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My First Million

My First Million

The best business ideas come from noticing what's working and doing it better, faster, or for a different audience.

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Zero-to-One vs One-to-Hundred Operator Framework

Reusability

Classification of entrepreneurs as either idea generators who start things (0-1) or operators who scale things (1-100)

How It Works

0-1 people excel at identifying opportunities and getting initial traction, then hand off to 1-100 operators for scaling

Components

1

Identify your natural strengths and energy sources

2

Find complementary partners for opposite skill set

3

Structure handoffs at appropriate company stages

4

Align compensation with value creation phases

When to Use

For self-assessment of founder strengths, partnership decisions, and investment evaluation

When Not to Use

When both skills are required in same person, in early-stage companies needing immediate scale, or in simple execution-only businesses

Anti-Patterns to Avoid

0-1 people trying to force themselves into scaling roles1-100 people starting companies without 0-1 partnerNot planning transition between phasesAssuming one type is more valuable than other

Example

A serial entrepreneur starts multiple companies, gets them to initial success, then brings in operators to scale while moving to next venture