Hi Everyone,

Happy Friday! Thanks for spending part of it reading The Lake Street Journal.

This week we’re talking about Shaan Puri’s piano, Jay Yang’s new book, and high agency. Let's get into it.

Speed Is Negotiable

Shaan Puri wanted a new piano. He also wanted to break a speed barrier.

"We all have a clock speed," said Puri, "a speed at which we operate for things. A good exercise is to break the speed barrier of what you think is possible for any given task."

After practicing on his keyboard for three months, he decided it was time for a piano. He decided this on a Friday afternoon.

"I set myself a challenge from the moment I had this idea. Inspiration is perishable. Ideas are avocados. I'm not gonna let this thing go brown. I think for a normal person this would be a two or three week project. I'm gonna see if I can do this in 24 hours."

The first problem?

It was Friday afternoon, and the piano store was closed.

First solution?

Shaan found the owner's number, called him, and asked if he would open the store.

He did.

Instead of playing all the pianos and picking his favorite, Shaan asked the owner which pianos were in stock and could be delivered the next day.

Then, as he was choosing between the available pianos, he asked the owner to call and schedule a delivery for Saturday morning.

"I made the whole thing happen," said Shaan. "By 11am Saturday morning, I had the piano in the room, and I was playing it."

"There are so many instances where if you break your speed bar in one area, you realize that in all areas, speed is negotiable. You can change the rate at which something is going to happen."

The idea of getting a piano in one day is kind of stupid, but that's not the point. The point is the exercise. Building the muscle. Practicing agency.

Because leaders need to be high agency, and if you practice it in stupid situations like getting a piano in one day, you'll build the skills you can apply to important situations—like landing a career changing account, or cutting manufacturing costs, or hiring a key employee away from a competitor.

The more practice you have doing things that feel impossible, the more confidence you'll have to do them when they matter.

Exercises like a one-day-piano make you think outside the box, ask for things you normally wouldn't, and get uncomfortable to accomplish a task.

Ultimately, they make you a better leader.

The best leaders know that speed is negotiable. Scratch that. Everything is negotiable. They believe it. They practice it. And they accomplish what others think is impossible because of it.

You Can Just Do Things

Speaking of high agency, I want to tell you about my friend Jay Yang. I met Jay on Twitter, and we've shared ideas back and forth for a couple years.

Last month, he published his first book. It's called You Can Just Do Things, and that title describes Jay perfectly.

He's 19 years old. While still in high school, he landed an internship with a high-growth startup. Then he landed a six-figure job with a tech entrepreneur. He built a marketing agency and a huge social media following. And that was all before going to college.

Now he's dropping out of college to take a job with another well-known entrepreneur.

Jay is successful because he doesn't wait for opportunities, he makes them. And his book is great reading for any recent high school or college grads looking to chart their own path. Even if they don't want to become an entrepreneur, Jay's approach works in the corporate world too. It's all about taking action and taking responsibility for your future.

George Mack on My First Million

A few weeks ago, I shared an article on high agency. If you missed it, here's your second chance. It's excellent.

This is a podcast with the guy who wrote the article.

Look, I've been beating the high agency drum for like 700 words now. You're probably tired of hearing it. But I honestly believe it's one of the highest value skillsets you can build as a leader. If you have high agency—if you see problems as puzzles rather than pitfalls—everything becomes easier.

It's a mindset shift. It takes loads of practice. It's not easy. But it's something worth working on. Worth repeating. Worth hearing again and again.

If it's something you're practicing, don't miss this episode. And don't miss that article either.

Workout of the Week

The sun was shining yesterday, so I had to get out in the driveway and crush a workout. This is what I came up with.

"Hard Things"

5 rounds for time:

• 10 front squats (95)

• 200m run

• 10 alternating dumbbell snatches (50)

• 200m run

This one took me 17:33. Let me know how you do.

Quote of the Week

"Mediocrity is always invisible until passion shows up and exposes it." - Michael Ovitz

Have a question or a comment? Respond to this email.

Talk soon,

Joe