Rocks, Pebbles, Sand

There is an old story about a teacher who shows his class a glass jar. The teacher asks the class: "If I fill this jar with 3 large rocks, will it be full?" The class looks at the large rocks and comes to the conclusion that the rocks will indeed fill the jar.

So the teacher takes the three large rocks and places them in the jar. Then he takes out a large box full of pebbles. Once again, he asks the class: "If I add all of the pebbles to the jar, will it be full?" The class looks at the pebbles and concludes that the jar will be indeed be full once the pebbles are added. "You can't fool us again," they all say.

Image from CouchsurfingCEO

So the teachers takes the pebbles and dumps them into the glass jar. They slide easily around the three large rocks. Then he takes out a a bag of sand. Once again, he asks the class: "If I add this sand to the jar, will it be full?" Chagrined, the class laments. Now they can see the teacher still has room for the sand.

Satisfied, the teacher once again asks the class: "Now that I've added the three rocks, the pebbles, and the sand, is the jar full?" Looking at the jar filled to the brim, the class agrees that the jar is now full. "There's no room for anything else in the jar," says the class.

So the teacher takes out a cup of water, and pours it right into the glass jar. The water easily falls into the jar down between the rocks, pebbles, and sand. "Now it's full," says the teacher.

I think about this story often as I figure out my own capacity for handling tasks:

• Rocks: At any one time, I can only handle three major tasks at once. I try to structure my day so that I make progress on these three major tasks. I would argue that for most people, three is the right number of major tasks they can handle at any one time. 
• Pebbles: As I look at my inbox, there are many other items that need my attention. I try to get to these as I have time, but the rocks always take precedence.
• Sand: These are the more organic things I handle everyday, in the process of doing something else. For me, this is the equivalent of reading an email while I'm talking on the phone. 

And just when I think that I can't possibly handle anything else, I find a way. That's the water. As my 2 year old daughter says, "Water, water, everywhere."

SWAMI SAYS: This story of rocks, pebbles, and sand is a great framework for prioritizing your tasks. As a start-up, time is your most precious asset. What are the three rocks that you're working on now? What else do you still have time to do today?

Comments at Punchbowl Mixer

Here are the comments I delivered tonight at the 2nd Annual Punchbowl Mixer:

Thank you very much for being here tonight. Tonight is a celebration of consumer-internet companies in Boston -- and it's about what it takes to start a company in this area.

You've already heard from our MC Ben Saren and our guest speaker Scott Kirsner that this area is a great place to start a company -- but what distinguishes it from other places in this country or around the world? How can we make it clear to the world that this area is unique?

I'm from New York, I've lived in Silicon Valley, and I've lived in North Carolina. And now I live in Boston. I'm the CEO of a growing consumer-internet company in Boston. So I know a little about what makes Boston different.

A quick story about the early days of Punchbowl will illustrate a point about this area. What most of you don't know is that back in 2005 and 2006, I was too embarrassed to talk to anyone about my idea. Why? Because there was so much I didn't know and I knew that I wasn't prepared to answer basic questions. At the time, I didn't know where to turn to find supportive people who had been through it themselves.

Now, six years later I have a deep network of people who help me build Punchbowl. Every week I meet with innovators who are not only helpful, but passionate about Boston.

Many say that Boston is searching for an identity. Well here's an idea: what if -- what if Boston became known as the most supportive place to start a new company? What if we were known as the place to go when you're idea isn't fully formed, when you have more questions than answers, and when you need help and guidance to take the next step? What if we were known for the best mentors, the best angels, and the best people who were supportive of half-baked, half-understood ideas?

I'm lucky enough to be a mentor to some great new companies in the Boston area. But I'm just as guilty as anyone to jump to criticism. So I call on all of us -- all of you -- to embrace Boston as the most supportive place to start a company.

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And now -- as you may have heard, I have an special announcement to make.  Tomorrow morning, in conjunction with Time Inc., we'll be making a press announcement. Punchbowl has signed a technology-licensing agreement with Real Simple.com. This is a substantial deal for both companies, and enables RealSimple.com to send and receive Digital Cards.  We've built a new platform for digital cards. This robust new platform will enable any media company or retailer to easily add digital cards to their site.

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Before I wrap up, I'd like to thank a few people.
1) Our MC, Ben Saren and our guest speaker Scott Kirsner
2) The Punchbowl team. We have one of the best teams in the Boston area, and I'm glad to call you my co-workers
3) In particular: Sean Conta, Blake Carlson, Eric Peden -- a great executive team
4) The Punchbowl Board of Directors and investors, for their continued support of our company
5) Stephanie Fader and Jess Noble: they worked hard to put on this event for you tonight
6) The significant others, families, and children of our employees and contractors
7) My wife Jessica for all of the sacrifices she's made to help support me and this company

That's all from me. Let's all celebrate consumer-internet in Boston. Have a great time tonight!