Ordering a Pizza for Delivery
1995
– You call
– You order in 2 minutes
– It arrives in 30 minutes
2005
– You go to the website
– You customize it
– It arrives in 45 minutes
2026
– You download the app
– You create an account with email verification
– You add your address with a PIN on the map
– The map can't find your street – You add it manually
– You select a pizza
– The ingredient you want has an extra charge
– You add a card
– Payment error
– You pay with another method – "Your order will arrive in 85 to 140 minutes"
These are “give-up” pants.
You will never see a person who is doing well in life wearing them in public.
You will never see someone who has it together mentally/physically/emotionally wearing them.
This is natures warning sign for “I cannot be relied upon because I can’t even rely on myself to take care of myself.”
As we wrap up 2025, I want to take a moment to reflect on what has been a challenging year for many of us in business. Like so many, my team and I navigated unexpected hurdles—market shifts, operational strains, and the kind of curveballs that test resilience. It wasn't easy, but these experiences have sharpened our focus and taught us invaluable lessons about adaptability, efficiency, and the importance of strong fundamentals.
Looking ahead to 2026, I'm genuinely excited about the path we're charting. We're pivoting strategically: streamlining processes, investing in core foundations like talent development, scalable system infrastructure, and deeper client/customer relationships. This isn't just about recovery—it's about building a more robust, innovative foundation for sustainable growth. We've got ambitious goals, fresh partnerships in the works, and a renewed energy that's already sparking momentum.
If you're rethinking your own strategies or open to collaborating, let's connect—2026 feels like the year for bold moves and shared wins. Cheers to a stronger, brighter year ahead!
- A.J.
New retirement account contribution limits have been announced;
- Employees can contribute up to $24,500 to their 401(k)s and similar workplace retirement plans — a $1,000 increase from this year.
- The annual IRA contribution limit will also rise next year, increasing from $7,000 to $7,500.
The rules are more generous for older savers:
- For 401(k) plans, workers age 50 and over may add an extra $8,000 in 2026, bringing their total allowable contribution to $32,500. Those ages 60 to 63 can contribute even more, with a maximum of $35,750.
- For IRAs, people 50 and older can make an additional $1,100 catch-up contribution. This amount, previously fixed at $1,000, is now being indexed to inflation under a 2022 law.
I stole this idea and now use it with every single employee.
It’s the best illustration I’ve seen of teaching someone to be high agency.
It says there are 5 levels of work:
Level 1: “There is a problem.”
Level 2: “There is a problem, and I’ve found some causes.”
Level 3: “Here’s the problem, here are some possible causes, and here are some possible solutions.”
Level 4: “Here’s the problem, here’s what I think caused it, here are some possible solutions, and here’s the one I think we should pick.”
Level 5: “I identified a problem, figured out what caused it, researched how to fix it, and I fixed it. Just wanted to keep you in the loop.”
Using this framework, here’s what I say to every new employee…
You will live at Level 4 from Day 1 and as we build trust you will rise to Level 5.
Being high agency doesn’t just mean tackling problems in this way. It means your entire way of working should be oriented to being a Level 4+ employee.
Plz feel free to steal it as well.
And ty @stephsmithio for the framework!