Idea Ripper // ArchiveCards: 1555 [Live] | Updated: 2026-10-14
Card #c1361IR // #c1361Synthesis

"If I think an employee of mine deserves a raise, I give it to them often before they ask for it." "The way I do things is if you’re killing it, I renegotiate and pay you more."

— In our words · Source: Cancel Me If You Can (Dave Portnoy)

[Use when]

Someone on your team is clearly outperforming their deal and hasn't brought it up.

[Why it matters]

Portnoy saw the other side of this with Chernin, who never offered him more. He was ready to walk away from his own company. Unprompted raises keep strong performers from shopping themselves around.

More from Cancel Me If You Can

#c1344"At this point the business model was pretty simple: if I could sell $3,400 worth of ads in the newspaper, I would break even."You're running a new venture on thin cash and the finances feel vague. #c1345"How do you sell ads for a newspaper that doesn’t exist? On promises."You need paying customers before you have a finished product. #c1346"I’d sift through all my competitors’ publications in Boston and call every single one of their advertisers every single week to poach them…You're looking for your first customers and your competitors publish who theirs are.

Same situation, different book

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