My First Million
The best business ideas come from noticing what's working and doing it better, faster, or for a different audience.
AI as new platform shift opportunity
Timeframe: 2-5 years for major opportunities
What's Changing
AI tools like ChatGPT creating new platform for building applications and services
Driving Forces
Rapid improvement in AI capability
Decreasing cost of AI compute
Open APIs making AI accessible to developers
Winners
- Developers building AI-powered applications early
- Companies integrating AI into existing workflows
- Service providers using AI for efficiency gains
Losers
- Companies ignoring AI integration
- Purely manual service providers
- Those waiting for 'perfect' AI solutions
How to Position Yourself
Build applications on top of existing AI platforms
Focus on specific use cases rather than general AI
Combine AI with domain expertise
Early Signals to Watch
Example Implementation
“Building specialized AI tools for specific industries like legal document review or medical diagnosis assistance”
Related Knowledge
Platform Shift Applications
When new platforms emerge, there's a gap between platform capability and available applications
Two Millimeter Shifts
Small adjustments in approach that create massive changes in outcomes, like a golf club being 2mm off causing the ball t
Play/Work Overlap Framework
Finding activities that feel like play to you but appear as work to others, creating a sustainable competitive advantage
Fat Pitch Strategy
Waiting for high-probability, high-reward opportunities rather than swinging at every chance that comes along
Get informal mentorship from successful people
Person regularly responds to your questions and you have ongoing informal advisory relationship
Asymmetric Risk/Reward
Seek opportunities where you can lose small amounts but win large amounts, or where you have information others lack