My First Million
The best business ideas come from noticing what's working and doing it better, faster, or for a different audience.
If building your business feels consistently hard and draining, you're probably pursuing the wrong opportunity or approach
The Reasoning
Right opportunities create energy rather than drain it. When you're aligned with market needs and your capabilities, work becomes energizing despite challenges. Persistent difficulty often signals fundamental misalignment.
What Needs to Be True
- You're solving a real problem people want solved
- Your approach aligns with market timing and readiness
- Your skills and resources match the opportunity requirements
- The business model has natural momentum rather than forced traction
Counterargument
All meaningful businesses face significant challenges and require persistence through difficult periods. Success often requires pushing through resistance.
What Would Change This View
Evidence that most successful entrepreneurs experienced consistent energy drain throughout their journey, or data showing no correlation between energy levels and business success
Implications for Builders
Pay attention to your energy levels as a signal of opportunity quality
Don't confuse hard work with wrong direction - effort should feel energizing
Consider pivoting when persistent difficulty suggests misalignment
Use energy flow as a decision-making tool for strategic choices
Example Application
“Eric worked on a jewelry retail concept for 3-4 years that felt like 'pushing water uphill' until he recognized the persistent difficulty as a signal to move on, while his successful brands felt energizing despite challenges.”
Related Knowledge
if it's hard, it's probably wrong
Persistent difficulty in business execution often signals fundamental misalignment with market needs or personal capabil
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Generate actionable product ideas through international travel and observation
Return from trip with 2-3 validated product concepts that can be immediately prototyped and tested with retailers/consum