"Plan your work and work your plan."

My grandfather and lifelong role model used to say this to me all the time. Most people attribute the quote to Napoleon Hill, but to me, it will always be the defining lesson of my grandfather's life and career.

In the high-stakes startup world, the second half of that sentence is where 90% of leaders fail.

Planning the work is the exciting part:

Mapping out the product roadmap.

Creating the financial projections.

Setting the Q3 scaling goals.

But working the plan? That requires deep operational discipline when the initial excitement fades. 

It means keeping your team aligned, refusing to chase every shiny new distraction, and executing day after day.

As I prepare for the upcoming Venture Summit West, this is the exact trait I look for in founders—not just a brilliant pitch on paper, but the quiet, relentless discipline to execute it.

I owe that perspective entirely to the standard my grandfather set. Plan my work and then execute to that plan mercilessly. 😉

How do you ensure your team stays focused on "working the plan" when unexpected challenges arise? 👇

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