You may have read that line from the book “Anything You Want” by Derek Sivers back in 2011, “Hell yeah or no.” Or seen that affirmation of “all-in or all-out” written out on memes, blogs, even cross-stitched on a pillow. It’s fairly popular.

There’s likely a better way to discern whether to sign-on, commit, spend money, marry, buy that house, take that job or make any other decision big or small in your life. We’ve all gone to bed on a Sunday night with a “hell yeah” feeling (starting a new job, launching a new product) only to wake up with “no” on Monday.

There’s definitely a better matrix for determining whether to take on that client, go after a new partnership, or invest in a product.

For us to say yes, or even hell yes, we must have a strong conviction that:

It’s a great project …

With great people …

For great purposes.

That simple. And unlike the “fast, cheap, and good (you can only pick two)” concept, you can (and must) have all Three Great P’s to be successful and happy. You don’t need to sacrifice one to get the other two. In fact, if you do, well, good luck with that.

Who wants to work on a great project with awful people? No thanks. Not worth it.

Who wants to work with great people on something terrible? Not us.

The odds are that if you have great people with a great project you’ll have great purpose behind it. But not always.

You really need to go after, and hold-the-line on, those three essentials. Great product. Great people. Great purposes.

And, maybe it goes without saying so we should say it again: the fourth P in this is Potential.

You need to pick projects that have great potential. Revenue. Momentum. Career-changing. Company transforming.

As one investor said to us, “You will make more money saying ‘No’ than saying ‘Yes.'” When we repeat that line, many look at us with a blank stare. But it’s true. Another business savvy friend said it this way: “It would be better to the day off and go fishing than to work on something that you don’t enjoy with people you don’t like and that won’t make you money.”

Here’s the warning: sometimes we want to say “yes” because we think, “I need the work” or “Maybe it’s not that bad” or “Someone else will take it.”

We don’t assume to know your circumstances. But from our experience, if you are not aligned with those Great P’s, then let it go. Say no. Move on.

So next time we talk just know this. That is in the back of our minds. We are determining whether this is a great project with great people (let’s have a fun year together!) for great purposes and will ultimately bring great potential — for you and for us.

©Aspiration Entertainment, 2020