时的自己的一些极其诚实的职业建议（这样你就可以避免我的一些陷阱）。
1/ It’s okay to feel lost 感到失落没关系
When I was younger, all my friends were becoming accountants, consultants, and bankers… but I knew that wasn’t for me. At the time, I felt lost and confused.
当我年轻的时候，我所有的朋友都成为会计师、顾问和银行家……但我知道那不适合我。 当时我感到失落和迷茫。
But looking back, I was exactly where I needed to be.
但回想起来，我正是在我需要去的地方。
When you’re in your 20s, you’re not supposed to know exactly what you want to do with your career.
当你 20 多岁的时候，你不应该确切地知道自己想做什么。
Instead of trying to predict your career path, focus on taking daily action.
不要试图预测你的职业道路，而是专注于采取日常行动。
2/ Take more swings 进行更多的挥杆
I tried A LOT of businesses when I was young and broke, but I had a lot of time (Everspeed, CollegeUp, HFG Consulting, Entrepreneur27, etc.).
当我年轻且破产时，我尝试过很多生意，但我有很多时间（Everspeed、CollegeUp、HFG Consulting、Entrepreneur27 等）。
Early in your career, you can afford to take more risks because you have fewer obligations.
在职业生涯的早期，您可以承担更多的风险，因为您的义务较少。
Create your own luck by taking a lot of relentless action.
通过采取大量不懈的行动来创造自己的运气。
- Do free work to get your foot in the door 做免费工作以迈出第一步
- Fly across the country to meet with an investor 飞越全国与投资者会面
- Start the crazy business idea with your roommate 与你的室友一起开始疯狂的商业想法
Take more swings. You only need ONE to win.
进行更多的摆动。 您只需要一个即可获胜。
3/ Be the hub 成为枢纽
When I graduated from UC Berkeley in 2004, I hosted dinners, beer meetups, and conferences…even when I didn’t know anyone.
Me (in background) + Tim Ferriss at a meetup
The interesting people I helped at the time, like Ramit Sethi, Tim Ferriss, and Ryan Holiday ended up helping me 15 years down the line.
One way to get started right NOW:
Ask the smartest people you know, “Who is ONE person I should meet?’
A coffee or Zoom meeting may be the smartest investment you’ll ever make!
2004 年，当我从加州大学伯克利分校毕业时，我举办了晚宴、啤酒聚会和会议……即使我不认识任何人。
我（在背景中）+ Tim Ferriss 在一次聚会上
当时我帮助过的一些有趣的人，比如 Ramit Sethi、Tim Ferriss 和 Ryan Holiday，最终在 15 年后仍然帮助了我。
立即开始的一种方法：
问问你认识的最聪明的人，“我应该认识谁？”
喝咖啡或 Zoom 会议可能是您做过的最明智的投资！
4/ Document your learning online 在线记录您的学习情况
I’ve been writing on my personal blog since 2000 (!!)
自 2000 年以来我一直在我的个人博客上写作（!!）
It’s led me to connect with amazing people and meet my business partner Chad Boyda.
它让我结识了出色的人，并认识了我的商业伙伴查德·博伊达。
Creating content is a career cheat code.
创建内容是一种职业作弊代码。
Worst case? You learn how to write and promote your work.
最坏的情况下？ 您学习如何写作和推广您的作品。
Best case? You attract life-changing opportunities.
最好的情况？ 你会吸引改变生活的机会。
You also get to look back on yourself and appreciate how far you’ve come. 😌
您还可以回顾自己并欣赏自己已经走了多远。
5/ Learn copywriting 学习撰稿
When I first started AppSumo, my buddy Neville tried to convince me to let him use “Copywriting” in our emails to help generate more sales.
当我第一次启动 AppSumo 时，我的好友 Neville 试图说服我让他在我们的电子邮件中使用“文案写作”来帮助产生更多销售额。
I was skeptical, and for good reason!
我对此表示怀疑，这是有充分理由的！
The first line of the email he wrote was “If you get a boner when I whisper the word ‘Garamond’ into your ear…..you might be interested.” 🙈
他写的电子邮件的第一行是“如果当我在你耳边低声说出‘Garamond’这个词时你感到很生气……你可能会感兴趣。”
But guess what? The day that Neville’s email was sent out was the first day AppSumo made a $10,000 profit in a single day.
但猜猜怎么了？ Neville 的电子邮件发出的那天是 AppSumo 单日盈利 10,000 美元的第一天。
Copywriting is not about hitting a word count or writing a five-paragraph essay.
文案写作并不是要达到字数统计或写一篇五段文章。
It’s about capturing attention and persuading action.
这是为了吸引注意力并说服人们采取行动。
You will never be disappointed by improving your communication skills.
提高你的沟通技巧永远不会让你失望。
Two great resources:
两个很棒的资源：
- The Boron Letters (It’s free!)
- Neville Medhora’s Copywriting Course
6/ Master the art of the cold email 掌握冷电子邮件的艺术
I’ve been sending cold emails since I was a freshman at UC Berkeley.
自从我在加州大学伯克利分校读一年级以来，我就一直在发送冷冰冰的电子邮件。
The best cold emails:
最好的冷电子邮件：
- Get to the point 进入正题
- Instantly grab attention 立即吸引注意力
- Answer “What’s in it for me?” 回答“这对我有什么好处？”
If you don’t get a response? Follow up without being rude.
如果没有得到回复？ 跟进但不要粗鲁。
If you shoot 100 shots, you’re bound to land one hit.
如果你射击 100 次，你一定会击中一球。
7/ Mentors are overrated 导师被高估了
Wanna know the best way to find a mentor? Become someone worth mentoring.
想知道寻找导师的最佳方式吗？ 成为值得指导的人。
- Start things 开始做事
- Encounter a problem 遇到问题
- Ask for SPECIFIC feedback, not advice 寻求具体反馈，而不是建议
- Report back on how you did 报告你的表现
- Repeat 🔁 重复
You’ll realize you never needed a “mentor” in the first place.
你会意识到你从一开始就不需要“导师”。
8/ Build independent income streams 建立独立的收入来源
When I was young, I thought I was special because I started many businesses in college, had a blog, and worked at Facebook.
当我年轻的时候，我认为自己很特别，因为我在大学里创办了许多企业，拥有博客，并在 Facebook 工作。
The reality was I was dependent on my boss.
现实是我依赖我的老板。
Getting fired taught me that EVERYONE is replaceable.
被解雇告诉我，每个人都是可以替代的。
One of my first side hustles (freecallsto.com) only made around $50/month BUT taught me the fundamentals of coding and marketing.
我的第一个副业 (freecallsto.com) 每月只赚 50 美元左右，但教会了我编码和营销的基础知识。
Start more side hustles. You’ll learn more, earn independent income, and maybe even replace your income to go full-time.
开始更多的副业。 你会学到更多，赚取独立收入，甚至可能取代你的收入去做全职工作。
9/ Give way less fucks about other people 少管别人的事
No amount of money, followers, or acknowledgment will quench your thirst for fulfillment if you don’t learn to be proud of yourself.
如果你不学会为自己感到骄傲，那么再多的金钱、追随者或认可也无法满足你对成就感的渴望。
The truth is the people you’re trying to impress aren’t even thinking about you in the first place.
事实是，你试图打动的人一开始根本就没有想到你。
Instead of trying to prove others wrong, prove yourself right.
与其试图证明别人错了，不如证明自己是对的。
10/ Have more patience that it will work out 要有更多的耐心，它会成功的
In my 20s, I was impatient to get rich and famous. I beat myself up a ton.
在我 20 多岁的时候，我迫不及待地想要变得富有和出名。 我狠狠地打败了自己。
That’s a miserable way to live. You don’t have to be so hard on yourself.
这是一种悲惨的生活方式。 你不必对自己太苛刻。
If you’re doing the reps, the results WILL pay off.
如果你做重复次数，结果就会得到回报。
Wealth comes from compounded time.
财富来自复合时间。
Be impatient with actions and patient with results.
对行动不耐烦，对结果有耐心。
11/ Practice positive self-talk 练习积极的自言自语
After getting fired from Facebook, it took years to make peace with the voice in my head.
被 Facebook 解雇后，我花了好几年的时间才与脑海中的声音和平相处。
I ignored all the cliche mindset advice because I wasn’t where I wanted to be in life.
我忽略了所有陈词滥调的心态建议，因为我没有达到我想要的生活状态。
But as I’ve gotten older and more mature – I’ve realized how powerful your self-confidence matters for your life and business.
但随着我年龄的增长和成熟，我意识到你的自信对你的生活和事业有多么重要。
A practice that’s helped:
一个有帮助的做法：
Any time you say something negative about yourself, also say something positive. (Thanks Tynan for the tip.)
每当你对自己说一些消极的话时，也要说一些积极的话。 （感谢泰南的提示。）
You can be your biggest critic as long as you’re also your biggest cheerleader.
只要你也是你最大的啦啦队长，你就可以成为你最大的批评者。
What’s something nice that you can say to yourself right NOW?
您现在可以对自己说些什么好话吗？
12/ Don’t jump ship too early 不要太早放弃
One of my biggest regrets is shutting down CommunityNext (my conference business) when I should have hired someone to keep running it.
我最大的遗憾之一是关闭了 CommunityNext（我的会议业务），而我本应该聘请某人来继续运营它。
Someone else took that idea, ran with it, and sold it for multiple millions of dollars.
其他人接受了这个想法，付诸实施，并以数百万美元的价格出售。
Instead of quitting when it gets boring – find someone to run it while you work on the next thing.
当事情变得无聊时，不要退出，而是在你处理下一件事情时找人来运行它。
13/ Don’t let work consume your life 别让工作吞噬你的生活
I worked A LOT in my 20s.
我在 20 多岁时工作了很多。
I don’t regret it – because it got me to where I am today.
我不后悔——因为它让我达到了今天的水平。
But don’t forget to have fun too!
但也不要忘记享受乐趣！
Your youth is about a diversity of experiences.
你的青春就是各种各样的经历。
Play sports. Travel abroad. Hang out with friends.
做运动。 出国旅行。 和朋友出去玩。
Ironically, doing those things will give you more inspiration for your work.
具有讽刺意味的是，做这些事情会给你的工作带来更多灵感。
14/ Peer up the career ladder 审视职业阶梯
I wish I job shadowed and interviewed more people.
我希望我的工作能够跟踪并采访更多的人。
In school, we’re conditioned to fall in love with job titles, without knowing the day-to-day work.
在学校里，我们习惯于爱上工作头衔，而不了解日常工作。
It sounds cool to be a surgeon until you realize you have to deal with blood all day.
当一名外科医生听起来很酷，直到你意识到你必须整天处理血液。
Here’s a template you can use:
这是您可以使用的模板：
“Hey, I’m a Senior at X college interested in [specific field]. Can I see what you do for a day?”
“嘿，我是 X 学院的一名大四学生，对[特定领域]感兴趣。 我可以看看你一天都在做什么吗？”
Don’t let an impressive-sounding title distract you from what matters most: doing work you enjoy.
不要让听起来令人印象深刻的标题分散您对最重要事情的注意力：做您喜欢的工作。
15/ Your network DOES matter 你的网络很重要
Growing up in the bay was a huge cheat code.
在海湾长大是一个巨大的作弊代码。
I was surrounded by talented and driven people.
我周围都是才华横溢、有干劲的人。
As cliche as it may be, the people in your life DO matter a ton.
尽管这可能是陈词滥调，但你生活中的人确实非常重要。
If you can’t geographically surround yourself with exceptional people, surround yourself digitally.
如果你无法在地理上让自己身边都是优秀的人，那就用数字方式让自己置身于其中。
Who’s on your WhatsApp? Text groups? Twitter DMs?
谁在你的 WhatsApp 上？ 文本组？ Twitter 私信？
And are those people helping you get closer or further from your goals?
这些人是在帮助你更接近还是更远离你的目标？
16/ Read more biographies 阅读更多传记
A wise friend once told me, “There are million-dollar lessons hidden in $30 books.”
一位明智的朋友曾经告诉我：“30 美元的书中隐藏着价值数百万美元的教训。”
Biographies give you a unique peek into the lives of great people.
传记让您以独特的视角了解伟人的生活。
Instead of learning from your own mistakes, why not learn from those who have come before you?
与其从自己的错误中学习，为什么不向前人学习呢？
Some of my favorites:
我最喜欢的一些：
- Steve Jobs 史蒂夫·乔布斯
- Bill Gates 比尔·盖茨
- Dalai Lama 达赖喇嘛
17/ Keep a journal 记日记
I’ve kept a private blog since my time at Facebook.
自从在 Facebook 工作以来，我就一直保留着一个私人博客。
It’s helped me become aware of my thought process and emotions.
它帮助我意识到自己的思维过程和情绪。
Document how you’re thinking about your life as you’re living it.
记录下您在生活中如何思考自己的生活。
You don’t even need to share it online.
您甚至不需要在线分享。
Plus, it’s cool to see how your thinking evolves.
另外，看到你的思维如何演变也很酷。
18/ You’re gonna be okay 你会没事的
You’re young.
你年轻。
It’s okay if you don’t have everything figured out.
如果您还没有弄清楚所有事情也没关系。
Zoom out. We’re just a bunch of monkeys floating around on a tiny rock in space.
缩小。 我们只是一群漂浮在太空小岩石上的猴子。
Hang around optimistic people. Do things that inspire you. Enjoy the party while we’re around.
和乐观的人在一起。 做一些激励你的事情。 当我们在场时，享受派对吧。
It will all work out.
一切都会成功的。
Rooting for you,
Noah 🌮
PS. Million Dollar Weekend is the business book I wish I had when I was younger. It contains everything I’ve learned from building eight million-dollar businesses. Let’s build your dream business this weekend! 💚
附言：《百万美元周末》是我年轻时希望拥有的商业书籍。它包含了我从建立 800 万美元的企业中学到的一切。这个周末让我们建立您的梦想事业！
