Back in 2007, a friend of mine from Microsoft recommended me to read the book “The 4-Hour Workweek” by Timothy Ferriss. He mentions that he was trying to figure out how to build some software so that he could just work 4-hours a week, the software makes money for him and then he could go enjoy life a little more. I guess because he was working 70 hour weeks at Microsoft and getting paid only for 40.
I purchased the book and the audio format right away and listen right away and enjoyed every minute of it. When I got done, I tried to apply it to my business, but it was nearly impossible because I had a consulting services business, Extended Results, which is human capital heavy business. I felt like I bought into another infomercial and I bought the product. But this idea stuck into the back of my head for 10 years like all good ideas do because they need to be solved and applied.
In modeling and building my current company Atlas Insights, I really wanted to apply this concept to it. But again, it is nearly impossible because when you are building and enjoying a company, you just don’t want to work 4-hours. BUT, I have discovered that it should actually be called the “4-Hour Workday” instead! With the whole Software-as-a-Service model, you can actually model a business that customers find, subscribe and use themselves. Using all the different social networking platforms, you can model a marketing program that also runs on cruise-control. Customer contact can easily be managed through software like LiveChat and development can utilize both onshore and offshore to maximize programming expertise.
In my company, I’m basically doing all roles from designer to developer to marketer. Now that the software has been fully released for Apple iOS and OSX, Google Android and Microsoft Windows, I’ve moved more to Marketing and Customer Relationship in my 4-hour workday. I spend my time working with my customers onboarding and answering questions which always seems to happen at a certain time of day Monday through Thursday. Friday’s are basically off days because I have found that not many customer decisions or questions are made on Friday’s. I think most people in technology sector are checked-out after lunch.
“The 4-Hour Workday”
Achieve a better work-life balance with a method that is actually achievable
I challenge you to re-think how you are actually working. In your 8-hour day, are you actually spending time doing something productive compared to not-productive? I think we all know the actually answer to this. Because of all the social distractions we have today, if you actually focused, I bet you could finish your day in the first 4-hours and then spend the rest doing something you enjoy or being better at your job.
Let me know your thoughts.
