- Yada Yada Insights
- Posts
- The Dog Dilemma
The Dog Dilemma
Every stray project barks louder than it pays.
R.J. A.
August 28, 2025 • Estimated Reading Time: 4 minutes
Table of Contents
JERRY: “Two hundred seats on a plane, I gotta wind up next to Yukon Jack and his
dog Cujo. Shut up! One more day and you are pound bound!”
tl;dr
Every stray project barks louder than it pays. Guard your bandwidth.
Previously on Seinfeld
In The Dog (S3E4), Jerry agrees to dog-sit for a stranger on a plane. Big mistake. Farfel barks nonstop and wrecks his apartment, Elaine and George discover they have nothing to say without Jerry, and Kramer turns breaking up (and making up) into live theater. By the end, the only thing more relentless than Farfel’s bark is Jerry’s regret.
Yada Yada Insight
Jerry agreed to surrender his freedom when he agreed to watch a dog. Farfel barked, chewed, and dictated his entire week. Founders do the same when they say “yes” to the wrong asks. What feels like a harmless favor becomes a leash around your schedule.
Founder Farfels look like this:
The “quick project” outside your lane that eats weeks of reinvention
The equity-only gig that chains you to someone else’s risk
The vendor, partner, or investor who hands you their mess and calls it “collaboration”
Lesson: Guard your focus like it’s pedigree.
We saw the same trap in The Waiting Game Strategy: waiting on the wrong people drains momentum and trust. Jerry thought he was doing a small favor, but he wound up as an unpaid, sleep-deprived dog-sitter. And unlike couch cushions, founder energy doesn’t bounce back after being shredded.
Takeaway: Every “yes” puts a leash around your time. Make sure you want what’s on the other end.
Unlocking the Vault
The “Farfel” Rulebook
Why it matters: Founders don’t just chase opportunities - they collect strays. A “quick favor,” a “small side project,” a “temporary client”… and suddenly you’re walking someone else’s dog at 2 a.m. These rules keep you from leashing yourself to the wrong bark.
1. Sniff before you say yes: If it doesn’t smell like strategy, it stinks of distraction.
2. Put the leash on first: Set clear terms, timelines, and an exit before you commit.
3. Loyalty isn’t ownership: Helping someone out doesn’t mean inheriting their problems.
4. Chew toys beat chew shoes: Boundaries protect your focus from getting shredded.
5. Pound-proof your calendar: If you wouldn’t board it long-term, don’t babysit it short-term.
You don’t scale by babysitting; you scale by saying no.
Got your own Farfel eating your calendar?
I help founders cut distractions, clean the books, and keep their focus where it belongs.
That’s Gold, Jerry!
Me, watching someone else’s mess become my problem.👇
And suddenly, you’re the dog-sitter.
Let’s Catch Up at Monk’s
If you liked this week’s lesson on boundaries, here are three more:
🥒 The Waiting Game Strategy – Stop babysitting other people’s timelines.
🖥️ Don’t Let Kramer Pick Your Vendors – Vet before you regret.
⏳ The Busboy Paradox – When small messes create big blowups.
📨 Know someone stuck feeding Farfel? Forward it to them or better yet, drag them to Monk’s and make them subscribe.
These Tools are Real - and They’re Spectacular
A few tools I actually use every week - for my business and my clients’: