My First Million
The best business ideas come from noticing what's working and doing it better, faster, or for a different audience.
Experience Premium Hiring
Paying 2-3x more for experienced hires who have already solved similar problems rather than betting on high-potential but unproven talent
How It Works
Experienced people have already made the mistakes, know the shortcuts, and can execute immediately without learning curve costs
Components
Identify what specific experience you need
Budget 2-3x more than junior alternatives
Look for people who have done the exact thing before
Focus on results over potential
Accept higher upfront costs for faster results
When to Use
When results matter more than cost savings, when you can afford the premium, when speed of execution is critical
When Not to Use
When budget is extremely constrained, when building a learning culture, when the work is truly novel with no precedent
Anti-Patterns to Avoid
Example
“A startup CEO needs a head of marketing. Instead of hiring an ambitious MBA grad for $120K, they hire someone who scaled marketing at two previous startups for $300K, resulting in 5x faster growth”
Related Knowledge
Get expertise quickly while building internal capability
Internal team can execute the specialized work independently after consultant departure
Find proven business models to copy rather than inventing from scratch
Specific actionable business model with proven precedent that fits your skills and preferences
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Talent x Project Selection Matrix
If you're hardworking and talented, project selection becomes the only variable that matters for outcomes
Sarah's List Employee Wealth Strategy
Join stable, proven companies with 1000+ employees that still have 5-10x growth potential to build wealth through stock