In 1984, Jim Koch left a high-paying consulting job to launch The Boston Beer Company from his kitchen.
The start-up founder quickly realized that CEO doesn't always stand for Chief Executive Officer: "You're the Chief Everything Officer," said Koch in an interview with CNBC at the Iconic conference in Boston in September.
In the three decades that it took to turn his company, including the Sam Adams beer brand, into a $2 billion craft beer empire, Koch juggled a lot as the Chief Everything Officer.
To maximize his productivity, the self-made billionaire asks himself the same thing every morning, he said at the Iconic conference: "When I start the day, I think, What are the two things that I absolutely need to do today for the day to be successful?"
"I just try to focus on two or three things that I need to do that day, and I don't quit until I've done them," he said.
He writes the two or three items on a Post-it note, Business Insider reported in 2015.
The small size of the note prevents him from adding too much detail or making too long of a to-do list. Plus, it fits in his pocket and is highly accessible throughout the day.
