My First Million
The best business ideas come from noticing what's working and doing it better, faster, or for a different audience.
“Time is never on your side”
What It Means
Any good business idea will be copied by competitors within months, so speed of execution is critical
Why It Matters
Explains why successful entrepreneurs prioritize speed over perfection and why first-mover advantages are temporary
When It's True
In venture-scale markets with low barriers to entry and high rewards
When It's Risky
In markets with high switching costs, regulatory barriers, or where quality matters more than speed
How to Apply
Bias toward launching quickly with MVP rather than perfecting product
Raise capital aggressively when you have proven model
Prioritize market share capture over profitability in winner-take-all markets
Example Scenario
“DoubleClick expanded to 25 countries before being profitable to capture global enterprise clients before competitors could establish presence”
Related Knowledge
You need a good idea and good team
Business success ultimately comes down to two simple but difficult things: identifying real opportunities and assembling
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
Scale across multiple companies by being an effective chairman rather than trying to be CEO of everything
CEOs who proactively reach out for guidance, successful financing rounds, strategic decisions made efficiently, and comp