What's up, beautiful people? This is Srinath.
And once again, welcome back to the One Bliss podcast.
So in this particular episode, I am very much excited to share
with you one of the book summaries that we have created
using AI like a podcast style episode summarizing the book
called 10X is easier than 2X by the author Dan Sullivan.
So now this is one of the important book considered as one
of the important books that everyone should read in their
lifetimes. No matter if you are a
entrepreneur, wannabe entrepreneur, if you are
businessman, if you are a student, if you are a busy
professional, job holder etcetera.
Irrespective to your profession, this is one of the must read
books because this book going to show you how achieving higher or
bigger goals like 10X goals or 10X visions is very much easier
compared to achieving a 2X or smaller goals.
OK, but with that said, without wasting any time, let's dive
into the podcast and let's get started.
You ever feel like you're just drowning in information?
Like you really want that shortcut, that clear
understanding of the big ideas that actually matter?
That you know, the stuff that could really change how you
think without digging through tons of noise.
Absolutely. That feeling of overwhelm is
real. Well, that's exactly what we're
trying to do right here in this deep dive.
Yeah, today we're getting into 10X thinking, specifically
looking at Doctor Benjamin Hardy's book 10X is Easier than
Two X. We've sort of pulled out the key
stuff from the book. The core concepts.
Right. The core concepts that show how
you can get, well, massive growth, but it's about shifting
your mindset, like fundamentally, not just tweaking
things. Exactly.
Forget just aiming for 2X, you know, doubling down.
This isn't about small steps, you know, It's a completely
different kind of jump, a transformation really, in how
you tackle life, work, everything.
We're going to unpack the main principles of this 10X idea
using examples from Hardy's book.
Yeah. So you can see it's a whole new
way of operating. It's definitely not just like 10
times the workload. Yeah, definitely not.
So let's get right into it. The basic difference between
going for 2X and aiming for 10X? OK, the book explains that 2X
growth. It often looks like like a
straight line. You're doing more of what you
already do building on the past, right?
Linear, like trying to run faster by just adding a tiny bit
more effort each time. Same strategy.
Exactly. But 10X, that's total different,
the book really stresses it's a qualitative shift.
Qualitative, OK. Yeah, this kind of thinking
needs a whole new approach. And what's interesting is Hardy
suggests this shift can actually help you by cast the usual
stress and burnout. The burnout you get from just
grinding for that 2X. Yeah, precisely.
And it unlocks, you know, much bigger results, disproportionate
results. So where does that change start?
Well, the book argues, the most critical change is internal.
It's inside you, specifically your vision, what you believe is
possible, and your identity, how you see yourself, Hardy says.
When you change those core things, everything else starts
to line up naturally. Your actions, your standards,
they all rise to meet that new vision.
It's like upgrading your internal operating system or
something. That's a great way to put it,
and the book introduces this idea.
It's pretty powerful that 10X becomes a kind of perceptual
filter. A filter.
So, well, suddenly every situation, every opportunity,
even obstacles, you see them through this 10X lens.
You're automatically looking for that exponential potential.
And things that don't fit that just fall away.
Naturally, they just don't compute with the new filter.
OK, that makes sense. And this leads straight into
another key point, focusing on quality, not just quantity.
The book uses Michelangelo as like the perfect example.
I mean, obviously he produced a lot of work for sure.
Incredible output. But his legacy, why we still
talk about him? It's not just the volume.
It's the sheer quality, right? The the, the David, the Sistine
Chapel, Yeah, it's just breathtaking.
Exactly, the book says every time he aimed for that 10 Act
impact, he created something almost transcendent.
And sure, he worked hard, but lots of people work hard, right?
Yeah, tons of people are busy, but maybe not getting those
breakthrough results. That's the point. 10X isn't just
about being busier, it's a fundamental upgrade in what
you're doing. Like the book says, moving from
crawling to walking, it's a different mode entirely.
And that connects back to what we were saying at the start,
wanting knowledge quickly but also deeply.
Precisely 10X thinking isn't about just consuming more stuff,
It's about zeroing in on the knowledge, the actions that
actually generate the biggest, most meaningful impact.
For now, learning to see what really counts.
So, OK, how do we actually make that leap, that qualitative
jump? Well, the book explains, it
starts with dramatically expanding your vision and your
standards for yourself. Setting your sights way higher
than what feels comfortable or immediately achievable.
Exactly, aiming far beyond the horizon.
But it's not just dreaming bigger.
There are practical steps too, like simplifying your strategy
right down to the bone. What's truly essential?
Ruthlessly cutting out everything else, The non
critical stuff. Getting rid of the clutter,
yeah. And then developing deep like
mastery in your unique strengths, your zone of genius,
and crucially, learning to lead and empower others who buy into
that big vision. People who are excited about it
too, right? It can't just be you.
And the book frames this whole process as as personal evolution
almost. Very much so.
It describes it like peeling away layers.
Each time you commit to a 10X goal, you're kind of shedding an
old version of yourself. It pushes you towards who you
could ultimately become. That idea of letting go seems
important. Then hugely important.
Which brings us to Dan Sullivan's 8020 framework.
The book really highlights this as vital for 10X.
The trado principle right, 80% of results come from 20% of
effort. Basically, yeah.
But applied to 10X it means you often have to intentionally let
go of the 80%. Let go of what?
Activities, clients, even ways of thinking.
The stuff that takes up most of your time but doesn't yield the
big results. The stuff that's actually
holding you back. Even if it feels comfortable or
necessary. Especially if it feels
comfortable. That's often the trap.
The book shares a story about entrepreneurs and strategic
coach Sullivan's program. They did this exercise identify
their top 20% of client, The ones bringing in 80% of the
money sure, but also generating the most like excitement and
energy. So not just revenue, but also
the feel of the work. Exactly.
And just seeing that clearly laid out, it's powerful
realization, it shows you what's really driving things.
I can imagine. And the book contrasts different
client types, like think about a $500 client versus a $50,000
client. The $500 one might constantly
question things, demand a lot of hand holding, take up loads of
time, the 80% stuff. Right, I know those ones.
Whereas the $50,000 client might just say right payment set
thanks, they trust your expertise, they operate at a
different level. It shows the difference between
a 2X dynamic and a potential 10X dynamic.
That's a stark difference. Is there a company example?
Yeah, Carson Holmquist's company Stream Logistics, they dealt
with freight initially. They focused on what they called
routine fight, kind of the bread and butter, the 80%.
But then they made a strategic shift.
They focused only on high stakes freight.
They're crucial, 20%. They're really important
shipments. Exactly.
And the result? A huge jump in profitability,
significantly higher, and they didn't even need to hire more
people. Wow, so focusing on the 20%
actually made them more profitable with the same
resources. That's the power of quality over
quantity in action. It demonstrates how 10X often
leads to simplification. You get clear on the vital few
and the trivial many become easier to drop.
Where it's just trying for 2X. Trying to optimize everything
can actually make things more complex.
Often, yeah, you're managing more, juggling more, trying to
squeeze incremental gains everywhere. 10X cuts through
that. OK, this is fascinating.
Now there's another shift mentioned moving from needing to
wanting. What's that about?
This is a really deep one. The book explores the huge
difference between operating from a place of need, like
scarcity, needing security, being reactive, versus operating
from want. Wanting meaning, abundance,
freedom, creativity. Exactly, operating from genuine
desire, from a place of freedom, it fuels a completely different
kind of energy and action. And Dan Sullivan comes up again
here. Yeah, with this idea that you
don't actually have to justify your wants.
That's counterintuitive, isn't it?
We always feel like we need a reason, especially for big
ambition. Right, We're conditioned that
way, but the book uses this example like restoring an old
car. OK, By doing that, by pursuing
that passion, developing those skills, creating something
valuable, you're generating wealth value.
It's not a 0 sum game. You aren't taking it from
someone else, you're creating. It so wanting something isn't
inherently selfish or taking away from others.
Not necessarily, no. The book breaks it down into
four key differences between need and one.
Let's hear them, OK? One needing is often driven by
external stuff, pressures, circumstances.
Wanting comes from within. Internal versus external.
Got it. 2 Needing is rooted in seeking security.
Wanting is fueled by seeking freedom.
Security versus freedom. OK, three needing comes from a
scarcity mindset. There's not enough wanting comes
from abundant. There's plenty.
Let's create more. Scarcity versus abundance.
And four, needing tends to make you reactive, responding to
problems. Wanting is inherently creative,
building something new. That's a clear distinction,
Reactive versus creative. And the story of Brian Armstrong
at Coinbase really shows this. Crypto exchange, yeah.
During a really intense time socially and politically, he
made this tough call. He decided Coinbase needed to
refocus only on its core mission, increasing economic
freedom. I.
Remember that it was controversial.
Very, but it was driven by a clear want, the desire to stick
to their purpose rather than getting pulled into perceived
needs to comment on everything or please everyone.
And how did that turn out? Ultimately, it led to a more
focused and arguably more successful company.
They weathered the storm by sticking to their core want.
It really makes you think, doesn't it?
Am I running on need energy or want energy in different parts
of my life? Exactly, that shift seems
absolutely fundamental for unlocking that 10X gear.
So if you're focused on your want and your core 20%, how do
you actually do everything? This leads to The Who, not how
idea. Perfect transition, yes.
Who, not how, is presented as a key strategy essential for
hitting those big 10X goals without burning yourself out
completely? So instead of obsessing over how
to do every single task. Especially that 80% that isn't
your core strength. Right.
Instead, you focus on finding The Who.
Exactly. The people who already know how
or even better, love doing those things.
The things that drain you might energize someone else.
The James Clear example fits here, doesn't it?
With Atomic habits. Perfectly while writing the
book, he poured his energy into the writing itself.
His absolute 20%, his genius zone and the.
REST marketing operations. He delegated it, found the right
who's for his team to handle those aspects that freed him up
to do the deep work only he could do to create maximum
impact with the book. That makes sense.
Delegate the 80% to stay in your 20% genius zone.
Precisely. It frees up your time, your
energy, your focus for innovation and the big leaps.
But what if you hire the wrong who?
That's a real fear for people wasting time, money.
Totally legitimate concern and the book tackles this.
It encourages adopting a gain mindset, not a gap mindset,
remember. That focus on progress from the
start, not the distance to the ideal.
Yes, so even a miss hire isn't a total failure, it's a learning
experience. You gained information.
OK, what did I learn about what I really need?
How can I hire better next time? Exactly.
It helps you refine your requirements, sharpen your
standards. It makes you a better buyer.
As Sullivan put the clearer on the outcome you want and who you
need. OK, let's shift gears again.
Time. The book talks about time
differently, Kronos versus Kairos.
Yes, this is fascinating. So Kronos is like regular clock
time, quantitative minutes, hours, schedules ticking by.
The way most of us think about time, meetings, deadline.
Right, but Tenex thinking leverages Kairos.
That's qualitative time. All or tative?
Time. Meaning it's about the quality
of the time, not just the duration.
It's about creating bigger dedicated blocks for deep work,
for flow, for creativity, and importantly, for recovery.
Not just fragmented hours dropped up by notifications and
meetings. Exactly, the book on here is the
standard 9 to 5 industrial era model is often super inefficient
for the kind of deep thinking and breakthroughs needed for 10X
growth today. Are there examples of this
Kairos time? Definitely thank LeBron James,
the book mentions his focus on recovery sleeping like 10-12
hours a night sometime. Wow, it's a lot.
It is, but it's not just laziness.
It's a strategic use of qualitative time.
He's investing in his body's ability to perform at an
absolutely elite level, maximizing his unique ability.
It's. Part of his performance system.
Totally. And another example, Bill
Gates's Think Weeks. Oh yeah, where he goes off grid.
Completely disconnects, just reads, thinks, reflects, no
distractions. That's pure Cairo's time,
dedicated to generating big ideas and setting strategic
direction. Major breakthroughs came from
those weeks. So it's about intentionally
structuring time for high impact activities, not just letting the
clock dictate thing. Precisely, the book says 10X
leaders are visionaries, transformational leaders, not
just managers checking boxes. They build teams of other
leaders. And practically, how does that
look day-to-day? The advice is to focus on maybe
just two or three really important flow inducing
objectives each day. The vital 20% that isn't urgent
but drives real long term progress.
Block out time for that. The important not just the
urgent. You got it.
So OK, 10X isn't just a destination you reach in and
stop. It sounds like ongoing.
Absolutely, the book emphasizes. It's a continuous journey, a
process of evolution and. That's where the game comes in
again, right? Not just hiring, but measuring
progress. Exactly.
The gap in the game framework is key here.
Most people naturally measure themselves against their ideal
future, the gap. I'm not there yet, I still have
so far to go. Right.
And that often leads to feeling discouraged, dissatisfied, like
you're failing even when you're making progress.
It's a recipe for unhappiness. Totally.
So the book strongly pushes you to flip that.
Measure your progress against where you started.
That's the gain. Acknowledging how far you've
come. Yes, seeing the progress you've
actually made, this builds confidence, creates momentum,
makes you want to keep going. It fuels the journey.
That feels much more positive and sustainable.
It really is, and the book uses this sobering analogy, the Mount
Erebus plane crash. Oh wow, what happened there?
A tiny error in the flight coordinates, just two degrees
off seemed insignificant. But over the course of the
flight. It led the plane directly into a
mountain. Devastating.
The point is, in 10X growth, even seemingly small changes in
your trajectory, your direction, if applied consistently, lead to
massively different outcomes down the line.
So getting the direction right, even if the steps seem small
initially, is critical. Absolutely critical.
Are you consistently moving towards your 10X vision or are
small deviations taking you way off course over time?
It really makes you think about tracking progress and direction,
not just effort. Are you in the gap or
celebrating the game? Precisely.
Now, another piece of this continuous journey is developing
your unique ability. You mentioned it earlier, how
central is that? It's presented as absolutely
core to making these 10X leaps. It's about figuring out what you
specifically do best, what makes you uniquely valuable, and then
pouring your energy into cultivating that.
Becoming the best, most unique version of yourself.
Exactly. The book introduces something
called the Dream Check. It's a tool to help clarify that
core 20% your unique ability zone and then focus your
development efforts there to hit those big ambitious goals.
Is there an example of someone doing this really well?
Paul Rodriguez, the skateboarder P Rod, the book highlights.
Oh. Yeah, legend, right?
He didn't just get good at skating and stop.
He constantly evolved his skills, his style and his
understanding of the business side.
He always operated from that. Want energy we talked about?
You stay passionate. Yeah.
And strategically positioned himself as the buyer in his
collaborations, especially with Nike.
He wasn't just taking a deal, he was shaping the partnership
based on his vision, Which? Gave him creative control and
LED to long term success. Exactly.
Continuous development of his unique ability combined with
smart positioning that. Idea of being the buyer, shading
the relationship. It links to another concept,
doesn't it? Transformational relationship.
Yes, perfectly. The book contrasts transactional
relationships with transformational.
Ones transactional is tit for tat equal exchange pretty much.
Focus on what's in it for me, keeping score.
Transformational relationships, though, they're different.
How so? It's about both sides winning,
but winning in the ways that they uniquely value.
It's not about a 5050 split of the same thing, It's about
mutual growth towards individual and shared goals without needing
constant justification. So everyone wins if the
relationship keeps evolving, keeps going 10X.
That's the idea. Everyone thrives when the
relationship itself makes those 10X jumps together.
The danger is when it's stagnate, slips into a 2X
maintenance mode, then the energy fades and everyone kind
of loses. It needs to keep growing.
Yeah, the book quotes Doctor James Carsier on finite and
infinite games. Finite games have winners and
losers. Infinite games are about
continuing the play. Exactly.
Transformational relationships operate like infinite games.
The goal is to keep playing, keep evolving together
indefinitely. That's a powerful way to think
about partnerships, collaborations, even personal
relationships. For sure.
OK, one last area. The book touches on the ripple
effect. How does our personal 10X
journey affect anything beyond us?
It introduces Doctor David Hawkins's map of consciousness.
It's basically a scale of human emotions and their energy
levels. The book uses this to illustrate
that someone operating at a higher level think emotions like
optimism, willingness, reason, Love carries a much higher
positive energy, and Hawkins calculated or theorized that one
person operating at these higher levels can actually
counterbalance the negativity of many people operating at lower
levels, like fear, anger, or apathy.
Wow, really? So one person's positive
transformation has a significant energetic impact.
That's the implication. It shows the potentially
profound ripple effect of personal growth and achieving
that 10X state. Your inner shift can literally
uplift the environment around you.
That brings us back almost full circle, doesn't it?
The internal change having external effects.
Absolutely. And there's that great little
anecdote about the nuclear power plant consultant.
Oh, tell me. OK, so the plan isn't working
right. Experts are stumped.
They call in this old consultant.
He walks around, listens, looks, then takes out a marker and
draws a single X on a piece of equipment.
Tells them replace this part. They do and the plant works
perfectly. He sends them a bill for say
$10,000. We're.
Drawing an X. They ask for an itemized bill.
He sends one back marking an X $1.00, knowing where to put the
X $9999. That's brilliant.
Isn't it? It perfectly illustrates the
point. The 10X value isn't just in the
action. It's in the decades of
experience, the insight, the deep understanding, the unique
ability that allows you to know exactly what needs to be done.
That's the quality aspect. Where to put the X?
That sums up a lot. It really does.
So if we were to kind of wrap up the key takeaways from this 10X
deep dive. Yeah, let's recap.
It's about that fundamental qualitative leap, right?
Not just incremental 2X stuff. Prioritizing deep quality over
sheer quantity of effort. Expanding your vision.
Massively raising your standards.
And strategically letting go of that 80% that holds you back.
Operating from genuine want, not just perceived need.
Leveraging who? Not how?
Finding the right people. Transforming your relationship
with time using Kairos for deep work and recovery.
Measuring your progress by the game, not getting stuck in the
gap. Continuously developing your
unique ability that core 20%. And building those
transformational infinite game relationship.
It's really a continuous path of evolution, isn't it?
A personal transformation. It definitely sounds like it
requires, well, courage and real commitment to aim for something
that much. Bigger.
Yeah, it's not the easy path necessarily, but the argument is
that it's ultimately easier than the slow grind of two act.
So a final thought maybe for everyone listening.
Yeah, maybe think about this reflecting on all these ideas.
Where is 1 area in your life for your work where applying this
10X mindset could create the biggest qualitative shift for
you? What's your potential 10X leap?
Exactly what's your core 20% in that area?
And maybe more importantly, what's the 80% you might need to
courageously let go of? Make room for it.
That's definitely something to chew on, a powerful invitation
to pause and really consider the possibilities.
Hopefully it gives people some new angles to think about.
Yeah, thanks for walking us through that.
It's been a fascinating deep dive into 10X thinking.
Hopefully everyone got some powerful perspectives to explore
for their own growth. So that was it.
I hope you got some good insights from the book. 10X is
easier than 2X and if you really found this episode interesting
or if you found any key insights from this episode, please try to
share this with your friends and family members so that even they
can update their thought process to thinking 10X.
And also if you really like this episode, please try to share or
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the platform that you are listening on South that you know
those platforms can push my podcast episode.
With that said, until next time, have a nice blissful day and
bye.