My First Million
The best business ideas come from noticing what's working and doing it better, faster, or for a different audience.
“Your success is directly correlated with your pain threshold.”
What It Means
The ability to endure difficulty and uncertainty without giving up determines how much success you can achieve in business and life
Why It Matters
Pain tolerance becomes a competitive moat - those who can persist through difficulty while others quit gain significant advantages
When It's True
In competitive environments where persistence is required, during market downturns, when building something new, or when bootstrapping
When It's Risky
When pain indicates fundamental problems that require pivoting, in toxic situations, or when enduring unnecessary suffering
How to Apply
Assess personal and team pain tolerance before making strategic decisions
Use pain tolerance as hiring criteria for key roles
Build systems that make difficulty more manageable
Evaluate whether current pain serves long-term strategic goals
Example Scenario
“A startup founder choosing between taking easy venture funding or bootstrapping for 5 years uses their high pain tolerance to maintain control and build sustainable economics while competitors burn through capital and fail”
Related Knowledge
Pain Threshold Success Framework
A mental model stating that an individual's success is directly proportional to their ability to tolerate and persist through difficulty, discomfort, and extended periods of uncertainty without external validation or immediate rewards.
Multi-Domain Excellence Pattern
A pattern observed in high achievers where individuals who reach extreme success in one domain typically demonstrate above-average performance in 2-3 other seemingly unrelated areas, suggesting transferable meta-skills and competitive mindset.
Convert high-value prospects who initially don't respond into confirmed meetings or partnerships
Getting responses from previously unresponsive high-value prospects, converting cold outreach into meetings, and buildin
Everything Is Wrong at First - Iteration Model
A mental framework assuming that initial versions of any product, strategy, or business model will be fundamentally flaw
Pain tolerance is the primary determinant of business success
Focus on building systems and mindsets that increase tolerance for uncertainty and discomfort rather than just seeking e
Winners seem to win in a bunch of areas.
People who achieve extreme success in one area typically demonstrate above-average performance in 2-3 other seemingly un