Dated archive · Max Ek · . Original content, reflecting the time it was written.
Everyone wants the big win. The launch. The funding round. The viral moment.
But growth isn't built on big wins. It's built on daily reps.
I call these founder cardio: the boring, repetitive work that compounds over time.
The three exercises
1. Sales
Every founder should do at least one sales activity per day:
- A cold email
- A LinkedIn DM
- A demo call
- A follow-up
This isn't just about revenue. It's about staying close to the market.
When you talk to customers every day, you:
- Learn what they actually care about
- Hear the language they use
- Spot patterns in objections
- Feel the pulse of demand
The best product decisions I've made came from sales calls, not brainstorming sessions.
2. Writing
Write every day. Publicly if possible.
- A tweet about what you learned
- A short blog post about a problem you solved
- A note on a topic you're exploring
Writing does three things:
- Clarifies your thinking. You can't write clearly about something you don't understand.
- Builds your network. People find you through your ideas.
- Creates assets. Every post is a lead magnet, a sales tool, a recruiting page.
The founders with the biggest networks aren't the best networkers. They're the best writers.
3. Feedback
Ship something small every week. Then ask for feedback.
- A new feature
- A blog post
- A design mockup
- A pitch deck slide
Don't wait for perfection. Get it in front of people and listen.
The faster you close the feedback loop, the faster you learn.
Why this works
These three activities - sales, writing, feedback - create a flywheel:
- Sales teaches you what people want
- Writing attracts the right people
- Feedback makes your product better
- Better product - easier sales - more to write about
Do this daily for six months, and you'll have:
- 100+ customer conversations
- 50+ pieces of content
- 20+ product iterations
That's not luck. That's compounding reps.
My daily system
I time-block 30 minutes for each:
- 9-9:30am: Sales outreach
- 5:30-6pm: Writing
- End of week: Ship and gather feedback
Some days I miss one. But the system keeps me honest.
The unsexy truth
There's no hack. No shortcut. No growth tactic that replaces doing the work.
You just have to show up and do your reps.
Sales, writing, feedback. Every day.
That's founder cardio.
What's your daily rep? What's the one activity that, if you did it every day, would compound into something meaningful?