Hey friends,
I was sitting at my desk this week, trying to plug in my headphones… and of course, they were tangled again.
And I thought,
“Someone should invent a self-winding cord or something… I could even 3D print it. Bet people would buy it.”
Then I proceeded to go about my day and never actually did anything with that idea. Sound familiar?
We’ve all had “the idea.”
But instead of acting on it, we overthink it.
We plan. We research. We stall.
And that’s where this one phrase from Noah Kagan hits hard:
“Now, Not How.”
This mindset is a game-changer. It’s how Airbnb, Facebook, and Microsoft got started—not with business plans, but with bold action.
🧱 The Planning Trap
We’ve been taught that more planning = more progress.
But most of the time, planning is just procrastination in disguise.
- You write goals.
- Watch 3 productivity videos.
- Sketch out your dream business.
- Daydream about what it would be like
But tomorrow? Nothing’s launched.
Planning is safe. Execution is scary.
But action is where the growth is.
🚀 What “Now, Not How” Actually Means
In his post on Nir & Far, Noah explains that you don’t need the full picture. You just need to act with what you already have.
✅ Start where you are
✅ Use what you have
✅ Do what you can
When Noah launched AppSumo, he didn’t have funding or a team.
Just a landing page and a PayPal link. And it worked.
Because polish doesn’t create momentum—shipping does.
🏁 Weekend Launches That Changed the World
Let’s talk proof.
- Airbnb: Two guys put an air mattress in their apartment and emailed conference attendees. No website. Just hustle.
- Facebook: Mark Zuckerberg hacked a dorm-based social site in a weekend.
- Microsoft: Bill Gates wrote code for a new computer before he even had one.
None of them waited. They moved.
🎯 The “Ready, Fire, Aim” Approach
We’ve been trained to think:
Ready → Aim → Aim → Aim some more → Fire (maybe)
Entrepreneurs flip that:
Ready → Fire → Aim
Launch a rough draft.
Get feedback.
Adjust.
Repeat.
You’ll learn more from one bad launch than a hundred perfect ideas sitting in a notebook.
⚡ Fail Fast, Fix Fast
Here’s the shift:
Stop fearing failure. Start collecting it.
Every flop = feedback.
Every mistake = momentum.
In Million Dollar Weekend, Noah gives you 48 hours to launch and sell.
No time to obsess over logos. You focus on results.
The faster you break it, the faster you can rebuild it—better.
💯 The Law of 100
From the book:
Give it 100 tries to succeed.
The idea is simple: take massive action. Quickly.
- Send 100 emails
- Pitch 100 people
- Get 100 pageviews
You don’t win on guesswork. You win by testing, adjusting, and repeating.
Ugly landing page? Great.
Rough pitch? Try again.
Awkward product? Launch it anyway.
🏡 This Isn’t Just for Entrepreneurs
“Now, Not How” works outside of business too.
Messy kitchen? Wash one dish.
Want to write a book? Type one sentence.
Overwhelmed? Pick one small win and do it.
Small actions → Big momentum → Lasting change
🛠️ Your Challenge This Weekend
Pick one idea you’ve been procrastinating.
Then take one action:
- Film a 30-second intro to your YouTube video
- Launch a rough landing page using Wix or Squarespace
- Message three potential customers
- Write the first paragraph of your book
Don’t wait for “how.”
Just start now.
🎬 Final Thoughts
You’re not stuck because you’re lazy.
You’re stuck because you’re waiting for certainty before you move.
But momentum doesn’t come from knowing everything.
It comes from taking the first step—and figuring it out as you go.
Start today. Fix tomorrow.
– Colt




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