The Founder’s Razor

If it’s not a hell yes, it’s a hidden tax.

Author

Justin Glover
September 08, 2025

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Today’s Perspective Shift

From: “More is better”
To: “Precision is power”

Theme for the Quarter: Tools With Soul
Theme for the Week: Simplicity as Sophistication

Quote of the Week:
“Perfection is achieved not when there is nothing more to add, but when there is nothing left to take away.”

Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

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✨ In Today’s Episode:

  • The most important word in your business (hint: it’s not “yes”)

  • How Apple’s “No” culture out-innovated its competitors

  • A 3-filter clarity test to stop building junk

  • The AI tool I use for ruthless decision design

The Founder’s Razor

If it’s not a hell yes, it’s a hidden tax.

🧠 ONE Smart Idea

The Founder’s Razor: If it’s not a hell yes, it’s a hidden tax.

Every project, tool, hire, or product idea comes with an invisible cost: complexity.
And complexity compounds like interest…quietly draining time, energy, and clarity.

Most founders don’t scale their systems.
They scale their confusion.

That’s why smart builders use this internal rule:

Don’t ask “Can I do this?”
Ask: “Does this deserve my life force?”

📖 Story Spark

Steve Jobs and the Power of No

When Apple was flailing in the late 90s, Jobs returned and cut 70% of the product line.

Laptops? Slashed.
Printers? Gone.
Weird Newton PDA? Toast.

His team freaked. Investors raged.

But Jobs knew the real killer wasn’t competition…it was clutter.

He boiled the focus down to 4 quadrants:
Consumer vs. Pro. Desktop vs. Portable.
That clarity became the launchpad for the iMac, iPod, and iPhone.

Saying no saved Apple.
Saying no might just save your freedom, too.

⚙️ Tactical Application:

The 3-Filter "Hell Yes" Test

Before you build, ask these:

  1. Is this deeply aligned with my strategy?
    Or did I just see someone do it on LinkedIn?

  2. Is this the highest-leverage use of my capital (money, time, energy)?
    Or is it just “possible”?

  3. Am I excited to maintain this 6 months from now?
    Because if not, your future self is already rolling his eyes.

If it’s not a clear yes on all 3, it’s a covert tax on your focus.

🔦 Tool Spotlight: Mindscope.ai

Before I commit to anything, I drop it into Mindscope for a clarity session.

Why it works:

  • Lets you see ideas spatially (like Miro, but more elegant)

  • AI-assisted mind mapping = faster decisions

  • Great for narrowing options based on constraints you actually care about

It’s like thinking on a whiteboard, but with a second brain helping you cut noise.

🧭 Intelligent Elevation

Here’s what most founders miss:

You don’t scale by adding. You scale by subtracting.

The real bottleneck isn’t tools, it’s decision fatigue.
The best thinkers reduce decisions, not just automate them.

Sovereign builders don’t chase optionality.
They commit with clarity.

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💬 Closing Insight

Clarity isn’t a mood.
It’s a method.

And your first step to building less but better is to stop confusing action with impact.

The Founder’s Razor isn’t just a slogan, it’s a weapon against mediocrity.

If it’s not a hell yes, it’s a hidden tax. Cut it.

🧠 Save this tip
💬 Reply with your take
➡️ Forward to a builder who says yes too often

✍️

AiScaleTips is your founder clarity compass.
Most scale with chaos. You scale by design.

— Justin Glover