I had lunch with a good friend today. She was telling me how she was contemplating starting a new company.

“Why?” I asked.

“Well, my current company isnt allowing me to do what I want to do, and there are lots of people telling me that there is opportunity out there.”

“Sounds a lot like the advice so many people got before heading out to California to mine gold.”

We continued to talk, and I began to get a picture of what her current job situation sounded like. Tell me if this sounds familiar:

• In order to get “all your work done” you eat at your desk;
• In order to “finish your work” you take work home, and spend hours at home working;
• You “love” what you do; you just often feel “unappreciated” at work (because they just take for granted “how hard” you work);
• You think that if you quit “they will be in a bind, and realize how valuable you really are”;
• and so on.

On the other hand, so many people that I talk to say to me, “Micah you never work. You are always on IM, twitter, and the like. When do you get stuff done?”

And, I always respond the same way:

“Why are you so interested in how much I work rather than how much I produce?”

Isnt that really what matters?

Being busy doesnt make one more effective. Working constantly doesnt make someone a better employee.

Only production does.

For some, that means extra time on projects. For others, that working in spurts of high productivity.

But, at the end of the day, production is all that matters.

The statement “Time is Money,” is one of my least favorites. Time is not money. Production is.

As a startup or new business owner your focus should be solely on production.

Hire people that produce, not people that work.

Spend your time on efforts that lead to production rather than work.

At the end of the day, investment doesnt come to those that are busy.

Success only comes to those that can produce.

So what did my friend decide? I dunno. I know she will make the right decision, but I am unsure what that decision will be. I am excited to hear though…

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