My First Million
The best business ideas come from noticing what's working and doing it better, faster, or for a different audience.
“you got to be able to steal something from the guy”
What It Means
In every interaction or experience, actively look for something valuable you can learn and apply, even from people you don't like
Why It Matters
Maximizes learning from every experience and prevents ego from blocking valuable insights
When It's True
When you approach situations with genuine curiosity and openness to learning
When It's Risky
When you become overly focused on finding lessons instead of being present in the experience
How to Apply
Go into every meeting or conference with explicit goal to find one actionable insight
Ask yourself 'What can I learn from this person?' even in difficult situations
Keep a learning journal to capture and review insights regularly
Example Scenario
“Attending uncomfortable conference outside your industry and forcing yourself to find valuable business insights you can apply to your own work”
Related Knowledge
Transparent vs Opaque Opportunity Assessment
Opportunities are either 'windows' (transparent, can see outcome clearly) or 'doors' (opaque, unknown what's behind).
Three Market Evolution Stages
Framework showing how markets evolve through clueless, curious, and saturated stages, requiring different marketing appr
Savage Scaling Framework
A rapid content/product scaling approach that prioritizes volume and speed over perfection to dominate a market category
Algebra of Wealth Formula
A mathematical representation of wealth building: Focus × Stoicism × Time × Diversification = Wealth
Technology Wave Pattern
A framework for identifying and categorizing major technological shifts that create trillion-dollar opportunities approx
Build strong professional relationships through consistent value-add interactions rather than self-promotion
Strong network of people who proactively help you and consider you a valuable connection