My First Million
The best business ideas come from noticing what's working and doing it better, faster, or for a different audience.
Geographic Concentration of Economic Opportunity
Timeframe: Ongoing trend that has accelerated over past 20 years, likely to continue for next decade
What's Changing
Economic growth and high-paying opportunities are increasingly concentrating in a small number of major cities globally
Driving Forces
Network effects in innovation and business
Venture capital and investment concentration
Talent clustering and knowledge spillovers
Infrastructure and ecosystem development in major hubs
Winners
- Young professionals who relocate to major cities early
- Cities with strong tech/finance/media ecosystems
- Companies that can access top-tier talent pools
- Real estate owners in these concentrated markets
Losers
- Small towns and secondary cities losing talent
- Professionals who stay in low-opportunity areas
- Companies trying to compete from non-hub locations
- Local businesses in areas experiencing brain drain
How to Position Yourself
Move to major city before collecting 'dogs and kids'
Choose the biggest city in your nation, then global hubs
Accept high cost of living as investment in career acceleration
Build skills that are valued in hub economies
Early Signals to Watch
Example Implementation
“A ambitious 22-year-old moves from Ohio to NYC, accepts higher living costs and smaller apartment, but gains access to better jobs, higher salaries, and professional networks that compound over career.”
Related Knowledge
B01
Employee retention is costly and difficult; traditional approaches focus on compensation and culture rather than the #1
Sexier Business, Lower ROI Principle
A career selection rule stating that the more attractive or glamorous an industry appears, the lower the financial retur
Algebra of Wealth Formula
A mathematical representation of wealth building: Focus × Stoicism × Time × Diversification = Wealth
Build a business designed from inception to sell at premium multiples
Selling company for 8x+ revenue in top decile of industry valuations
Time-bounded Recovery Framework
A self-imposed time limit for processing and recovering from failures, losses, or setbacks before you must take action t
Influence Absorption Framework
A deliberate strategy of deeply studying 3-5 people you admire so thoroughly that you can 'turn them on' and channel the