PETS AS AN OBSTACLE TO SUCCESS
“pets are wonderful. they also destroy 20-40% of your productivity.”
The Lesson
This is advice you won't hear anywhere else: if you want to be successful, don't get a pet. They're a nightmare for productivity. A cat screaming every time you try to create, a dog crying at every closed door-it's 20-40% of productivity lost. If you're single, pets eliminate everyone who's allergic and make new partners feel less important than the dog you need to get home to. Love animals? Fine. But if you're in the critical part of your career, stay away. Wait until you've made it, have a family to share the responsibility, and can afford the productivity hit.
Real-World Example
A young founder works from home, grinding on their startup. They get a puppy for emotional support. Now every deep work session is interrupted by whining, walks, and attention demands. Their focus windows shrink from 4 hours to 45 minutes. Their dating life suffers-two promising relationships ended over pet allergies. Two years later, they've fallen behind competitors who could actually focus. The puppy was wonderful. It also cost them the company.
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