#79 Wanna 10x? Be Unhinged. - BigDeal Recap

Podcast: BigDeal

Published: 2025-07-07

Duration: 18 min

Summary

In this episode, Cody Sanchez emphasizes the importance of being unconventional and unhinged when starting a business, encouraging entrepreneurs to embrace scrappy tactics and long-term thinking to achieve significant success. She highlights the critical role of hiring top performers in scaling a business effectively.

What Happened

Cody Sanchez opens the episode by discussing the necessity of being a little unhinged when starting a business. She notes that many entrepreneurs fail by caring too much about public opinion, which can stifle creativity and risk-taking. To illustrate her point, Sanchez quotes Warren Buffett, stating, "you can't produce a baby in one month by getting nine women pregnant," reinforcing the need for patience and a reasonable timeline in business endeavors.

Sanchez shares her personal journey, from a Walmart model to a fund manager, highlighting the common thread of ownership and investment across her diverse experiences. She stresses that building a business takes time, but there are ways to accelerate the process. Emphasizing the value of scrappy marketing, she recounts her own unconventional tactics to promote her newsletter, including using stickers and billboards, underscoring that crazy ideas can lead to significant traction when starting out.

The conversation shifts to the importance of hiring the right talent, with Sanchez arguing that hiring is the most crucial task for a founder. She cites examples from notable figures like Sam Altman and Steve Jobs, illustrating how top performers can drastically improve a company's trajectory. Sanchez warns against choosing the wrong business partner, sharing her own experiences with business partnerships that led to costly mistakes. Ultimately, she encourages listeners to prioritize finding high performers who have a proven track record, as they can make all the difference in a startup's success.

Key Insights

Key Questions Answered

What unconventional marketing tactics did Cody Sanchez use?

Cody Sanchez highlighted her scrappy approach to marketing by using stickers and billboards to promote her newsletter. She recalled printing 5,000 stickers and covering various venues with her branding as a way to gain visibility. Additionally, she invested in promotional hats that were initially problematic due to a stolen logo but ultimately served as a tool for generating newsletter subscribers, demonstrating that unconventional strategies can yield significant results.

How does patience play a role in building a business?

Sanchez emphasized the importance of patience in business growth, referencing Warren Buffett's analogy about pregnancy. She pointed out that many entrepreneurs desire rapid results but fail to realize that substantial success takes time. By setting realistic expectations and allowing for a sufficient runway, entrepreneurs can create a foundation for 'the really interesting stuff' to happen, which is essential for long-term success.

What is the significance of hiring top performers?

Cody noted that hiring is the most important task for founders, stating that top performers can be worth ten times or even a thousand times more than average employees. She shared examples of successful figures like Steve Jobs and Sam Altman, who recognized the value of exceptional talent. Sanchez warned that the biggest mistakes often stem from choosing the wrong business partner, making it clear that the right hires can significantly ease a founder's journey.

How can caring too much about public opinion hinder success?

Sanchez argued that many entrepreneurs kill their businesses by being overly concerned with what others think. She encouraged listeners to embrace their 'young and dumb' phase, suggesting that being unafraid of looking silly can lead to innovative ideas and greater success. By not letting fear of judgment dictate their actions, entrepreneurs can explore bold strategies that differentiate their businesses.

What can entrepreneurs learn from Cody Sanchez's experiences?

Cody's journey showcases the value of being scrappy and unorthodox in business. Her diverse background—from modeling to private equity—illustrates that success often comes from a mix of experiences and a willingness to take risks. Entrepreneurs can learn to focus on long-term goals while being open to unconventional methods that can lead to rapid growth, ultimately reinforcing the idea that creativity and boldness are crucial in the competitive business landscape.