Founders Note #10
“What Would You Do if You Didn’t Need Money or Attention?”
Last week, I received a newsletter from Derek Sivers, an author and entrepreneur I’ve followed for years.
He said he was giving away all his books digitally for free for a week. His reason was simple: he didn’t need the money, he just wanted to share his ideas with more people.
So, naturally, I jumped on it. Downloaded all five books.
Then I went back and bought all five in hardcover anyway. ($6 each)
I’ve read his first book, Anything You Want, about building and selling CD Baby. It’s short (around 80 pages), but it’s one of those books that hits harder because of how simple it is. As someone who also started out as a musician turned entrepreneur, I found it deeply relatable. His mission, his story, and especially his current lifestyle, traveling, teaching, and exploring the world, all resonate with where I hope to be one day.
In his next book, Hell Yeah or No, the very first question stopped me:
“What if you didn’t need money or attention?
Who would you be if you didn’t need these things?”
That question has been sitting with me all week.
Normally, this is the part where I’d tell you the profound realization I had, but honestly, I don’t know yet.
I just know it made me realize I’m far more praise-focused than money-motivated. Maybe that makes me a terrible entrepreneur by traditional standards but if money were the driving force, I’d be working at Google, not building in an industry as unpredictable as music and education.
I guess that’s the creative in me.
Wanting to be recognized for the work, not the paycheck.
To make things that matter, even if they don’t make millions.
And still… that question lingers:
If you had all the money and all the attention you could ever want...what would you actually do with your time?
