My First Million
The best business ideas come from noticing what's working and doing it better, faster, or for a different audience.
Mimetic Desire Business Model
Building businesses around visible status displays that create peer pressure for neighbors to adopt the same service
How It Works
Humans have innate tendency to copy what they see others doing, especially visible home improvements. One adoption creates pressure for surrounding homes to follow suit.
Components
Choose highly visible home service category
Target dense neighborhoods with similar income levels
Create Instagram-worthy results that photograph well
Price as premium status symbol, not commodity
Focus geographic expansion street by street
When to Use
For visible home services, seasonal decorations, or status symbol installations where neighbors can see each other's choices
When Not to Use
For private services, B2B offerings, or products without social visibility component
Anti-Patterns to Avoid
Example
“Christmas lights installation creates visible peer pressure - once 3-4 houses on a block get professional lights, others feel compelled to match the standard”