My First Million
The best business ideas come from noticing what's working and doing it better, faster, or for a different audience.
“Pay attention to what other people pay attention to”
What It Means
Learning strategy where you observe what captures experts' attention as a way to understand their mental models and priorities
Why It Matters
Expert attention is a trained instrument that reveals high-signal information amateurs miss, providing a shortcut to domain expertise
When It's True
When interacting with genuine experts, when their attention reflects professional rather than personal bias, when you can understand the context
When It's Risky
When confusing personal quirks with professional insights, when lacking context to interpret reactions, when experts are outside their domain
How to Apply
Watch for moments when experts lean in or take notes
Ask why specific points captured their attention
Look for patterns across multiple expert interactions
Build databases of what different experts find noteworthy
Example Scenario
“Casually mentioning a TikTok hook to a TikTok expert who immediately takes notes and calls it company-making, revealing that hooks are the highest-leverage element in their success model.”
Related Knowledge
Hated and Unloved Investment Strategy
An investment approach that specifically targets assets that are widely disliked or ignored by the market, betting that negative sentiment creates undervaluation opportunities.
Passion Project Connection Strategy
A relationship-building approach that focuses conversations on people's current passionate interests rather than their well-known achievements, creating deeper engagement and authentic connection.
Optimize for decision quality and strategic thinking over activity and busyness
Clear daily schedule with time for deep thinking, reading, and strategic decisions.
What Experts Notice Framework
A learning strategy where you observe what captures the attention of domain experts, using their selective focus as a guide to understand what matters most in their field.
The most successful people optimize for being useful to others rather than extracting value
Building relationships and business success should focus on contribution rather than acquisition
I look for things that are hated and unloved
Investment strategy focused on assets with widespread negative sentiment, betting that hatred creates undervaluation opp