Don’t Finance Stupid
This week starts the 100 Ways series—with 10 lessons on money I had to learn by bleeding, not reading.
Last week, we spoke about capacity, how much we can hold before we break, and what matters when we do.
I'm writing to you this week with jet lag in my bones. I just got back from a 6-day round-trip from South Africa to the U.S. First a bachelor party, then straight into meetings. I've averaged a lot less sleep than I’m used to nowadays, and I’m still on the grind, finalizing a new venture we’re launching on June 1. (Actually, there are three in the soon-to-be-announced mix).
But in all the movement, there’s clarity too.
In 2009, I stumbled across a blog post by a guy named Dragos. It was called 100 Ways to Live a Better Life.
Simple format. Big impact. Just one idea at a time. I was young, dumb, and full of fire, but that list stuck. It was the first time I saw wisdom written like a to-do list.
Fifteen years and a few scars later, I’m writing my own version. Not because I’ve figured it all out.
But because I’ve lived through enough to know what sticks.
This isn’t theory. It’s field-tested.
And it’s yours.
100 Ways to Live a Better Life by Jacques
Organized across 10 categories that matter more than we like to admit:
Finance
Love
Family
Health
Lifestyle
Community
Spirituality
Philanthropy
Adventure
Discomfort
This week, we’re kicking off with Finance. I’m thinking that I’ll revisit each point with an extended note of thoughts once we’ve gotten through the 10 weeks of 10 points each.
Finance.
1. Earn Before You Optimize
Spreadsheets don’t make you rich; sales do. You can’t manage what doesn’t exist. First, get paid. Then worry about how to clean it up.
2. Save Like You Might Get Punched
Because you will. Business dries up. Deals fall through. Life gets expensive fast. Treat your savings like armor, not a nice-to-have.
3. Own Assets That Work While You Sleep
The dream is freedom. The reality is that most people work to look free. Own things that make money while you’re offline.
4. Don’t Finance Stupid
If it loses value and doesn’t earn, it’s a liability. If you're paying interest for status, you're just renting ego.
5. Cash Flow Is the King, Queen, and Crown
Revenue is loud. Profit is humble. Cash flow is survival. Protect it like your life depends on it, because it does.
6. Learn to Read a P&L, Then Live One
Your life is a business. Track your income, your expenses, and your margin. Money is a mirror.
7. Your Friends’ Lifestyles Are Not Benchmarks
New cars, Bali trips, Rolexes, most of it’s on credit. You don’t know their numbers, just their Instagram filter. Play your own game.
8. Get Tax-Smart Early
The system isn’t built for the lazy. Learn the rules or get played. A 30-minute call with a tax pro can save you six figures.
9. Never Confuse Revenue With Wealth
A 7-figure topline means nothing if you’re burning it on dumb sh*t. Real wealth is what you keep. Not what you spend.
10. Give With Your Wallet, Not Just Your Words
Generosity starts with $10, not $10K. Put your money where your mouth is, even if it’s just a little. It grows your heart.
That’s all for the finance section, next week we look at Love.
2 Things Worth Sharing
1. Google I/O 2025 – AI on the Offensive
If AI were a sport, Google just dropped a full starting lineup at I/O 2025.
Twelve major announcements—all AI.
From Gemini Live (a live, on-screen AI assistant that feels like a blend of ChatGPT and Siri on steroids) to Veo 3 and Imagen 4, tools that can generate high-def video and photorealistic imagery at will, Google is betting the house on generative everything.
Other notables:
Gemini is replacing Google Assistant across Android.
AI-powered Gmail smart replies that draft entire emails based on bullet prompts.
Android XR smart glasses with real-time visual recognition and overlays.
It’s clear: AI isn’t a feature anymore. It’s the operating system.
And just as Sundar Pichai took the mic, guess who also dropped a headline?
2. OpenAI’s $6.5 Billion Jony Ive Power Move
On the same day as Google’s I/O conference, OpenAI dropped a grenade.
They announced the acquisition of io, the AI device startup led by none other than Jony Ive—yes, the same Jony who helped shape the iPhone.
A $6.5 billion deal. Quietly brewing. Casually announced. Right as Google tried to dominate the news cycle.
You can’t make this up.
The goal? Build a standalone AI hardware device. Something that feels more personal than a phone. More useful than a laptop. It’s rumored to be a daily AI companion, always present, always learning.
This isn’t just about the device. It’s about who owns the rails of the new interface layer: Voice. Presence. Interaction.
And who’s going to build the thing we all carry next?
If OpenAI wins this one, they’ll go from chatbot company to consumer empire.
Watch this space.
What I’m Watching
This one pulls no punches. South African entrepreneur and outspoken investor Robert Hersov joins Patrick Bet-David for a brutally honest conversation about corruption, crime, and chaos in South Africa—and what needs to happen next.
Hersov calls out government failure, media cowardice, and what he sees as the urgent need for private sector leadership.
Whether you agree with all of it or not, his clarity is rare, and his boldness even rarer.
If you're South African, this one hits home.
If you’re not, it’s a masterclass in calling out rot and proposing real action.
Question I’m Pondering
If I lost everything tomorrow, what skills would rebuild it?
Wealth fades. Markets crash. Circumstances change. But what muscle are you secretly betting on?
Until Next Time
We kicked off with Finance, because money touches everything.
But next week, we move into the messy, sacred space of Love.
Not just romance.
But presence. Vulnerability. The hard work of staying.
And the courage to be fully known.
I’m not writing from perfection.
I’m writing from experience, the bruises, the blind spots, and the moments I got it right.
See you next week.
– Jacques
P.S. If you enjoyed this, share it with someone who thinks like you.
Check out other things I’m busy with:
We Edit Podcasts — A full-service B2B podcasting agency that helps brands turn listeners into customers.
Hunting Portal — Your next hunting adventure starts here. Outfitters, taxidermists, gear heads, and more.
Halalisana — We help township-based businesses grow, scale, and thrive in South Africa. We offer conferencing, co-working, and a coding academy.
More will be revealed soon.