My First Million
The best business ideas come from noticing what's working and doing it better, faster, or for a different audience.
Problem Across the Table Model
Visualize both parties sitting on the same side of the table with the problem/obstacle on the other side, rather than adversarial positioning
Decision Rule
When facing negotiation challenges, ask 'How can we work together to solve this problem?' instead of 'How can I win against them?'
How It Works
Shifts mindset from zero-sum competition to collaborative problem-solving, reducing defensiveness and increasing information sharing
Failure Modes
Only works when both parties genuinely want to solve the problem
Breaks down if one party is truly adversarial or deceptive
Can be exploited by someone pretending to collaborate while actually competing
Example Decision
“In a pricing negotiation, instead of 'I need to get them down to my target price,' think 'We both want this deal to work - what's preventing us from finding terms that make sense for both sides?'”