My First Million
The best business ideas come from noticing what's working and doing it better, faster, or for a different audience.
Outsider Perspective Creates Innovation Opportunities
Coming from outside an industry allows you to question assumptions and create solutions that industry insiders accept as unchangeable.
Decision Rule
When industry participants say 'that's just how it works here,' that's often where the biggest opportunities exist.
How It Works
Industry outsiders don't know what's 'impossible' so they attempt solutions that insiders have given up on. They also bring best practices from other industries.
Failure Modes
Ignoring legitimate industry constraints and regulations
Underestimating complexity of industry workflows
Assuming technology alone can solve social/cultural issues
Not building relationships with industry stakeholders
Example Decision
“Henry Blodgett never worked in a newsroom (weakness) but understood internet journalism better than traditional journalists, allowing Business Insider to create new publishing models.”
Related Knowledge
Most people understate the risk of not doing something
Bias toward action and calculated risks rather than conservative approach
Time is never on your side - any good idea will be copied within 6 months
Speed of execution is critical competitive advantage
The Ryan Studio Model
A systematic approach to creating multiple companies by combining deep industry research, patient capital, and specialist CEO recruitment rather than trying to be CEO of everything yourself.
The Dollar-Into-Two-Dollar Machine Framework
A mental model for evaluating whether to raise capital and invest in growth by determining if you can reliably convert investment into higher returns.
The 10-Year Trend Betting Framework
A strategic approach to business building that focuses exclusively on trends and opportunities that will play out over 10+ years rather than immediate market gaps.
Systematically understand a new industry well enough to identify billion-dollar opportunities
A 50-page document identifying 3-5 major pain points, key players, industry structure, and specific product opportunitie