My First Million
The best business ideas come from noticing what's working and doing it better, faster, or for a different audience.
Reframing personal and professional challenges as 'skill issues' rather than external problems
Timeframe: Already emerging, will accelerate over 2-5 years
What's Changing
Growing recognition that many problems we attribute to circumstances or inherent difficulty are actually skill deficits that can be addressed through learning and practice
Driving Forces
Gaming culture terminology entering mainstream
Growth mindset popularization
Increased access to learning resources
Recognition that emotional/social skills are learnable
Winners
- People who adopt learning mindset toward relationship conflicts
- Professionals who develop emotional intelligence skills
- Anyone who stops victim thinking
Losers
- Those who remain stuck in 'this is just how I am' fixed mindset
- People who blame external circumstances for personal skill gaps
How to Position Yourself
Identify areas where you consistently struggle
Ask 'Is this a skill issue?' instead of accepting difficulty
Invest in learning conflict resolution, communication, emotional regulation
Build vocabulary/distinctions in problem areas
Early Signals to Watch
Example Implementation
“Instead of saying 'I'm bad at difficult conversations,' say 'I have a skill issue with conflict resolution' and seek specific training in repair attempts, de-escalation, and clear communication”
Related Knowledge
skill issue
Many problems we attribute to external circumstances or inherent difficulty are actually learnable skills that can be im
Forest Fire Conflict Model
Conflicts don't start as fights - they begin as accumulated small irritations (like dry brush on forest floor) that rema
Gottman's Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse
Four communication patterns that predict relationship failure: criticism (attacking character), contempt (superiority/di
Gottman's 5:1 Magic Ratio
Successful relationships maintain at least 5 positive interactions for every 1 negative interaction.
Giving Contest vs. Taking Contest Framework
98% of relationships are 'taking contests' where people measure what they get.
De-escalate conflicts before they become damaging fights
Arguments stay productive and don't damage relationships.