My First Million
The best business ideas come from noticing what's working and doing it better, faster, or for a different audience.
Systematically expose yourself to different worldviews to avoid becoming cynical and maintain fresh perspectives
Successful business owners, investors, or professionals who risk becoming insular in their thinking
Ongoing practice, with quarterly or annual eventsWhat Success Looks Like
Regularly discovering new business ideas, maintaining curiosity, avoiding the 'old bear' mentality, and finding unexpected opportunities
Steps to Execute
Identify conferences or events completely outside your industry
Force yourself to attend even when uncomfortable
Go with an open mind to 'steal something' from every experience
Look for younger people or different demographics to learn from
Take notes on new concepts or approaches you encounter
Apply learnings to your existing business within 30 days
Checklist
Inputs Needed
- Time and travel budget for conferences
- Open mindset and willingness to be uncomfortable
- System for capturing and reviewing insights
Outputs
- New business ideas and opportunities
- Fresh perspectives on existing challenges
- Network expansion into new industries
- Prevention of cynical 'old bear' mentality
Example
“Kevin attends Design Pickle conference knowing nothing about the space, meets Sean, learns about newsletter models, and co-creates Milk Road which later sells for millions”
Related Knowledge
Value vs Uniqueness Business Matrix
A 2x2 matrix plotting business opportunities on axes of total value (y-axis) and uniqueness (x-axis) to determine strate
Light User vs Heavy User Funnel Strategy
Strategic positioning framework where businesses deliberately avoid heavy users who demand low margins and instead focus
amazon_early_exit_mistake
pbr_bull_investment_loss
Build a profitable newsletter business from scratch using subject matter expertise
Newsletter generating $10M+ annually with 30k+ subscribers paying $600+ per year, growing organically without paid adver
Wait for Your Pitch Strategy
Like Ted Williams mapping his batting average by strike zone, identify your 'sweet spot' opportunities and only swing at