Hell Yeah or No: 16 Reality-Shattering Insights from Derek Sivers That Will Break Your Brain

Photo by Simon Fitall on Unsplash

Derek Sivers sold CD Baby for $22 million then gave it all away to music education.

I love reading his books and I love his radical way of thinking.

His insights are so counterintuitive they make most “contrarian” advice look mainstream.

Here are his most mind-breaking principles.

1. The Hell Yeah Rule (The Ultimate Decision Framework)

Sivers’ most shocking discovery: Every “yes” must pass the “Hell Yeah!” test.

The framework:
- If it’s not a “HELL YEAH!” it’s a “no”
- No exceptions
- No “great opportunities”
- No FOMO
- No maybes

Mind-blowing result: Saying no to 99% of “amazing opportunities” made him more successful than saying yes ever did.

2. The Absence of Excellence Theory

Most radical insight: Excellence isn’t about what you do — it’s about what you eliminate.

Formula:

Excellence = (Total Capacity — Distractions) × Focus Time