"What kinds of projects do you say no to?"

I say no to ideas without needs.

A lot of the time I'll hear something like, "What if we build a fridge that plays poker?" And my first question is always:

"Okay, if that's a real problem for you, how are you solving it today? How do you get your fridge to play poker now?"

If the answer is, "I don't," then you don't actually need that thing. You're trying to invent a problem to fit a solution you think is neat.

Real Problems, Not Clever Solutions

I want to work with people who have a real problem and are trying to make their situation better. Not people who are just excited about building something because it sounds clever.

And to be clear, we all do this. I've done it a million times. We fall in love with solutions and go hunting for a problem.

When I Can't Help

I've also had plenty of people ask me for websites I don't believe they need. If I know people are going to find you on Facebook or through word of mouth and are never going to your site to make a decision, I will tell you that. I don't want to take money just because you're offering it.

I say no when I can't be helpful. I say no when I can't see the vision.