Issue 165, Part Time CEO Newsletter

Hey, it's Dhiren 👋,

I turned 44 on Friday.

Every birthday morning, I do the same thing: coffee, quiet, reflection.
This year, from Mumbai instead of Dubai.
And instead of thinking about goals, I found myself noticing patterns.

My word for 2025 was Simplify.
Looking back, I actually did it.

I said no to things that drained time.
Streamlined the Council.
Stopped chasing new.
Doubled down on what was already working.

One thing that’s clearly working: this newsletter.

165 editions, 51% open rate, 252 people who actually read.
114 new readers this year, the highest growth in five years

And I did all of that without ever directly asking you for help.

I used to call that integrity.
That good work should speak for itself.

Lately, I’ve realised it was probably fear.

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🧠 What I've Been Avoiding

I spend a lot of time coaching founders to make uncomfortable asks.
To stop playing small.
To accept that closed mouths don’t get fed.

And yet.

Here I am, 165 editions in, still hoping the right people will magically find this.

I hesitated.
Didn’t want to be annoying.
Didn’t want asking to look like weakness.
Didn’t want to imply the writing wasn’t enough on its own.

So I stayed quiet.
A soft mention here.
A polite line at the bottom there.

Never direct.
Never like this.

Funny how we avoid the very things we tell others to do.
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🧠 More Before Better Before New

I re-read something this week from Jay Clouse that put words to what I've been feeling.

More > Better > New

Most of us keep chasing new.
New offers. New platforms. New tactics.
When the thing that's already working just needs a little more care.

This newsletter is working.
The open rates tell me that.
The replies I get tell me that.
The “that one hit home” messages show it.

It doesn't need a rebrand or a new format.
It just needs to reach more of the right people.

My quiet goal for 2026 is 450 subscribers.
Not because bigger is better
Because I know there are founders out there feeling, stuck in long weeks, running businesses that own them.

They need to hear that there's another way.
That systems create freedom.
That the first year is hell and that's okay.

They're already in your world.
Your WhatsApp groups.
Your network

They just don't know this newsletter exists.

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Your Turn

So I'm trying something different this week.

I'm asking for help.

If this newsletter has been useful to you, I'd love your help.

One forward.
One person who runs their own business and might need what we talk about here.

That's all.

And if you've been reading for a while and never replied, this would be a lovely week to say hello.
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Tell me what's on your mind. Or just wave.
I read every response and it means more than you know.

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📢 Dhiren’s Updates

A couple of things brewing:

Part-Time Annual CEO Retreat 2nd Edition, Jan 16th - 18th

The first cohort sold out. We’re opening a second group for founders ready to step back and work on their life for three focused days.

Reply if you want details.

Entrepreneur Basecamp, 3-Day Workshop, Jan 22- 24

A hands-on foundation for becoming a Part-Time CEO.
Systems. Clarity. A roadmap you’ll actually use.

​Click here to book your spot​

📌 Dhiren’s Pick of the Week

🧑🏽‍💻 Jay's Blog: More > Better > New​

I keep coming back to this one. It's a quick read, but it stuck with me enough that I wrote it on my goals notecard for 2026.

If you're anything like me always tempted by the next shiny thing, this might be the reminder you need.
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Growth doesn't always come from adding.
Sometimes it's just paying more attention to what's already there.
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Worth ten minutes > Click here to read​

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ps: did someone forward this to you?​
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Cheers