John Hittler

It’s been a while, and here’s the update. I’m John Hittler (yes, that really is my name). I co-founded @Insperis with 4 great cofounders--a private CEO community for leaders scaling real companies. After 17 years of coaching CEOs, one thing became obvious: Founders don’t need more frameworks or tips — they need a trusted room of CEO peers who get it. So together, we built that room. Rap Sheet: 9x founder/CEO (2 nice exits) • FT CEO coach since 2007 • 3x published author • former Forbes contributor Happily married, 7 kids between my wife and myself. Foodie (especially paired with wine), athlete, urban organic farmer, "Gramps" to my grandkids. If you’re scaling and want real conversations with real operators — welcome. No AI slop on my feed. CEO Scaling Hacks, politics, economics, humor, and contrarian takes. Relax, you’re in the right place.

Wisom from famed economist, John Kenneth Galbraith: "The only function of economic forecasting is to make astrology look respectable."

@ericbahn Good to know. I have avoided it at the advice of my physician wife. Maybe it’s her defense against me getting too swole.

@EvokingGenius Nope, it's pretty safe and helps mix it into the liquid. At least according to my AI research. I usually drink with coffee myself.

Coffee shops should offer a 5mg Creatine scoop as an upsell to any coffee orders...

@garrytan That is a life skill that is a total cheat code. I have been hated my whole like simply b/c of a bad name (controversial, to say the least). My MO is to succeed in spite of the haters, as that's what quiets them down.

I guess the amazing thing that my haters don't understand is you have no idea how much I eat your hate for breakfast. I am uniquely a person who is driven by all the energy you give me in particular.

@zoomyzoomm If you cannot trust your husband with the nanny, you have a husband problem, not a nanny problem.

Pros of hiring this girl as a nanny: > Young (19 years old) and energetic – able to keep up with active children. > Cheap - at $20/hour > Part-time availability > Hands-on experience – ad photos literally show her holding and caring for a baby. > Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) qualification Cons of hiring this girl as a nanny: > She’s 19 > Extremely attractive > Will dress provocatively in front of your husband > Your husband will be tempted daily > Your husband will question why he stays with you > Homewrecker risk > 67% chance your husband cheats on you with her

Inside an Insperis CEO "Enclave" recently: One leader brought up a high stakes issue and the room asked only questions for almost an hour. No advice. No pitching. Just CEOs the CEO to think more clearly. Most CEOs can figure out the best way forward. CEO partners help.

@garrytan Could we reword this please? Mandate: REQUIRE independent open audits of every nonprofit receiving dollars from government. Government agencies auditing government agencies perpetrates the fraud.

Idea: require open audits of every nonprofit receiving dollars from government

@tech_savvyact It’s a good question. Our CEOs mostly have governing boards. YPO has more bootstrapped. We only allow CEOs. YPO often has founders, entrepreneurs, and not sure about other C-Suite players. Our revenue range is higher. Both are useful groups for the right candidates.

@EvokingGenius How does Insperis differ from YPO? The thinking clearly angle is what founders actually need.

Not every leadership room is built the same. Some are built for networking. Some for visibility. Some for learning frameworks. The best ones are built for something else: Thinking clearly with CEO peers. Insperis is that room.

Best life hack to become happier? Stop trying to be happier. Just go do something you are curious about or enjoy. Hike. Take a friend. Skip the cracks on the sidewalk. You'll lighten up immediately.

Want to supercharge your whole organization? Ask this question: "What would make this all really fun?" And then shut up. Let your team tell you what would make their daily work super fun. Take the best suggestions and implement them. You'll become unstoppable!

A tiger never needs to announce its presence. It silently pounces. Humans never need to announce their presence, and yet we seem to do that as loudly as possible.

Both my wife and I knew on our 3 hour first date over dinner that we were right for each other. Why? We both felt safe to be fully ourselves, we laughed (and still do every day), and we held a respect for who the person across the table was. She even shed a tear answering an innocuous (I thought it was) question I asked. The convo for dating has gotten skewed away from basic connection, acceptance, and honoring the other person. Do that, and maybe "love at first sight" takes over.

@esha_hq Love at first sight is one of those things that requires longevity to be a success story. If you end up married for 50 years, it was real.

lots of research and people critique love at first sight as lust. my favorite theory on why love at first sight exists is bc of retrocausality. this is the idea that you remember a future together that hasn’t been experienced yet. maybe it’s a bit more in the gray area. like seeing someone and knowing they’d be in your life. it’s been written about for thousands of years. in hundreds of stories. bc the characteristics of falling in love at first sight involve an initial gut reaction, a familiarity that you’d get with an old friend, talking for hours and a deep sense of curiosity. idk how is that infatuation? what do you guys think?

When your focus is all about never falling, you miss a lot in life. When you focus on getting up every time you fall, life creates a whole lot more opportunities and happiness. Get up again and again.

A pattern I keep seeing with scaling companies: What worked at $10M breaks at $50M. What worked at $50M breaks at $150M. Leadership has to evolve faster than the company does. This is something we work on often inside Insperis CEO peer advisory groups.

@martyrdison Did not consider that Napoleon Dynamite perspective. DJ'ing on weekends was not one of his mad skills, but it is pretty useful if a party breaks out.

@EvokingGenius sometimes they dj on weekends

why a successful woman should date young men: - they have more time to give you constant attention - endless compliments - high sex drive - understands internet culture - thinks you are always right (you have more experience) - treats you incredibly well - straightforward (has no filters) - still believes in love - not traumatized by other women (ill be the one) - worships you and kisses the ground you walk on - still believes in gifts (will buy you anything you want even though he’s broke) - parents still pay for most things so he can spend on you - talks to you like he actually likes you because he doesn’t play games - broke but will be successful in a few years - no wrinkles - no erectile dysfunction - no beer belly - gives you accomplishment because it feels like taking care of a child - training you to be a mother (see above)

@michelletandler I think they refer to that as "the total package". For others, it's used as a compliment.

I have honestly never in my entire life met someone who uses the N word, or the F word (referring to Gay People), or who celebrates terrorism. And now all three show up in one person? She seems like a villain in a Disney movie.

I don't even know which I am angrier about - NYC's first lady using slurs against Gays and Black people, or her celebrating the bombing of Jews.

@CaryHawkins_ You are correct. Confidence is not very easy to teach, but harder than teaching tall. Being funny is very difficult to teach. You are either funny or not. Both are super helpful in interpersonal relationships.

@EvokingGenius It's a real advantage. I'm grateful to be >6'. Although I've yet to see a confident (not cocky), attentive man that dresses well and can make a woman laugh not be able to attract & retain very high quality women. The inverse can often attract but not retain the same.

For men, confidence, attentiveness, and style are underrated. These can be improved, although confidence is the hardest (& most important). Your money and abs are low on the list and can actually work against you. *For 95%+ of women **Height counts but can be mostly overcome

A lot of talk these days about billionaires, excesses, and then the other side of the equation concerning scarcity. Be very clear: Abundance = "there is enough here" Enough resources. Enough money. Enough opportunity. Scarcity = "there is never enough" No cure for that.