My First Million
The best business ideas come from noticing what's working and doing it better, faster, or for a different audience.
Luxury Positioning Value Model
You can create more value by serving fewer customers at a higher level of quality and price than by serving many customers at a commodity level.
Decision Rule
When possible, choose to be the high-value option for fewer people rather than competing on volume in commoditized markets.
How It Works
Premium positioning allows for higher margins, more selective customer base, stronger brand loyalty, and sustainable competitive advantages through quality rather than scale.
Failure Modes
Trying to serve everyone and ending up serving no one well
Competing on price in commodity markets
Focusing on volume metrics instead of per-customer value
Undervaluing your unique offerings
Example Decision
“Instead of launching generic productivity newsletter for everyone, create premium weekly deep-dive for CTOs at fast-growing startups, charging $200/year for 1,000 subscribers rather than free for 100,000 random subscribers.”
Related Knowledge
The best product is just you pushed out to the world
Focus on authentic self-expression rather than trying to copy successful formats or creators
The 5Ds Personal Branding Framework
A framework for building audience connection by sharing five key personal elements: Done (track record), Deliver (what you offer), Do (work and fun activities), Dreams (aspirations), and Dork (obsessions).
First Last Best Worst Weirdest Content Generator
A systematic method for generating personal stories by applying five question types (First, Last, Best, Worst, Weirdest) to any life category (jobs, relationships, projects, etc.
Systematically improve content creation skills through deliberate practice
By video 100, your content quality has improved dramatically through conscious iteration, and you no longer need external advice because you've developed your own judgment and skills.
Create 1-2 hours of quality content that can convert casual visitors into fans
When someone discovers your content, they can consume 1-2 hours and walk away thinking 'I love this person' and become a committed follower, even if your overall numbers are still small.
Quality Audience Selection Model
When building an audience, one highly valuable, aligned person is worth more than many random people who aren't a good fit for your message or offering.