Do the next right thing

I have four words on my right arm, “Do the next right thing.”

I got these words tatted on my arm several years ago when I needed a reminder of how to keep moving when the path forward wasn't clear.

Since losing our son, this has been my daily mantra.. to keep doing the next right thing even when it’s hard and I don’t feel like it. I shared more about this in last week's newsletter.

This week I’m going to share 4 things that have become super clear for me in the last few weeks, which I think are pretty relevant for everyone in this AI era we find ourselves in. I hope you find them helpful.

When I quit my corporate job to start StealthX in June 2024, I wrote down four things on a sticky note and put it on my desk:

Why?

Despite my best efforts, it’s gotten harder and harder to keep that at the forefront of my mind. A combination of project work, running the business, HR, accounting, marketing, etc. has gotten in the way.

Over the past three weeks my why has become absolutely crystal clear.

Some of what’s on my calendar was already in motion before my life turned upside down. The decision to exit a customer that was never the right fit, the move from our old office into our new home at the CLT Startup House, and making some operational changes.

The strategy hasn’t changed, but I’ve centered on my why again. Every decision is going through the same filter.. Does this give me more time with the people I love? Does it create more freedom/flexibility for me and my team? Is it actually fun, or are we just used to it? Is this going to cause the kind of BS that caused me to quit corporate?

When I run that filter it becomes really easy to say “No.” In the first few days back, I turned down several opportunities that I would have entertained six months ago. I’ve also deprioritized some things that seemed good originally, but I’ve cut now because they would have taken up more time or created BS.

I’m completely focused on cutting anything that doesn’t line up with my why. I encourage you to write down your why and keep returning to it as you navigate the AI disruption.

I've been the connective tissue at StealthX since day one. I’ve been the person who made sure things lined up and the fallback for decisions that nobody else wanted to own. I told myself it was because I was the founder. The truth is I really just worried about looking bad or someone not liking me.

The team didn't need me while I was gone. They made decisions, they did the work, they handled hard conversations. Instead of stepping into all those roles again, I'm letting people keep what they took on. I'm giving the projects and things I used to run to the people who have been running them and arguably should have been running them all along. I'm staying out of the middle of work I don't need to be in the middle of.

It feels strange but it also feels right. The team is better for it and I have time and attention to focus elsewhere.

In the age of AI, focus your energy on the right inputs. Don’t try and be a hero and do all the things all the time. When AI makes execution easier, it’s easy to fall into the trap of trying to do it all.

Just because you can, doesn’t mean you should.

We had the idea to build an app for a client with a 2-day window before a big demo. We had nothing on Monday night, and I built a functioning version app to show the client by Tuesday afternoon.

Our client got something real and we get to see what they actually care about, not what we (or they) thought they cared about.

Ship something fast, learn from it, then iterate or decide what to build next. Speed to insight and value is crucial. Don’t let perfect be the enemy of great.

That's the model we’ve been running for a while, but I want to be insanely great at this.

In the age of AI be focused on shipping quickly, getting feedback, learning fast, and most importantly.. delivering real value.

The reason my family and I have made it through the past several weeks is because of God and community.

Friends have showed up at our door with meals, family has stepped in with our kids, the team has carried the business while I was away. Strangers have sent countless text messages and DM’s on LinkedIn, Instagram, and Messenger. Hospital and funeral home staff have treated us with extraordinary care on the worst days of our lives.

Community is crucial.

That's why I made the call this week to accelerate the opening of the CLT Startup House and launch on May 15th.

We've been planning for months, but the past three weeks crystallized why it matters. People need a place to do work, but they need a place to belong even more. The hardest stretches of building anything come with isolation and loneliness. Building a company is HARD. The house is built around that idea.

In the age of AI, people are isolated and loneliness is continuing to rise. Focus on investing in strong relationships with real people and cultivating community. AI can’t replicate this.

The world is crazy. Everything’s going 100 mph. I took 2 weeks off to grieve and it feels like a year flew by in the AI world. The pace of change can make it feel like you’re falling behind or need to do more.

Going through this incredibly hard experience has reminded me that when I feel overwhelmed and not sure what to do:

Loss makes you ruthless about what matters. I'd be stupid to waste this clarity and not let it change me. I hope the clarity helps you too.

Onward & upward 🤘
Drew

P.s. If you're in Charlotte, come hang out with me at the CLT Startup House launch on May 15th. The house is an absolutely beautiful and historic home at 1717 Cleveland Ave, nestled between South End and Dilworth. It’s completely centered on cultivating a strong community where serendipitous collisions and collaboration happens.