Issue 133, Part Time CEO Newsletter

Hey, it's Dhiren 👋,

Last week, I hosted the first-ever Council Roundtable—a full-day retreat where 11 founders stepped away from the daily grind to review their Q1 and reset for Q2.

And one theme kept showing up:

“I didn’t realize how much I’d said yes to things that don’t even matter.”

I realized then that most founders don’t struggle to say no because they’re bad at boundaries.

They struggle because they haven’t looked at the big picture in weeks.

They say yes because they’ve forgotten what their yes is.
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🧠 Bullet One: You’re Not Saying Yes—You’re Just Not Saying No

The real problem isn’t people-pleasing. It’s tunnel vision.

Most founders spend their days reacting—handling what’s in front of them.

WhatsApp notifications, email threads, client calls, team fires.

They think they’re moving the business forward.

But really, they’re just playing defense. And without a regular check-in on the big picture, every task feels urgent.

Every opportunity feels worth pursuing. Every request sounds like progress.

But it’s not. It’s noise.

When you’re not reviewing the big picture regularly, you lose sight of what actually matters.

When everything seems important, saying no feels impossible.
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🧠 Bullet Two: Big Picture, Clear Yes, Confident No

Want to get better at saying no?

Zoom out.

Not once a year. Not when you’re burning out.

Every. Single. Month.

Block time to review your actual priorities:

• What are we building?
• What are our top 3 goals this quarter?
• What does not move the needle right now?

Clarity is a byproduct of altitude.

When you’re clear on the mountain you’re climbing, you stop chasing every trail.

Suddenly, saying no isn’t uncomfortable.

It’s obvious.

Because you’re not just saying no to stuff.

You’re saying yes to the right stuff—with intention.

Your Turn

The Council Roundtable reminded me:

Clarity doesn’t come from working harder. It comes from stepping back.

Every founder left with sharper goals—and a clear sense of what to stop doing.

You might not have a full-day retreat on the calendar.

But you can still create space to zoom out, reconnect with your mountain, and ask:

But you do need a regular moment to zoom out, reconnect with your mountain, and ask:

Make that your ritual.

And if you want to do it with a guide?

You know where to find me.
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📢 Dhiren’s Updates

✅ April’s Basecamp is officially in motion. This group is already digging deep into their “Why, What, and Who.” Next one drops in May.
🎥 Curious what Basecamp feels like? We put together a short video from the March edition—real founders, real clarity, and some serious breakthroughs.

👉 [Watch the video]​
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✅ If you loved this issue and thought, “I need more of this in my life”—you do.

That’s exactly why I’m building something new: the Part-Time CEO Club.

It’s your monthly rhythm to zoom out, refocus, and build the business you meant to build. Still early days—but if you want to shape it with me, you’ll be getting in at the ground level.

👉 [Reply “Club” if you want the details.]

📌 Dhiren’s Pick of the Week

— Naval Ravikant

This one’s been echoing in my head for quite some time, especially after Roundtable.

Most founders get stuck in indecision not because they lack options— but because they haven’t defined a clear yes to measure against.

If it’s not obvious… it’s a no. If this resonated, pick up The Almanack of Naval Ravikant.

It’s not a traditional book—more like a distilled blueprint for living, thinking, and deciding with intention.
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📘 Highly recommended: The Almanack of Naval Ravikant​

Much Love,

Dhiren Bhatia ​Founder, Elevated Entrepreneur ​ElevatedEntrepreneur.co​ ☎️ Book a 1:1 Clarity Call​

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