NDA = non-disturbing agreement
(and having one is likely to make where you work more productive).
One of the leaders in my mastermind was an academic in the process of transitioning into running his technology company fulltime.
Andrew had just negotiated half his working week back so he could build his company. However, within days, other people's requests were filling that time up again.
He said the problem was “I find it very hard to say no to people.”
Perhaps you can relate to this.
The answer to this came from one of the other founders on the group.
He shared how he was running a fifteen-minute standup at nine every morning with his own team. In it, he tells them which block of that day he needs to be left alone for. He has a name for it:
"I call it my NDA. We're gonna sign an NDA, which is a non-disturbing agreement."
The part that makes it work comes next. In the same standup he names the hours when he is completely available, and anyone who needs two minutes with him before the wall goes up can say so and get it there and then.
It was a genius idea because nobody is shut out and everybody knows the shape of his day before it begins.
Andrew lit up, and shared on the group chat later that he was committed to trying it out.
Two weeks later he shared that he’d put it in place.
He said it turned out that a lot of other people also liked the idea of not being interrupted, and he’d managed to successfully protect his time, while funnelling people to using his time when it was available.
It cost him nothing.
But it protected the time, without which he couldn’t fuel the growth of his company. This year, he and his co-founders just closed their first $5Million raise.
When you surround yourself with peers who want the best for you, and inspire you to be your best on a regular basis, you get access to not just great ideas, but the energy to enact them.
Who are your peers, and what energy and inspiration do you receive from them?
dsbatten / Daniel Batten
npub13l…4lpsy
2026-08-10 01:06:12 UTC
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wss://nos.lolPublished at
2026-08-10 01:06:12 UTCEvent JSON
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"content": "NDA = non-disturbing agreement\n\n(and having one is likely to make where you work more productive).\n\nOne of the leaders in my mastermind was an academic in the process of transitioning into running his technology company fulltime. \n\nAndrew had just negotiated half his working week back so he could build his company. However, within days, other people's requests were filling that time up again.\n\n\nHe said the problem was “I find it very hard to say no to people.”\n\nPerhaps you can relate to this. \n\n\nThe answer to this came from one of the other founders on the group.\n\nHe shared how he was running a fifteen-minute standup at nine every morning with his own team. In it, he tells them which block of that day he needs to be left alone for. He has a name for it:\n\n\n\"I call it my NDA. We're gonna sign an NDA, which is a non-disturbing agreement.\"\n\n\nThe part that makes it work comes next. In the same standup he names the hours when he is completely available, and anyone who needs two minutes with him before the wall goes up can say so and get it there and then.\n\n\nIt was a genius idea because nobody is shut out and everybody knows the shape of his day before it begins.\n\n\nAndrew lit up, and shared on the group chat later that he was committed to trying it out. \n\n\nTwo weeks later he shared that he’d put it in place. \n\nHe said it turned out that a lot of other people also liked the idea of not being interrupted, and he’d managed to successfully protect his time, while funnelling people to using his time when it was available. \n\nIt cost him nothing.\n\nBut it protected the time, without which he couldn’t fuel the growth of his company. This year, he and his co-founders just closed their first $5Million raise. \n\n\nWhen you surround yourself with peers who want the best for you, and inspire you to be your best on a regular basis, you get access to not just great ideas, but the energy to enact them. \n\n\nWho are your peers, and what energy and inspiration do you receive from them?",
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