I really enjoy talking with early entrepreneurs. Their combination of energy and optimism is unique. And it’s educational for me— the problems they’re solving are often new to me. When I chat with someone starting a company, I look for the answer to an important question. One that matters a lot to their chances of success. Is anyone holding them accountable?

I thought about the early days of building CCAW and realized something interesting. My most productive periods were when I was accountable to someone. Now, I’m not saying that accountability was the only reason I made progress or achieved success, but I am saying that it was a big factor.

In my opinion, volunteering to be held accountable doesn’t come naturally to most people. It’s human nature to do what you want when you want. We lean toward doing things we enjoy or are comfortable with. But building a company requires execution in all areas. You have to do a lot of things you hate or at least are unfamiliar with. You can create a great service or product, but if you can’t sell it to anyone, you fail. This is where accountability helps so much. It motivates you to do things you struggle with. When you give people permission to ask you for updates, you’re more likely to make progress because you don’t want to let them down (and embarrass yourself).

Accountability can be formal or informal. Co-founders, peer groups, advisors, spouses, family, friends—anyone you don’t want to disappoint—can hold your feet to the fire. Whatever the details, you must commit to what you want to accomplish, give regular updates, and be truthful no matter what.

Peer groups held me accountable. Every month, we all answered the same questions: Since we last met, what have you accomplished? Give us the highlights—positive and negative—of what you’ve been doing. What do you plan to accomplish before our next meeting?

Want to accomplish something significant? Arrange your life so you’re accountable to someone. You’ll be more productive and more likely to succeed.