Focus Hacks to Stay Indestructible (Part 1) + Fundraising Fieldnotes 01.28.25

I’ve been extremely ADHD my whole life. 

It’s one of those things that makes life a bit more chaotic. But maybe I can reframe that more positively (something I’m working on doing more). It’d make things more interesting! Who wouldn’t like daily scavenger hunts, looking for their phone at home, or playing the game of “What was I just working on?” a few times a day…

Despite all my scatterbrained and distracted tendencies, I’ve been able to win awards, get a degree from Harvard, raise millions, and launch multiple profitable businesses. 

Even as I type that out… it seems unbelievable. So much of my mind pulls me away from productivity, and yet, I’ve found a way. I certainly haven’t solved this completely, but over the years, I’ve uncovered strategies that have helped me stay focused when my mind would rather do something else.

Isn’t this a fundraising newsletter?

Now some of you might not have this affliction and might be annoyed at this topic. But if you are going to fundraise for a startup the right way, be prepared to feel my pain. 

Fundraising is a beast. It’s time-consuming. It’s exhausting. And even the most locked-in operator can lose focus between emails, calls, and the responsibilities of actually running the startup!.  

There is so little time for founders who are fundraising that any level of distraction, even fun diversions that were not a big deal normally, will make it extremely hard to accomplish all you want to do for your fundraise.

My holiday gift to you all: tips and tricks to stay indestructible the Jayyeh way

As we approach the end of the year, I’d like to share some of my personal hacks with you in a two-part series. You might be in the middle of fundraising, trying to close the next round, or maybe you’re just trying to keep your head above water while your business grows. Whatever the case, these productivity hacks will help you keep your focus sharp.

So read through these and try them out. Keep the ones that work for you. Toss the ones that don’t. And… reply with any other hacks you use because I’m always down to try new ways to stay locked in and get stuff done!

On to the first set…

1. Timeboxed Co-Working

This is one of my favorite hacks. It combines timeboxing (setting a strict limit on work time) with accountability. This might sound a bit over the top, but my team and I will set up “co-working” sessions on Zoom. It’s like a group work session but virtual. You start the Zoom meeting, share with your teammates exactly what you’re going to work on, and then at the end of the session you report back on how much progress you’ve made. The accountability of telling someone you’re working on something helps keep you laser-focused. And trust me, when you’ve committed publicly, you’re way less likely to procrastinate. Try it out... it works like a charm.

If you’re a solo founder or don’t have a team that can do this, try out the service Flow Club. When I was getting my company going solo, it was the only reason I made progress.

2. Calendar Events as Tasks

I’ve been doing this for years, and it’s one of the easiest ways to stay on track. Treat your calendar as your to-do list. Every single task, whether it’s responding to emails, thinking strategically, or even brainstorming ideas, gets scheduled into my calendar. No exceptions. When I started blocking off specific time for actual tasks (and not just meetings), I found myself getting way more done. The key here is focus. You wouldn’t schedule a meeting without putting it on your calendar, right? So why would you do that with important tasks?

3. Venmo a Friend Money as an Accountability Tool

Okay, this one might sound a little strange, but stick with me. When I really need to get something done, I send a friend a large sum of money on Venmo. I tell them, “Only send this back to me if I confirm I finished the task.” And let me tell you—there’s nothing like the power of losing $500 to motivate you to get your work done.

My buddy Artia used to get random Venmo payments from me all the time back in 2021 (the early days of Adamant). He had no idea what I was working on, only that he shouldn’t return the money unless I got my ish done. My tendency to procrastinate is extremely strong, but it’s amazing how much I can overcome when there’s actual money on the line!

4. EXTREME MOVE - Remove Email, Slack, and Social Media Apps from Your Phone

I know, this sounds extreme. Some people would say just removing social media was a lot. But I’m talking about removing anything that sends you notifications multiple times a day or anything that would tempt you to check it multiple times a day, including work communication apps!

I did this back in August during one of my first real vacations in forever. In order to make sure I really unplugged, I removed those apps from my phone. The result was one of the most energizing breaks I’ve had in a while. So when my vacation was ending, I decided not to reinstall those apps, and that has been one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. 

You’d be shocked at how distracting email, Slack, and social media notifications can be. Every time your phone buzzes, it’s like your brain gets scrambled by random people around the world. They don’t ask for permission; they just jump in, pull you out of your focus, disrupt your flow, and leave you frustrated.

Now, I only check email or Slack when I’m at my computer. 

You might be scared of missing something important, but in 4 months nothing has come up that couldn't wait until I was back at my computer. It’s hard to explain how nice it is to have more presence overall until you take this extreme step. Dog walks, trips to the store, and even driving between places become way nicer, especially when you’re trying to be productive or just enjoy a walk without constantly being interrupted.

Of course, it helps that I have an assistant who can check my inbox for anything truly urgent and ping me if necessary. But honestly? It’s been four months, and there haven’t been any emergencies. 

Till next week…

So, that’s Part 1 of this series. In part 2, I’ll share more hacks that help me stay on track while running a business and maintaining my sanity. These tricks might seem small, but they add up. And if you are a founder who’s fundraising, small things can make all the difference.

Be chased,
Jason 

Finding and dominating a niche is a great example of easy (and usually correct) advice to give...harder for founders to follow in practice especially at the earliest stage. Doesn't mean you shouldn't try!

I always think email marketing best practices extend to sales and fundraising. Read and adjust for your own purposes.

Manifestation level: expert. 🪞🐕

Small asks!

If you thought this was helpful or enjoyable in any way, I’d love for you to:

• Forward this newsletter to others who would enjoy it (use your referral link and get some cool rewards☝️)

• Follow me on Twitter where I’ve begun building in public (my course, my podcast, etc)!

• Listen with a friend to Funded, my podcast that tells the rollercoaster stories of how founders raised millions (and subscribe🙏)

• Ask me your fundraising questions so I can help you and cover them in a future issue

• Are you planning to fundraise? Join Adamant Fundraising - the fundraising accelerator program that's helped founders raise over $311M 💰

• Let us launch a best-in-class fundraise for you. Pain-free and effortless on your end!

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