My First Million
The best business ideas come from noticing what's working and doing it better, faster, or for a different audience.
“word of mouth is like the worst answer to hear”
What It Means
Word-of-mouth marketing is frustrating for marketers because it's not directly actionable - it's an outcome of product excellence rather than a tactic
Why It Matters
Forces entrepreneurs to focus on product quality and customer experience rather than relying on marketing tactics to drive growth
When It's True
When the product or service genuinely exceeds customer expectations and provides social value through sharing
When It's Risky
When used as excuse for lack of systematic marketing approach or when product doesn't actually merit organic sharing
How to Apply
Design remarkable experiences that naturally encourage sharing
Focus on customer success and retention over acquisition tactics
Build community and social elements into the product experience
Create shareable moments throughout the customer journey
Example Scenario
“Instead of buying Facebook ads for a new restaurant, obsess over creating such amazing food and atmosphere that customers naturally bring friends and post on social media”
Related Knowledge
Trust the Process Framework
A decision-making approach where you commit to executing a well-researched plan despite emotional discomfort or temporary setbacks, separating logic from emotion throughout execution.
Launch profitable boutique fitness studio with strong unit economics
Month one revenue of $90k+, ability to pay founder $1M+ salary by year two, and pathway to multi-location expansion with
Emotion-Logic Separation
A decision-making approach that consciously separates emotional responses from logical evaluation, especially during high-stakes or stressful situations involving significant capital or risk.
Process trust over emotional decision-making
Most people fail not due to bad strategies but due to abandoning good strategies during normal variance periods
I've never met someone who has such faith in the process
An demonstrates unusual ability to commit to and execute strategies despite emotional discomfort or uncertainty
Word-of-mouth marketing is the most frustrating answer for entrepreneurs because it's not directly a
Word-of-mouth requires creating a remarkable product experience that naturally compels customers to share, which is much harder than executing tactical marketing campaigns with direct cause-and-effect relationships.