Who Not How

Meanwhile, his most successful clients instinctively asked a different question entirely.

Author

Jordan Belfort
July 23, 2025

👋 Stop trying to be Superman — and start building your own Justice League instead. Dan Sullivan's breakthrough insight shows successful entrepreneurs don't ask "How do I do this?" They ask "Who can do this better than me?" It's the difference between grinding for decades and scaling in months.

Read time: 4 minutes | 881 words

STORY 

🧠 The Coach Who Cracked the Code on Success

Dan Sullivan didn't set out to revolutionize how entrepreneurs think about growth. The 78-year-old founder of Strategic Coach was just trying to solve his own problem: why some business owners scale effortlessly while others burn out grinding harder.

What he discovered became the "Who Not How" framework that's transformed how thousands of entrepreneurs approach every challenge. And it all started with a simple observation that most people completely miss.

Here's what makes this breakthrough so powerful:

  • Sullivan has coached over 20,000 entrepreneurs through Strategic Coach since 1988, spotting patterns others couldn't see

  • The "Who Not How" concept emerged from watching his most successful clients - they didn't ask "How do I do this?" but "Who can do this better than me?"

  • Co-author Ben Hardy helped Sullivan codify the methodology into a system anyone can apply

The Lightbulb Moment That Changed Everything

Sullivan noticed his struggling clients shared one fatal habit: they approached every problem by asking "How can I figure this out?" Meanwhile, his most successful clients instinctively asked a different question entirely.

The breakthrough came when Sullivan realized successful entrepreneurs don't try to become experts at everything. Instead, they become experts at finding the right people to handle what they can't or shouldn't do themselves.

  • Strategic Coach (1988-Present): Sullivan built his coaching empire by identifying this pattern across thousands of entrepreneurs. His clients have generated billions in revenue by applying his frameworks.

  • Who Not How Book (2020): Partnering with psychology researcher Ben Hardy, Sullivan transformed his observations into a systematic methodology that anyone can learn.

The framework is deceptively simple but incredibly powerful:

  • Instead of "How do I build a website?" ask "Who can build me an amazing website?"

  • Instead of "How do I learn accounting?" ask "Who is the best accountant for my business?"

  • Instead of "How do I scale my marketing?" ask "Who already knows how to scale marketing in my industry?"

Why This Makes Entrepreneurs Unstoppable

The math behind "Who Not How" is staggering:

  • Time multiplication: While you spend 100 hours learning something new, the right "Who" already knows it and can execute in 10 hours

  • Quality amplification: Experts deliver results you couldn't achieve even with unlimited time

  • Freedom creation: Your energy goes toward vision and strategy instead of execution details

The Compound Effect

What makes Sullivan's discovery so powerful is how it compounds. Each "Who" you add doesn't just handle one task - they bring their entire network and expertise. You're not just buying their time, you're buying access to their relationships and accumulated knowledge.

Sullivan proved that entrepreneurial success isn't about grinding harder or getting smarter. It's about getting better at asking the right question: "Who can help me achieve this faster and better than I ever could alone?"

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INSIGHT + ACTION 

🎯 The Who Not How Playbook

Dan Sullivan cracked the code on entrepreneurial leverage after coaching 20,000+ business owners. The pattern was hiding in plain sight: successful entrepreneurs don't ask "How?" - they ask "Who?"

Flip your default question - Train yourself to catch "How do I..." thoughts and immediately reframe as "Who can..."

  • Example: Stuck on SEO strategy? Instead of spending 40 hours learning, find the SEO expert who lives and breathes your industry.

Calculate the true cost of DIY - Factor in learning time, opportunity cost, and subpar results when deciding to do it yourself.

  • Example: Learning Facebook ads = 60 hours + mediocre results. Expert costs $3K but delivers professional campaigns immediately.

Build your "Who" database before you need it - Sullivan's top clients cultivate relationships with specialists continuously, not reactively.

  • Example: Connect with 1 potential service provider weekly through LinkedIn. When you need them, you already have warm relationships.

Use money as a time-buying tool - Successful entrepreneurs view spending on "Whos" as investments in freedom and capability.

  • Example: Virtual assistant for $20/hour frees you for $200/hour strategy work. The math always works if you do higher-value activities.

The Meta-Strategy: Your job as an entrepreneur isn't to become good at everything. It's to become great at finding people who are already great at everything you need.

Your homework: Write down your top 3 current challenges. For each one, replace "How do I solve this?" with "Who already knows how to solve this?" Then go find them.

MEME