GB Ep 5: How To Learn New Things Effectively

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Welcome to another edition of Growth Bites. Today we’re talking about what resources and tools I use to help learn and innovate. We’ll discuss how I strategize what to read and learn and how to streamline the process.

Show Notes:

• I turn to Twitter for news and use TweetBot and follow the right lists to cut through the noise. For example, I follow venture capitalists to find out what they’re learning about. [00:36]
• Don’t just follow entrepreneurs on Twitter—follow their own lists. I follow the CEO of Buffer. He has a great list he follows of people like Hiten Shah, Neil Patel and Rand Fishkin. [2:00]
• Make a Twitter list of the top 10 people you follow in categories you’re interested in by curating them yourself or looking at other people’s lists. [2:56]
• Use tools like TweetBot or HootSuite to stay organized and spend 10 to 20 minutes a day to find news and articles. [3:09]
• Join entrepreneur organizations like EO. I not only interview them for my podcast at Growth Everywhere, but I’m a member and attend events. [3:40]
• Leverage local entrepreneur groups in different areas you’re visiting or working in like New York. [4:21]
• An entrepreneur’s group can act as your informal board of directors and help advise you and lend their insight. [4:51]
• You’ll need over $1.5 million in revenues to join EO, a member recommendation and interview. They also offer an accelerator if you don’t meet the financial requirements. [5:24] Vysage, YPO, World President Organization for high rollers.
• Check out the Young Entrepreneurs Council [YEC] and be under 40, making around $1 million and have a member recommendation. They have an invaluable community and help get the word out with press opportunities. They got me into publications like the Huffington Post. [6:19]
• I’m still learning about the podcasting world, so look for motivated communities doing the same thing. I joined John Lee Dumas’ Podcasting Paradise program for a monthly fee. People share tips and offer an internal support group. [7:12]
• Profit First has an accounting system to help you generate more profits for your business and even recommends an accountability group like Podcaster’s Paradise. [8:00]
• Reddit, Quora, Quibb a private news-sharing group. It’s like Twitter, but it’s primarily people based in Silicon Valley. [8:39]
• [10:17] Reading Reddit forums to provide utility to your business and day. Learn everything from cooking to marketing.
• Subscribe to subreddits that interest you like marketing or start-ups. [11:02]
• Remember to make the time to read and learn. I block off at least an hour in the evening to read an actual book and online news. [11:12]
• Keep a healthy balance and don’t just read, but make time to execute. [11:36]

Selected Links from this Episode:

• TweetBot
• Joel Cascoigne from Buffer
• Hiten Shah
• Neil Patel
• Rand Fishkin
• HootSuite
• EO
• YEC
• Podcasters’ Paradise
• Profit First
• Reddit
• Quora
• Quibb

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Connect with Eric Siu:

• Growth Everywhere
• Single Grain
• Twitter @ericosiu