What books does Levels recommend for employees and Executive Assistants?

Levels has a strongly recommended reading list for employees, including 'No Rules Rules' (Netflix culture), 'The 15 Commitments of Conscious Leadership,' and 'Nonviolent Communication.' For Executive Assistants, process-oriented books like 'The Checklist Manifesto' are suggested to aid in structured thinking and task management.

How does Levels maintain a transparent company culture?

Levels builds in public by making all investor updates and weekly team All-Hands meetings public. They are super transparent, operating on the principle of 'treat people like adults,' assuming colleagues will close communication loops and avoid gossip. They also default record and share all meetings, including one-on-ones, to foster direct feedback and prevent chronic organizational inflammation.

How does Loom improve workflow and knowledge sharing?

Loom is used for low-friction screen recording and asynchronous messages, allowing instant sharing. This enables 'pair programming' where a developer narrates their thought process, making it content that engineers can watch at their own pace. Sam Corcos advocates for 'one-take' recordings to reduce overthinking and encourages recording all workflows, even if not immediately shared, as a low-cost way to capture processes.

What is the 'async week' during Levels' onboarding process?

During Week 3 of Levels' one-month onboarding, new employees enter 'async week' where all communication must be verbal or video recordings (using Loom). This is designed to force comfort with asynchronous work, which is often uncomfortable initially, and normalize video communication over written text for certain types of interactions.

What is 'news sobriety' and how does it impact daily life?

News sobriety is the practice of consuming no current events, television, or social media for an extended period, replacing it with reading books. Sam Corcos found it reduced anxiety, improved his physical well-being, and helped him distinguish important information from trivial events. He believes the news industry has effectively 'couped' people into thinking consumption is responsible, when it's largely 'trash information' that negatively impacts mental and physical states.

How can one effectively transition from a to-do list to a calendar?

The strategy is to skip the to-do list entirely. When a new task arrives (often via email), immediately block off the estimated time needed for it directly on your calendar. This forces an understanding of finite time, encourages leaving 'slack' (open space) for unexpected tasks, and transforms the calendar into the definitive record of priorities.

What are Sam Corcos's personal calendar habits and recurring blocks?

Sam Corcos blocks off Mondays for meetings (often 14 hours). Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays are typically kept open, with Wednesdays serving as a 'sacrificial anode' for unexpected meetings. He also has recurring two-hour blocks daily for email and communications processing. This structure allows him to estimate task durations accurately and prioritize deep work.

How does Sam Corcos host his intellectual salons?

Sam hosts intellectual salon dinners monthly on topics of personal interest, curating diverse groups (e.g., different political or socioeconomic backgrounds) to foster interesting conversations. Rules include no phones and one table-wide conversation, with Sam ruthlessly moderating to keep discussions on topic. He uses ChatGPT to generate motivating questions and his EAs manage invitations and attendance, with Sam making the final guest curation.

How does Sam Corcos manage his email and achieve 'inbox zero'?

Sam aims for Inbox Zero weekly by processing all emails. His EAs pre-filter less important emails into a 'not important' category. He uses Superhuman, leveraging hotkeys and pre-drafted 'snippets' for efficient responses. The goal is to reduce the stress of an ambiguous email backlog by immediately scheduling response times for actionable emails into his calendar.

What are the benefits of 'parallel tasking' in delegation?

Parallel tasking involves having an EA or Chief of Staff work on a task simultaneously with you, especially for non-mission-critical deliverables. The worst-case scenario is simply not using their output, with no negative impact. Often, their draft is 80% as good as yours, building confidence in their abilities and ultimately allowing you to largely step back from that type of task, saving time.

What are 'user guides' in a company context?

User guides, like the 'working with Dustin' document inspired by Dustin Moskovitz, are personal manuals created by employees detailing their temperament, preferences, communication styles, and things they dislike. At Levels, new hires create their own user guides as part of onboarding to help colleagues understand how to best interact with them and reduce friction.

What is Levels' 'memo culture' and why is writing important?

Levels prioritizes writing over meetings, believing 'writing is thought.' Comprehensive, long-form memos (sometimes 10-200 pages) are used for strategic decision-making and for functional leaders to earn trust. This approach creates durable artifacts for future reference, ensures coherent thought, and allows for thorough evaluation of high-impact decisions, even if it takes a month to write.

What is 'organizational entropy' and how does Levels combat it?

Organizational entropy is the concept that any created artifact (like a memo or codebase) immediately begins 'rotting' and becoming out of date upon creation. Levels combats this by requiring new hires to update onboarding processes and by establishing regular checks and reinforcement mechanisms for all content and 'surfaces' (e.g., app screens) to ensure they remain fresh and functional.

What is 'network theory' and how does it influence relationship building?

Network theory, along with graph theory, focuses on understanding the structure and value of interpersonal networks. Sam Corcos highlights 'eigenvector centrality' over 'degree centrality' (popularity), emphasizing the value of 'weak ties'—acquaintances in different networks—for new opportunities (jobs, partners) over strong, dense networks of close friends. He sets a goal to maintain contact with 1,000 relevant people per quarter.

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Ultimate Guide to Managing Executive Assistants and Delegating Like a Pro — Sam Corcos (4K)

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TL;DR

Revolutionary delegation tactics and organizational design for peak productivity, focusing on async tools and culture.

Key Insights

Effective delegation is a learned skill that can be mastered through systematic practice, starting with small tasks and workflow recordings.

Transparency and async communication tools like Loom and Notion foster a culture of trust and high performance, reducing gossip and miscommunication.

Treating employees like 'responsible adults' by setting clear expectations and encouraging proactive problem-solving is foundational to a strong company culture.

Minimizing distractions, such as adopting 'news sobriety' and structuring one's calendar for focused work, is crucial for maintaining productivity and reducing stress.

Salons and intentional network building contribute to personal growth and serendipitous opportunities by fostering diverse intellectual connections.

Continuous glucose monitoring (Levels) offers personalized, real-time feedback on how food impacts health, enabling informed dietary choices and improved energy.

THE EVOLUTION OF DELEGATION: FROM NOVICE TO PRO

Sam Corcos, CEO and Co-founder of Levels, began his delegation journey a decade ago after reading Tim Ferriss’s book. He hired an executive assistant (EA), Lori, with no immediate tasks, making it his mission to identify and offload his responsibilities. Initially, common mistakes included poor EA-delegate fit, often requiring a re-match, and the delegator's impostor syndrome or belief that tasks weren't substantial enough for a full-time EA. Re-matching, as seen with their head of legal, can dramatically improve output and reduce stress. Reframing delegation as an opportunity for the EA's growth, rather than offloading undesirable tasks, helps overcome these mental blocks. Even with limited work, providing reading or vacation time is preferable to creating busy work.

FOSTERING A CULTURE OF TRANSPARENCY AND ACCOUNTABILITY

Levels operates with radical transparency, publishing investor updates and weekly team all-hands meetings externally. A core value is to 'treat people like adults,' meaning employees are assumed to be trustworthy, close communication loops, and avoid gossip. A key principle is that 'a lack of communication is a lack of performance,' elevating communication from an ancillary skill to an integral part of job performance. To reinforce this, all meetings, including one-on-ones, are recorded and, by default, shared. This serves as a forcing function against gossip, transforming chronic organizational issues into acute, addressable conflicts. Employees can opt out of sharing specific recordings if sensitive topics arise, encouraging direct communication before wider sharing.

LEVERAGING ASYNCHRONOUS TOOLS: LOOM AND NOTION

Loom is identified as a critical business enablement tool, facilitating low-friction screen recordings for asynchronous communication. This allows content to scale infinitely, unlike real-time conversations. The crucial mental shift is to embrace single-take recordings, mirroring natural conversation flows. Levels’ onboarding includes an 'async week' where new hires communicate solely through audio or video, forcing comfort with these tools. Notion, with its robust database features, tracks all EA tasks, linking them to specific process pages. This system includes Loom links for each task iteration, providing proof of work and a visual record for debugging processes, significantly reducing ambiguity and improving efficiency.

SOURCING AND ONBOARDING EXECUTIVE ASSISTANTS

For sourcing EAs, working with agencies like Athena (Philippines-based, higher-end) or Sheard (more budget-friendly) is recommended over direct hiring due to the overhead involved in independent recruitment and training. Levels uses a mixed model of dedicated EAs and an EA pool for ad-hoc tasks. Onboarding is critical and lasts a full month, emphasizing cultural assimilation, clear expectations, and process. A key tactic is the 'playback,' where EAs repeat instructions for a task, often via Loom, to ensure understanding. This iterative feedback process, along with a commitment to continuous onboarding updates, helps EAs quickly integrate and become proactive assets, reducing the perceived risk of delegation for new managers.

NEWS SOBRIETY AND MINDFUL INFORMATION CONSUMPTION

Sam practices 'news sobriety,' abstaining from all current events for nearly a decade, finding it reduces anxiety and allows for deeper learning from books. He views the news industry as having 'convinced people that watching the news is what responsible citizens do,' akin to marketing orange juice as healthy. He remains informed through books, assuming important events will eventually be documented in more thoughtful, curated forms. Tactically, this involves removing social media apps from his phone, having EAs manage his social media and LinkedIn DMs (with a semi-automation process for flagging and drafting responses), and adding 'friction' to prevent impulsive engagement with low-value information. This proactive management of attention is crucial for well-being.

FROM TO-DO LIST TO CALENDAR: MASTERING TIME MANAGEMENT

The most impactful time management tactic is converting to-do lists into calendar entries, allocating specific time blocks for tasks. This forces a realistic assessment of available time, contrasting infinite digital to-do lists with finite time. Sam aims for 50% open space in his calendar initially, reducing it to 25% as his estimation accuracy improves. Recurring blocks for essential tasks like email processing are scheduled in advance, ensuring proactive management of time rather than reactive scrambling. Email is processed by immediately calendaring responses or actions, eliminating the 'undifferentiated stack of junk' and the associated stress of ambiguous tasks. This approach ensures clarity on deadlines and prevents cascading scheduling problems.

THE FOUR ASSISTANTS AND THE ART OF PARALLEL TASKING

Sam utilizes four EAs for a myriad of recurring, 'ankle-biter' tasks that, while individually small, accumulate to significant time savings. These include managing call prep with context links, handling LinkedIn and Twitter DMs, and diligently tracking his time across various categories. A key advanced delegation strategy is 'parallel tasking': having an EA work on a task simultaneously with the delegator (not on the critical path) to build confidence and refine processes. For example, if preparing a slide deck, the EA could draft a version in parallel. This low-risk approach allows for feedback and iterative improvement, leading to eventual full delegation once the EA consistently meets quality standards. This process reveals capabilities and identifies areas for improved communication.

MEMO CULTURE AND THE POWER OF WRITTEN THOUGHT

Levels champions a memo culture over a meeting culture, rooted in the belief that "writing is thought." Unlike verbal discussions which can be ambiguous, written memos force coherent, structured thinking. Long-form memos, some spanning hundreds of pages, are essential for critical decision-making, especially for substantial investments or strategic initiatives. They serve as enduring artifacts, documenting intentions, context, and rationale, providing a reliable reference point for future decisions. New hires, particularly functional leaders, are often tasked with writing their strategic memos as an onboarding deliverable, which not only defines their role but also builds trust and demonstrates their command of the subject matter. This rigorous writing process acts as a filter for talent, ensuring alignment with the company’s emphasis on deep, articulate thought.

MINIMALISM AS PRAGMATISM AND LIFE DESIGN

Sam's minimalism stems from pragmatic roots as a digital nomad, finding extensive possessions inconvenient. His physical minimalism is extreme, with only one pair of pants, three shirts, and limited other belongings, all fitting into a single bag. This practice is not philosophical but a practical consequence of his lifestyle, prioritizing mobility and reducing friction. His focus goggles, custom-designed to block peripheral vision, exemplify this pragmatic approach to minimizing distraction and optimizing focus during work or travel. This deliberate reduction of external stimuli and commitment to self-designed structures ensures productivity and preserves mental energy, reflecting a broader philosophy of intentional life design rather than adherence to strict dogma.

THEOLOGY AND NETWORK THEORY: SABBATICAL LEARNINGS

During a year-long sabbatical, Sam studied theology and network theory. His exploration of theology, driven by a desire to understand why intelligent individuals embraced religion, led him to appreciate the community and ritualistic aspects, recognizing a distinction from mere spiritual belief. He observed that many religious practices, like gratitude circles, are being 'unbundled' and rebranded as secular activities. This study also led him to grapple with epistemology, questioning the existence of objective truth and the challenges of postmodernism. Network theory, particularly Granovetter's 'strength of weak ties,' highlighted the disproportionate value of distant connections for opportunities and serendipity compared to close, 'dense' networks. He applies 'eigenvector centrality' to intentionally cultivate a diverse network of weak ties, expanding his access to novel information and opportunities by connecting with individuals in different dense networks.

Mentioned in This Episode

●Software & Apps

●Companies

●Books

●People Referenced

Sam Corcos's Guide to Delegation & Productivity

Practical takeaways from this episode

Do This

Start with small delegation experiments; aim for 'zero effort, zero cost' by recording your existing workflow with Loom.

Implement a 'to-do list to calendar' system: schedule tasks directly into your calendar with time blocks, immediately upon receiving them.

Actively seek to add friction to unwanted behaviors (e.g., social media checking) and remove friction from desired ones.

Cultivate 'news sobriety' by limiting consumption of current events and replacing it with reading books.

Use Loom for workflow recording and asynchronous feedback, even for tasks perceived as complex (e.g., video editing).

For managing email, practice 'inbox zero' by categorizing, responding, or scheduling email tasks, and use hotkeys and snippets for efficiency.

When onboarding, provide structured guidance, dedicated async weeks, and require new hires to improve existing processes.

Host 'Salon dinners' to foster intellectual discussion and build diverse networks.

Utilize 'parallel tasking' for delegation: have an EA complete a task you're also doing, to build trust and refine processes without mission-critical risk.

Track your time diligently to align your actual time spent with your stated priorities.

Create a 'user guide' for yourself, detailing communication preferences and working style for others.

Avoid This

Don't assume you lack enough tasks for a full-time EA; start small and look for 'ankle-biter' tasks.

Don't fall into the trap of 'busy work'; if an EA's workload is low, encourage reading or vacation rather than creating unhelpful tasks.

Don't make multiple takes when recording Loom videos; treat it like a live meeting where stumbling is normal.

Don't use email as a to-do list; it creates anxiety by presenting an undifferentiated stack of ambiguous effort.

Don't allow constant context-switching; set boundaries on interruptions, especially during deep work blocks.

Don't neglect feedback loops for delegated tasks; regularly review EA work and provide specific, actionable coaching.

Don't assume everyone is highly disciplined by nature; create external structures and systems to enforce desired behaviors.

Don't let organizational artifacts (memos, documentation) rot; continuously invest energy to keep them updated.

Don't underestimate the physical and emotional impact of constant negative news consumption.

Don't take ignored invitations or lack of reciprocal outreach personally when building a network; adjust your focus to those who are also engaged.

Common Questions

Common mistakes include having a single bad experience and giving up, feeling impostor syndrome (who am I to delegate?), believing they don't have enough work for a full-time assistant, and creating 'busy work' that adds no real value. Some delegators also overestimate the complexity of tasks and fail to lower the perceived risk of training someone new.

Topics

Time Management Human Performance Mindset & Self-Improvement Business & Entrepreneurship Organizational Design Personal Development Productivity Tools Delegation Strategies Executive Assistants Remote Work Culture

Mentioned in this video

Software & Apps

Craigslist

An online classifieds website where Sam Corcos posted an ad for an Executive Assistant, leading to his first hire, Lori.

Zoom

A video conferencing tool used by Levels, with a default record setting implemented to facilitate information sharing and prevent gossip.

Loom

A low-friction tool for recording screens and async messages, considered by Sam Corcos to be the most important business enablement tool of the last five years, used for workflow recording and feedback.

Notion

A powerful workspace tool, used religiously by Levels for memos, databases, and tracking EA tasks, enabling highly leveraged workflows.

Calendly

A time-saving tool for scheduling meetings, allowing users to set availability and sync with their calendar, though some people find it socially offensive.

Slack

A communication tool likened to a 'slot machine' for its dopamine loop, which Sam Corcos avoids as it encourages compulsive checking and constant context switching.

Goodreads

A social cataloging website for books where Sam Corcos tracks all the books he reads.

ChatGPT

An AI tool used by Sam Corcos to generate motivating questions and explanatory text for his salon dinners, finding it highly effective.

Asana

A project management software co-founded by Dustin Moskovitz, the current CEO.

Fast.ai

A recommended course and library for learning AI, which Sam Corcos found made AI development significantly easier and more accessible.

Companies

Levels

Sam Corcos's company, which conducts radical experiments in organizational design, building in public, and fostering a transparent culture.

Netflix

A company whose culture, particularly the phrase 'treat people like adults' and the 'antibodies' against gossip, influences Levels' organizational values.

Bridgewater Associates

An investment management firm led by Ray Dalio, known for its transparency policies that partly inspired Levels' approach to recording meetings.

Thumbtack

A company co-founded by Jonathan, who also started the EA agency Athena.

Upwork

An online platform where individuals can directly source EA talent, often at a lower cost than agencies.

Sheard

An agency providing cheaper EA talent (around $5/hour) but requiring more direct management overhead from the client.

Twitter

A social media platform Sam Corcos used to have a problem with, leading him to delegate its management to his EAs to avoid dopamine feedback loops.

A professional networking platform where Sam Corcos delegates message management to his EAs.

RescueTime

A productivity software company whose study highlighted how often tech workers check communication tools, partly due to platforms like Slack.

Audible

An audiobook platform Sam Corcos uses to build a wish list of books he intends to read, primarily through recommendations from his salons.

Superhuman

An email client used by Sam Corcos, leveraging hotkeys and snippets for efficient email processing, improving productivity.

Facebook

A social media company co-founded by Dustin Moskovitz.

Books

No Rules Rules

A book about Netflix's company culture, which is on Levels' strongly recommended reading list and influences their 'treat people like adults' philosophy.

The Checklist Manifesto

A process-oriented book recommended for Executive Assistants to aid in thinking about and implementing efficient workflows.

Trust Me, I'm Lying

A book by Ryan Holiday that convinced Sam Corcos to practice 'news sobriety' due to its insights into media manipulation.

Factfulness

A book that highlights how many things in the world are improving despite common perceptions, fostering a more optimistic, data-driven view.

The Lean Startup

A classic business book that Sam Corcos rereads every one to two years, finding it consistently offers valuable and often forgotten insights.

Popular Science

A magazine where Levels' Head of Editorial, Mike Haney, previously worked.

The Strength of Weak Ties

A famous paper by Paul Granovetter from the 1970s, crucial in network theory, highlighting the importance of acquaintances (weak ties) over close friends (strong ties) for opportunities.

The Varieties of Religious Experience

A book by William James that discusses the different forms and experiences of religion, including the separation of ritual, community, and personal belief.

15 Commitments of Conscious Leadership

A book about conscious leadership, which is on Levels' strongly recommended reading list and helps guide their communication and conflict resolution.

Concepts

Nonviolent Communication

A book that Sam Corcos considers required reading for all humans, focusing on non-threatening communication and conflict resolution.

People

Ray Dalio

Founder of Bridgewater, known for his radical transparency principles, which Levels also adopts, particularly regarding meeting recordings.

Athena

A higher-end agency in the Philippines specializing in sourcing and training Executive Assistants, highly recommended by Sam Corcos, known for 10x delegation training.

Ryan Holiday

Author whose book 'Trust Me, I'm Lying' influenced Sam Corcos to adopt 'news sobriety' due to its critique of the media.

David Perell

A writer who offers a writing course; Sam Corcos mentions the possibility of developing a corporate writing course with him.

Dustin Moskovitz

Co-founder of Facebook and Asana, known for a 'user guide to working with Dustin' document, which inspired Levels' new hires to create their own user guides.

Tod O'Palski

Sam Corcos's former co-founder, described as intrinsically disciplined, in contrast to Sam's need for external structures to maintain discipline.

Mike Haney

Levels' Head of Editorial, formerly from Popular Science magazine, whose first task was to create the company's editorial strategy, which Sam Corcos found to be significantly better than his own.

Richard Dawkins

A prominent atheist whose style of atheism influenced Sam Corcos's mother, contributing to Sam's non-religious upbringing.

Paul Granovetter

Sociologist and author of 'The Strength of Weak Ties,' a seminal paper in network theory that influenced Sam Corcos's understanding of network value.

William James

Author of 'Varieties of Religious Experience,' who explored the separation of community, ritual, and spiritual belief in religion.

JP Sears

A comedian known for his 'Ultra Spiritual' video, which humorously points out the similarities between New Age spirituality and traditional monotheistic religions.

Marco Canora

An amazing chef and proprietor of Hearth, who transformed his body and health using continuous glucose monitors and short post-meal walks.

Locations

Hearth

A restaurant in New York City, owned by Marco Canora, known for its focus on healthy eating and bone broth.

Media

Ultra Spiritual

A comedic video by JP Sears that highlights the re-bundling of practices similar to religious rituals within new age spiritual contexts.

Organizations

Calvin Klein

A brand that produces Modal material shirts, recommended by Sam Corcos for their breathability and durability.