A key characteristic of the superpreneurs is that they are super-efficient people.
What does it mean to be “super-efficient”? Let’s start by a very good essay “Effective Vs. Efficient: Do You Know The Difference?” of Daniel Scocco at http://www.dailyblogtips.com/effective-vs-efficient-difference/
“Effective and efficient are very common business/marketing terms. However, most of us tend to mix their meanings and usage occasionally (including myself), and that is why I decided to write on the topic.
First of all if you look for both terms in most dictionaries you’ll find very similar definitions (which makes the matter even more confusing). Some dictionaries get it right, however. Here is the definition from Dictionary.com, which I like:
Effective (adj.): Adequate to accomplish a purpose; producing the intended or expected result.
Efficient (adj.) Performing or functioning in the best possible manner with the least waste of time and effort.
If you want an easier way to memorize the difference, remember this sentence: “Being effective is about doing the right things, while being efficient is about doing the things in the right manner.”
Let’s use a practical example to illustrate the concepts. Suppose that two guys, Mark and John, are trying to change a flat tire on their cars (each one has his own car).
Mark starts by taking out the jack and placing it under the car. He quite doesn’t know where to position it, so he goes by trial and error and wastes a lot of time doing it. After 20 minutes he finally manages to fix it, so he proceeds to lift the car and change the tire.
As you can see Mark was doing the right thing, but he was doing it poorly. We can say that he was being effective, but not efficient.
John, on the other hand, starts by grabbing a towel and cleaning the tire. He wants to make the thing shiny before he changes it. And mind you he is very good and fast at cleaning every little detail of the tire.
We can say that John is being efficient, because he is cleaning the tire fast and throughly, but he is not being effective, because cleaning is a step that is not required at all when changing a flat tire.
Now if we had a third person, Peter, who could change the flat tire using the right steps and doing it quickly, we could say that he was both effective and efficient.”
So, in the context of this post, “super-efficient” shall mean “doing the right things in the best possible manner with the least waste of time and effort”.
Now, why is it so important for a superpreneur to be super-efficient?
Let’s analyse each part of the above definition.
Doing the right things
This may seem obvious but it’s not. How many entrepreneurs I have seen that are going in all directions simultaneously. Knowing what your priorities are is vital as a superpreneur, moreover in the current world of disorder which characterizes the Age of Acceleration. You must be able to say no to anything which is not a priority. Hence you need to do the right things which are in your core strategy, but also the things that really matter.
In the best possible manner
“You’re either great or you don’t exist”
said Keenen Ivory Wayans once to Hollywood star Jaimie Foxx when this one was starting on stage. A startup cannot be average. Superpreneurs are the best in their category. If you can’t be the first in a category, set up a new category you can be first in (this is known as the [amazon_textlink asin=’0887306667′ text=’Law of Category’ template=’ProductLink’ store=’superpreneur3-20′ marketplace=’US’ link_id=’fdd05ae2-2067-11e7-abd7-ffd3895b30f8′])
The least waste of time
As a startup founder, your time is perhaps your most important resource. There are a ton of things to do in order your startup succeed. If you don’t want to burn out after several months or several years, you need to manage your time extremely well. Superpreneurs stay strongly focused and avoid distractions. Avoiding waste of time is crucial!
The least effort
Resources are limited in a startup. You have a limited team, you have limited funding and you also have certainly a limited window (time to market) to win your market. Hence, doing things with the least effort is paramount for superpreneurs. As often said in the tech world,
“if you want your spacecraft to reach the stars, you need enough fuel”.
Now it’s your turn to pay attention how you do things and apply the super-efficient method described here. Over time, you will see progresses and ultimately incredible results and successes.
