We’ve identified six basic elements of what it takes to be an innovative company:

1. Receptivity to ideas from everywhere

1. “Being” the customer

1. Experimentation and mistakes

1. People being creative

1. Autonomy and decentralization

1. Rewards

If you’re a company of one, your mind-set is to build your business around your life, not the other way around. For me, being a company of one means not having to bother with infinite growth, since that was never the purpose of my working. Instead, I just focus on maximizing work in a way that works for me, which can sometimes mean doing less.

However, what’s difficult to automate is exactly what makes a company of one great: the ability to creatively solve problems in new and unique ways without throwing “more” at the problem.

Personality—the authentic you that traditional business has taught you to suppress under the guise of “professionalism”—can be your biggest edge over the competition when you’re a company of one. What’s even better is that while skills and expertise can be replicated, it’s damn near impossible to replicate someone’s personality and style.

• What is the essence of what the company stands for?

• How is it really different from its competitors?

• What do the people who are most successful share in common?

• What are the common traits among those who have failed?

• Who are the five most respected people in the organization and why?

• What are the characteristics of the organization’s failures or missed opportunities?