Business School with Sharran Srivatsaa

Episode: Cheat Code To Win Forever
Date: September 2, 2025
Host: Sharran Srivatsaa

Episode Overview

In this tactical and actionable episode, Sharran Srivatsaa reveals what he calls the “cheat code to win forever”—a mindset and operating system that will allow you to accomplish anything, anytime, forever. With real-life stories from his own entrepreneurial journey and lessons from mentors, coaches, and advisors, Sharran lays out a step-by-step framework centered on pre-commitment, reporting, and integrity with yourself. This episode is packed with practical examples you can implement right away to drive clarity, focus, and consistent results in your business and life.

Key Themes & Discussion Points

1. Navigating Distraction and Prioritization

(01:07 - 01:23)

• Sharran sets the stage by emphasizing our modern world’s overwhelming distractions—citing 14,000 commercial messages we see daily.

• The foundational question: How do you prioritize, focus, and choose what to say yes or no to?

  "How you stack your weeks is how you stack your year, right?"
  —Sharran Srivatsaa, 01:23

2. Big Idea #1: Reporting First & Transparency

(01:23 - 05:06)

• Story: Early board meetings as a first-time CEO—his board chair tells him not to prepare extra materials, but to bring only the tools he uses to actually run the business.

• Lesson: Operate transparently with the same tools you use day-to-day; this exposes gaps and opportunities for improvement.

• Sharran admits, at the time, he had no dashboard or reporting—he operated on "vibes," like many first-time founders.

• Critical Shift: Building dashboards and reporting mechanisms became the turning point for both his own confidence and results.

  "I used to just run my business based on, like, oh yeah, if I got more money in the bank, it would work... That is wrong, that is false, that's not how you actually run your business."
  —Sharran Srivatsaa, 04:01

3. Big Idea #2: Pre-blocking Your Calendar (Sales Example)

(05:07 - 09:23)

• Story: As a young banker, a sales coach challenged Sharran’s idea of what drives sales success—not tracking how many appointments you get, but scheduling those appointment slots in advance.

• Tactic: Block out 5 sales call slots on your calendar at the start of the week, then do whatever it takes to fill those.

• This method flips the focus from reactive goal-chasing to proactive commitment.

  "It's way easier to move the slot on your calendar than to put the slot on your calendar."
  —Sharran Srivatsaa, 08:38

• Outcome: Clarity and focus by filling commitments you’ve already made to yourself, rather than passively waiting for opportunities.

4. Big Idea #3: Pre-logging & Pre-committing (Health Example)

(09:24 - 11:16)

• Story: A health coach asked Sharran not to track meals after the fact, but to pre-log everything he would eat tomorrow.

• Impact: Instead of only logging successes, you pre-commit and build integrity by following through on what you planned.

• Generalization: This level of internal alignment—doing what you say you’ll do, before you do it—is the real secret to consistent progress.

  "I don't want you to log what you did. I want you to log what you're going to do... That was the biggest shift for me."
  —Sharran Srivatsaa, 10:51

5. Big Idea #4: Writing Your End-of-Week Report—In Advance

(11:17 - 13:20)

• Most teams send end-of-week reports about what happened after the fact—but Sharran advocates writing your end-of-week report before the week begins.

• How it works:

  • On Monday, write out what your ideal Friday report should look like.
  • Use that “pre-written” report to guide and schedule your real priorities for the week.

• Effect: This process clarifies what is non-negotiable, giving you structure for focused execution.

  "If I were to write my end-of-week report at the beginning of my week, now I know exactly what my priorities are for the week.”
  —Sharran Srivatsaa, 11:44

6. Rethinking Accountability

(13:21 - 15:07)

• Many people think “accountability” means paying a coach or joining a group for peer pressure.

• Sharran calls out this as “dumb” unless you’ve first addressed whether it's a knowledge, desire, or belief gap that’s holding you back.

• Key insight: Understand and fix the root reason you’re not following through—don’t pay for external shame or pressure.

  "Accountability is dumb. Like, I understand accountability, I'm not bashing it. But paying for accountability to make you do something you don't want to do is dumb. You have to figure out why you don't want to do it."
  —Sharran Srivatsaa, 13:50

7. The Ultimate Cheat Code: Pre-commitment and Integrity

(15:08 - 16:45)

• Recap of the four tactics, all centered on pre-committing and building trust with yourself:

  • Build reporting tools you actively use
  • Pre-block and fill your calendar
  • Pre-log what you plan to do
  • Write your end-of-week report before the week starts

• Result: You win every day, week, and year—because you’re keeping your promises to yourself.

  “When you do that, you start to win every single week, you start to win every single year, you start to win every single day and you start to keep your promises to yourself.”
  —Sharran Srivatsaa, 15:45

Notable Quotes

• "How you stack your weeks is how you stack your year, right?" (01:23)
• "I used to just run my business based on... vibes... That is wrong, that is false, that's not how you actually run your business." (04:01)
• "It's way easier to move the slot on your calendar than to put the slot on your calendar." (08:38)
• "I don't want you to log what you did. I want you to log what you're going to do." (10:51)
• "If I were to write my end-of-week report at the beginning of my week, now I know exactly what my priorities are." (11:44)
• "Accountability is dumb... paying for accountability to make you do something you don't want to do is dumb. You have to figure out why you don't want to do it." (13:50)
• “You start to win every single week, you start to win every single year, you start to win every single day and you start to keep your promises to yourself.” (15:45)

Key Timestamps for Reference

• [01:07] — The problem of distraction
• [02:40] — Boardroom lesson: Operate with your own tools
• [05:45] — Sales coach lesson: Block appointments before you have them
• [09:24] — Health coach lesson: Pre-log your actions
• [11:17] — Write your end-of-week report before the week starts
• [13:21] — Rethinking accountability, how to self-correct
• [15:08] — Recap of the cheat code

Takeaways & Action Steps

• Operate from your own reporting tools—not for appearances, but for real decision-making.
• Pre-block your commitments: Set your priorities by actually scheduling and then filling your calendar.
• Pre-log actions, not just results: Commit to your planned actions beforehand to build real accountability.
• Write your end-of-week report first: Let your future success guide your present actions.
• Internal accountability > external pressure: Address why you avoid tasks before seeking outside help.

Sharran’s closing message:
"This is probably the best piece of advice I can give you—because this is how you win every single week... It helps you become a better human overall, not just a better business operator." (16:28)