You want to build a solobusiness in 2026? You can! But you need to guard your time and sanity.
Here are 3 rules to live by.
1️⃣ 50 • 30 • 20 rule
50%: Joy + impact. Do the work that moves the needle and lights you up. Ship features, close deals, record the content that converts. If it's not energizing and revenue-driving, it's not in the 50.
30%: Joy. Pure curiosity time. Learn, play around, sketch ideas, talk to customers with no agenda. This can be a total waste of time, don't feel ashamed.
20%: Impact. Necessary, not thrilling. Finance, legal, admin, reporting. Batch it. Create templates, checklists, and automations so it doesn't sprawl.
2️⃣ 45-second rule
Back when I was in sales, we had this rule.
Lost a big deal? Clock starts. Take 45 solid seconds to be sorry for yourself. Cry, scream, throw things, whatever you need. But when the clock stops, it's back to business. No resentment, no regrets, no grief - just carry on.
I still use this rule. It's not always exactly 45 seconds, but the principle remains.
3️⃣ 4-week rotation rule
Week 1: Build week. Ship one meaningful improvement. Define a single release goal and a deadline.
Week 2: Marketing week. Publish daily. One pillar piece → repurpose into short posts, email, and outreach.
Week 3: Ops week. Automate, standardize, and clean up. SOPs, checklists, and tool audits reduce future chaos.
Week 4: Slack week. Recovery and perspective. Light maintenance, chill, long walks, reading, and time with family. Don't skip this week!
Follow these rules and you'll have progress you can feel, stress you can manage, and a business you actually enjoy running.
Ps. If you liked this post, you'll enjoy my weekly SaaS newsletter.
Join 30K+ SaaS founders and practical entrepreneurs. Lightweight, easy-read tips on SaaS, product, and growth - directly to your inbox every week.
Simon Høiberg
You want to build a solobusiness in 2026?
You can! But you need to guard your time and sanity.
Here are 3 rules to live by.
1️⃣ 50 • 30 • 20 rule
50%: Joy + impact.
Do the work that moves the needle and lights you up. Ship features, close deals, record the content that converts. If it's not energizing and revenue-driving, it's not in the 50.
30%: Joy.
Pure curiosity time. Learn, play around, sketch ideas, talk to customers with no agenda. This can be a total waste of time, don't feel ashamed.
20%: Impact.
Necessary, not thrilling. Finance, legal, admin, reporting. Batch it. Create templates, checklists, and automations so it doesn't sprawl.
2️⃣ 45-second rule
Back when I was in sales, we had this rule.
Lost a big deal? Clock starts.
Take 45 solid seconds to be sorry for yourself. Cry, scream, throw things, whatever you need. But when the clock stops, it's back to business. No resentment, no regrets, no grief - just carry on.
I still use this rule. It's not always exactly 45 seconds, but the principle remains.
3️⃣ 4-week rotation rule
Week 1: Build week.
Ship one meaningful improvement. Define a single release goal and a deadline.
Week 2: Marketing week.
Publish daily. One pillar piece → repurpose into short posts, email, and outreach.
Week 3: Ops week.
Automate, standardize, and clean up. SOPs, checklists, and tool audits reduce future chaos.
Week 4: Slack week.
Recovery and perspective. Light maintenance, chill, long walks, reading, and time with family. Don't skip this week!
Follow these rules and you'll have progress you can feel, stress you can manage, and a business you actually enjoy running.
Ps. If you liked this post, you'll enjoy my weekly SaaS newsletter.
Join 30K+ SaaS founders and practical entrepreneurs. Lightweight, easy-read tips on SaaS, product, and growth - directly to your inbox every week.
Join here: simonl.ink/newsletter
5 days ago | [YT] | 193