My First Million
The best business ideas come from noticing what's working and doing it better, faster, or for a different audience.
Build and spend your wealth exactly how you want, ignore resale value and legacy concerns because you'll be dead
The Reasoning
Death makes all future considerations irrelevant to your personal experience, so optimizing for your own preferences while alive is the rational choice
What Needs to Be True
- You have sufficient wealth to not worry about financial security
- You don't have strong obligations to heirs or causes
- Your personal satisfaction matters more than others' approval
- You accept that others may judge your choices
Counterargument
Legacy and reputation can provide meaning and purpose, and considering resale value shows good stewardship that benefits your family and society
What Would Change This View
Evidence that legacy concerns significantly improve life satisfaction or that ignoring them causes meaningful harm to people you care about
Implications for Builders
Build products and companies that truly satisfy you rather than optimizing for exit value
Make bold, personal choices in business rather than playing it safe for others' approval
Prioritize present satisfaction over future abstract concerns
Accept that unconventional choices may hurt 'market value' but increase personal value
Example Application
“Entrepreneur builds a quirky, highly personal business that perfectly serves their interests and values, even if it makes the company less sellable to traditional acquirers”
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